The Moon And Sixpence 51.4

"My firsthusband, Captain Johnson, used to thrash me regularly. He was a man. He washandsome, six foot three, and when he was drunk there was no holding him. Iwould be black and blue all over for days at a time. Oh, I cried when he died.I thought I should never get over it. But it wasn't till I married GeorgeRainey that I knew what I'd lost. You can never tell what a man is like tillyou live with him. I've never been so deceived in a man as I was in GeorgeRainey. He was a fine, upstanding fellow too. He was nearly as tall as CaptainJohnson, and he looked strong enough. But it was all on the surface. He neverdrank. He never raised his hand to me. He might have been a missionary. I madelove with the officers of every ship that touched the island, and George Raineynever saw anything. At last I was disgusted with him, and I got a divorce. Whatwas the good of a husband like that? It's a terrible thing the way some mentreat women. "I condoled withTiare, and remarked feelingly that men were deceivers ever, then asked her togo on with her story of Strickland."`Well, 'I said to him, `there's no hurry about it. Take your time and think it over.Ata has a very nice room in the annexe. Live with her for a month, and see howyou like her. You can have your meals here. And at the end of a month, if youdecide you want to marry her, you can just go and settle down on her property.'"Well, heagreed to that. Ata continued to do the housework, and I gave him his meals asI said I would. I taught Ata to make one or two dishes I knew he was fond of.He did not paint much. He wandered about the hills and bathed in the stream.And he sat about the front looking at the lagoon, and at sunset he would godown and look at Murea. He used to go fishing on the reef. He loved to moonabout the harbour talking to the natives. He was a nice, quiet fellow. Andevery evening after dinner he would go down to the annexe with Ata. I saw hewas longing to get away to the bush, and at the end of the month I asked himwhat he intended to do. He said if Ata was willing to go, he was willing to gowith her. So I gave them a wedding dinner. I cooked it with my own hands. Igave them a pea soup and lobster a la portugaise, and a curry, and a cocoa-nutsalad -- you've never had one of my cocoa-nut salads, have you? I must make youone before you go -- and then I made them an ice. We had all the champagne wecould drink and liqueurs to follow. Oh, I'd made up my mind to do things well.And afterwards we danced in the drawing-room. I was not so fat, then, and Ialways loved dancing. "“我的第一个丈夫，约翰生船长，也总是经常不断地用鞭子抽我。他是个男子汉，六英尺三高，长得仪表堂堂。他一喝醉了，谁也劝不住他，总是把我浑身打得青一块、紫一块，多少天也退不去。咳，他死了的时候我那个哭啊。我想我这辈子再也不能从这个打击里恢复过来啦。但是我真的懂得我的损失多么大，那还是在我同乔治·瑞恩尼结婚以后。要是不跟一个男的一起生活，你是永远不会知道他是怎样一个人的。乔治·瑞恩尼叫我大失所望，任何一个男人也没有这么叫我失望过。他长得也挺漂亮，身材魁梧，差不多同约翰生船长一样高，看起来非常结实。但是这一切都是表面现象。他从来没有喝醉过，从来没有动手打过我。简直可以当个传教士。每一条轮船进港我都同船上的高级船员谈情说爱，可是乔治·瑞恩尼什么也看不见。最后我实在腻味他了，我跟他离了婚。嫁了这么一个丈夫有什么好处呢？有些男人对待女人的方式真是太可怕了。”我安慰了一下蒂阿瑞，表示同情地说，男人总是叫女人上当的；接着我就请她继续给我讲思特里克兰德的故事。“‘好吧，’我对思特里克兰德说，‘这事不用着急。慢慢地好好想一想。爱塔在厢房里有一间挺不错的屋子，你跟她一起生活一个月，看看是不是喜欢她。你可以在我这里吃饭。一个月以后，如果你决定同她结婚，你就可以到她那块地产上安下家来。’”“他同意这样做。爱塔仍然给我干活儿，我叫思特里克兰德在我这里吃饭，象我答应过的那样。我教给爱塔做一两样他喜欢吃的菜。他并没有怎么画画儿。他在山里游荡，在河里边洗澡。他坐在海边上眺望咸水湖。每逢日落的时候，就到海边上去看莫里阿岛。他也常常到礁石上去钓鱼。他喜欢在码头上闲逛，同本地人东拉西扯。他从不叫叫嚷嚷，非常讨人喜欢。每天吃过晚饭他就同爱塔一起到厢房里去。我看得出来，他渴望回到丛林里去。到了一个月头上，我问他打算怎么办。他说，要是爱塔愿意走的话，他是愿意同爱塔一起走的。于是我给他们准备了一桌喜酒。我亲自下的厨。我给他们做了豌豆汤、葡萄牙式的大虾、咖喱饭和椰子色拉——你还没尝过我做的椰子色拉呢，是不是？在你离开这里以前我一定给你做一回——我还给他们准备了冰激凌。我们拼命地喝香槟，接着又喝甜酒。啊，我早就打定主意，一定要把婚礼办得象个样子。吃完了饭，我们就在客厅里跳舞。那时候我还不象现在这么胖，我从年轻的时候就喜欢跳舞。”