70 nián dài chū yī gè yī yuè de wǎn shàng， kè lǐ sī tíng · ní 'ěr sēn zài niǔ yuē yīnyuè yuàn yǎn chàng gē jù《 fú shì dé》。
suī rán rén men zǎo jiù yì lùn yào zài dì 40 jiē yǐ běi de yuǎn jiāo xīng jiàn yī zuò xīn de gē jù yuàn， qí zào jià yǔ zhuàng guān jiāng hé 'ōu zhōu nà xiē zhù míng shǒu dū de gē jù yuàn pì měi， rán 'ér shàng liú shè huì què yǐ rán mǎn zú yú měi nián dōng tiān zài zhè zuò lì shǐ yōu jiǔ de yīnyuè yuàn hóng huáng liǎng sè de jiù bāo xiāng lǐ jìn xíng shè jiāo jù huì。 bǎo shǒu pài de rén men xīn shǎng tā de zhǎi xiǎo bù biàn， zhè yàng kě yǐ bǎ niǔ yuē shè huì kāi shǐ jù pà dàn yòu wéi zhī xī yǐn de “ xīn rén ” jù zhī mén wài； duō chóu shàn gǎn de rén men yīn wéi tā yǐn qǐ xǔ duō lì shǐ de lián xiǎng 'ér duì tā liàn liàn bùshě； ér yīnyuè 'àihào zhě zé liú liàn tā jīng měi de yīn xiǎng xiào guǒ。 zài zhuān wéi xīn shǎng yīnyuè 'ér xiū jiàn de tīng táng zhōng， yīn xiǎng xiào guǒ xiàng láidōu shì gè jí shǒu de zhì liàng wèn tí。
zhè shì ní 'ěr sēn fū rén dāng nián dōng tiān de shǒu chǎng yǎn chū。 nà xiē bèi rì bào chēng wéi“ chāo fán tuō sú de tīng zhòng” yǐ jīng yún jí lái tīng tā de yǎn chàng。 tā men huò chéng sī rén mǎ chē、 huò chéng kuān chǎng de jiā tíng shuāng péng mǎ chē、 huò zhě chéng dàng cì jiào dī què gèng wéi biàn lì de“ bù lǎng sì lún mǎ chē”， jīng guò liù huá duō xuě de jiē dào lái dào liǎo zhè lǐ。 chéng zuò bù lǎng mǎ chē lái tīng gē jù， jīhū gēn zuò zì jǐ de mǎ chē yī yàng tǐ miàn； ér qiě， lí kāi jù chǎng shí hái yòu jí dà de yōu yuè xìng（ duì yuán zé kāi yī jù wán xiào）： nǐ kě yǐ qiǎng xiān dēng shàng xiàn lù shàng dì yī liàng bù lǎng mǎ chē， ér bù yòng děng dài zì jǐ de nà yīn hán lěng hé liè jiǔ 'ér chōng xuè de hóng bí zǐ chē fū zài yīnyuè yuàn mén láng xià miàn xiǎn xiàn。 měi guó rén xiǎng lí kāi yú lè chǎng suǒ bǐ xiǎng qù de shí hòu gèng jiā pò qiē， zhè kě shì nà wèi liǎo bù qǐ de mǎ chē xíng diàn zhù píng jué miào de zhí jué huò dé de wěi dà fā xiàn。
dāng niǔ lán · ā qiē 'ěr dǎ kāi bāo xiāng hòu miàn de mén shí， huā yuán yīcháng de wéi mù gāng gāng shēng qǐ。 zhè wèi nián qīng rén běn kě yǐ zǎo yī diǎn lái dào。 tā 7 diǎn zhōng hé mǔ qīn yǔ mèi mèi yī qǐ yòng liǎo cān， qí hòu yòu zài gē tè shì tú shū shì lǐ màn màn tūn tūn dì xī liǎo yī zhī xuějiā。 nà jiān fàng liǎo guāng liàng de hēi sè hú táo mù shū chú hé jiān dǐng yǐ zǐ de fáng jiān， shì zhè suǒ fáng zǐ lǐ 'ā qiē 'ěr tài tài wéi yī yǔn xǔ xī yān de dì fāng。 rán 'ér， shǒu xiān， niǔ yuē shì gè dà dū shì， ér tā yòu shí fēn qīng chǔ， zài dà dū shì lǐ tīng gē jù zǎo dào shì“ bù hé yí” de。 ér shì fǒu“ hé yí”， zài niǔ lán · ā qiē 'ěr shí dài de niǔ yuē， qí yì yì jiù xiàng jǐ qiān nián qián zhī pèi liǎo tā zǔ xiān mìng yùn de bù kě sī yì de tú téng kǒng jù yī yàng zhòng yào。
