! I mean as things are. It's only muscular paralysis with Sir Clifford—it doesn't affect him," said Connie, lying as naturally as breathing.

“不！我是说依照目前的状况而行。克利福德爵士只不过是肌肉麻痹而已——并不影响他孕育后代。”康妮说，扯谎如同呼吸般轻而易举。

Clifford had put the idea into her head. He had said: "of course I may have a child yet. I'm not really mutilated at all. The potency may easily come back, even if the muscles of the hips and legs are paralysed. And then the seed may be transferred.” He really felt, when he had his periods of energy and worked so hard at the question of the mines, as if his sexual potency were returning. Connie had looked at him in terror. But she was quite quick-witted enough to use his suggestion for her own preservation. For she would have a child if she could: but not his.

克利福德给她灌输过这种想法。他曾经说过：“我当然还可以生孩子。我并没有完全残废。即使臀部和双腿的肌肉已经瘫痪，生育能力还是能够轻松地恢复。而且精子也可以移植。”当他精力充沛，专心致志地钻研煤矿问题时，他真的感觉自己的性能力就要恢复。康妮看着他，不禁心生畏惧。但她的反应也确实机敏，用克利福德的暗示，当作自己的挡箭牌。因为如果可能的话，她愿意生个孩子，但父亲绝不会是克利福德。

Mrs. Bolton was for a moment breathless, flabbergasted. Then she didn't believe it: she saw in it a ruse. Yet doctors could do such things nowadays. They might sort of graft seed.

博尔顿太太一时间惊得说不出话，目瞪口呆。可她并未信以为真，识破康妮在耍花招。但如今的医生能够做到这种事。他们可以完成人工受精。

"Well, my Lady, I only hope and pray you may. It would be lovely for you: and for everybody. My word, a child in Wragby, what a difference it would make!” "Wouldn't it!" said Connie.

“哦，夫人，我整天盼着您能有个孩子，并为之祈祷。这对您，对大家都是件好事。天呢，格拉比要能有位小主人，那简直会引起地覆天翻的变化呢！”“谁说不是呢！”康妮附和道。

And she chose three R.A. pictures of sixty years ago, to send to the Duchess of Shortlands for that lady's next charitable bazaar. She was called 'the bazaar duchess', and she always asked all the county to send things for her to sell. She would be delighted with three framed R.A.s. She might even call, on the strength of them. How furious Clifford was when she called!

她选出三张皇家艺术学会会员的作品，均有超过60年的历史，送去给肖特兰兹公爵夫人，以备下次慈善义卖之用。她被称为“义卖公爵夫人”，总在全国范围内征求义卖物品。这三幅装裱停当的画作均出自皇家艺术学会名家之手，准能讨到她的欢心。她甚至有可能因此登门致谢。要是她来拜