人性的枷锁 Of Human Bondage(4)
她的声音轻轻悠悠,仿佛是从远处飘来。孩子没有应声,只是惬意地微微一笑,躺在这张暖和的大床上,又被温柔的双臂搂着,感到有种说不出的快意。孩子紧偎着母亲,蜷起身子,想让自己缩得更小些;他睡意矇眬地吻着母亲。不一会,他阖上眼皮,酣然入梦了。医生走过来,站在床前。
"噢,别现在就把他抱走,"妇人悲戚地说。
医生神情严肃地望着她,没有答话。妇人心里明白医生不会让孩子在她身边呆多久的,她又一次亲亲孩子;她抚摸着孩子的身体,手指轻轻下持,最后触到孩子的下肢;她把右脚捏在手里,抚弄着那五个小脚趾。接着又慢慢地把手伸到左脚上。她抽搭了一声。
"怎么啦?"医生说,"你累了。"
她摇摇头,哽咽着说不出话来,眼泪沿着双颊扑籁而下。医生弯下身子。
"让我来抱他。"
她心力交瘁,无力违拗医生的意愿,只得任他抱走了孩子。医生把孩子交还给保姆。
"最好还是把孩子送回自己的床上去。"
"好的,先生。"
仍在呼呼熟睡的孩子被抱开了。做母亲的这时万箭钻心,低声呜咽起来。
"可怜的孩子,不知他将来会怎么样呢?"
侍候产妇的看护在一旁好言劝慰,想让她平静下来。隔了一会,她由于精疲力竭而停止了哭泣。医生走到房间另一侧的一张桌子跟前,桌上有具死婴,用毛巾蒙着。他揭开毛巾看了看。虽然医生的身子被屏风遮住,但床上的产妇还是猜着了他在干什么。
"是女的还是男的?"她低声问看护。
"又是个男孩。"
妇人没有再吭声。不一会,孩子的保姆回来了。她走到床头前。
"菲利普少爷睡得很香,"她说。
一阵沉默。医生又给病人搭脉。
"我想这会儿没我的事了,"他说。"早饭后我再来。"
"让我领您出去,"孩子的保姆说。
他们默然不语地步下楼梯。到了门厅,医生收住脚步。
"你们派人去请凯里太太的大伯了,是吗?"
"是的,先生。"
"你知道他什么时候能到这儿?"
"不知道,先生,我正在等电报。"
"那小孩怎么办?我觉得最好把他领开去。"
"沃特金小姐说她愿意照看孩子,先生。"
"这位小姐是谁?"
"是孩子的教母,先生。您认为凯里太太的病还能好吗,先生?"
医生摇摇头。
chapter 2
It was a week later. Philip was sitting on the floor in the drawing-room at Miss Watkin’s house in Onslow gardens. He was an only child and used to amusing himself. The room was filled with massive furniture, and on each of the sofas were three big cushions. There was a cushion too in each arm-chair. All these he had taken and, with the help of the gilt rout chairs, light and easy to move, had made an elaborate cave in which he could hide himself from the Red Indians who were lurking behind the curtains. He put his ear to the floor and listened to the herd of buffaloes that raced across the prairie. Presently, hearing the door open, he held his breath so that he might not be discovered; but a violent hand piled away a chair and the cushions fell down.