tterley's goin'to be late for dinner, an'where 'ave yer been to my pretty maid!” She never knew how to answer him when he was in this condition of the vernacular. So she dressed herself and prepared to go a little ignominiously home to Wragby. Or so she felt it: a little ignominiously home.

“瞧瞧简！”他说。“简直是花团锦簇！明年此时，为你披上花衣的，又会是谁，珍妮？是我，还是别的什么人？‘再见吧，我的风铃草，一路平安！’我讨厌这首歌谣，它让我想起战争初期的时光。”说完，他坐下开始穿袜子。她仍站着没动。他的手抚上她饱满的臀部。“美丽的小简夫人！”他说。“或许在威尼斯，你会遇到倾心的男子，他会将芬芳的茉莉放进你的阴毛，把石榴花塞入你的肚脐。可爱的小简夫人！”“别说这种话！”她说。“你这么说，只会让我伤心。”他低下头。再次开口时，已经换成方言。“是呀，或许吧，可能吧！那好，那俺就闭上嘴，不说话。可恁可得穿好衣裙，回到那富丽堂皇、蔚为壮观的英式豪宅。时间已到！约翰爵士和小简夫人该分手了！穿好恁的内衣吧，查泰莱夫人！恁若是光着身子站在那儿，只靠几朵花儿遮体，可显不出那高贵的身份。那好吧，那好吧，让俺来为恁宽衣，短尾巴的小画眉。”他将她头上的叶片除去，亲吻着那淋湿的发丝；将她胸前的鲜花除去，亲吻着那酥软的乳房；但却将肚脐和阴毛处的花朵留在那里，只是一一吻过。“它们必须呆在原处。”他说。“好了！恁再次变得赤裸，成为光屁股的少妇，就像我的简夫人！现在穿好恁的内衣，赶紧回去，不然，查泰莱夫人会错过晚餐。恁去往何方，我美丽的少女！”每当他操着土语，喋喋不休，她就会无所适从，不知如何作答。于是，她穿好衣服，准备回转那略显可鄙的拉格比。这就是她此刻的感觉：那让人略感不齿的拉格比。

He would accompany her to the broad riding. His young pheasants were all right under the shelter.

他会陪她走过宽阔的马道。那些活蹦乱跳的小鸡已经好端端地回到笼里。

When he and she came out on to the riding, there was Mrs. Bolton faltering palely towards them.

他俩刚刚踏上马道，迎面正碰上博尔顿太太，她步履蹒跚，脸色惨白。

"Oh, my Lady, we wondered if anything had happened!" "No! Nothing has happened." Mrs. Bolton looked into the man's face, that was smooth and new-looking with love. She met his half-laughing, half-mocking eyes. He always laughed at mischance. But he looked at her kindly.

“噢，夫人，大家都以为您出事了！”“没事！我安然无恙。”博尔顿太太望着梅勒斯的脸，爱情的滋润让他安详自得，容光焕发。她对上他那半带笑意，半带嘲讽的眼神。这家伙总是幸灾乐祸。可他望着她的眼神却充满善意。

"Evening, Mrs. Bolton! Your Ladyship will be all right now, so I can leave you. Good-night to your Ladyship! Good-night, Mrs. Bolton!” He saluted and turned away.

“晚上好，博尔顿太太！夫人毫发无伤，我可以放心地把她交给你。晚安，夫人！晚安，博尔顿太太！”他行过礼，转身离去。

第十六章

Connie arrived home to an ordeal of cross-questioning. Clifford had been out at tea-time, had come in just before the storm, and where was her ladyship? Nobody knew, only Mrs. Bolton suggested she had gone for a walk into the wood. Into