tā wǎn dào de dì 'èr gè yuán yīn shì gè rén fāng miàn de。 tā xī yān màn màn tūn tūn， shì yīn wéi tā zài nèi xīn shēn chù shì gè yì shù de 'àihào zhě， wán wèi xíng jiāng lái dào de kuài lè， cháng cháng huì shǐ tā bǐ kuài lè zhēn de lái dào shí gǎn dào gēngshēn qiē de mǎn zú。 dāng zhè zhǒng kuài lè shí fēn wēi miào shí yóu qí rú cǐ， ér tā de lè qù duō bàn shǔ yú zhè zhǒng lèi xíng。 zhè yī cì tā qī pàn de shí jī fēi cháng zhēn guì， qí xìng zhì yì cháng wēi miào héng héng 'e， jiǎ ruò tā bǎ shí jiān zhǎng wò dé qià dào hǎo chù， néng yǔ nà wèi shǒu xí nǚ yǎn yuán de wǔ tái jiān dū hé shàng pāi， dào chǎng shí zhèng gǎn shàng tā yī biān chàng zhe“ tā 'ài wǒ héng héng tā bù 'ài wǒ héng héng tā 'ài wǒ！” yī biān pāo sǎ zhe chú jú huā bàn， qí 'àn shì xiàng lù shuǐ bān qīng chè héng héng guǒ zhēn rú cǐ， tā jìn yīnyuè yuàn de shí jī jiù zài měi miào bù guò liǎo。
dāng rán， tā chàng de shì“ m 'ā má”， ér bù shì“ tā 'ài wǒ”， yīn wéi yīnyuè jiè nà bù róng gǎi biàn、 bù róng huái yí de fǎ zé yào qiú， yóu ruì diǎn yì shù jiā yǎn chàng de fǎ guó gē jù de dé yǔ wén běn， bì xū fān yì chéng yì dà lì yǔ， yǐ biàn jiǎng yīng yǔ de tīng zhòng gèng qīng chǔ dì lǐ jiě。 zhè yī diǎn niǔ lán · ā qiē 'ěr jué dé hé tā shēng huó zhōng zūn xún de suǒ yòu qí tā guàn lì yī yàng lǐ suǒ dāng rán： bǐ rú， yòng liǎng bǎ dài yòu lán cí qī tú zhe tā xìng míng suō xiě de yín bèi shuà zǐ fēn kāi tā de tóu fā， niǔ kòu dòng lǐ chā yī duǒ huā（ zuì hǎo shì wéi zǐ huā） cái zài shè jiāo jiè lòumiàn。
“ m 'ā má …… nóng m 'ā má……” shǒu xí nǚ yǎn yuán chàng dào， tā yǐ yíng dé 'ài qíng hòu de zuì hòu bào fā lì chàng chū“ m 'ā má！” yī miàn bǎ nà shù luàn péng péng de chú jú yā zài chún shàng， tái qǐ yī shuāng dà yǎn jīng， cháo nà wèi yīn yù de xiǎo fú shì dé héng héng kǎ bù 'ěr zuò zuò de liǎn shàng wàng qù。 tā chuān yī jiàn zǐ sè de sī róng jǐn shēn shàng yī， dài yī dǐng gǔ náng náng de biàn mào， zhèng tú láo dì zhuāng chū yǔ nà wèi tiān zhēn de shòu hài zhě yī yàng chún jié zhēn chéng de biǎo qíng。
niǔ lán · ā qiē 'ěr yǐ zài jù lè bù bāo xiāng hòu miàn de qiáng shàng， mù guāng cóng wǔ tái shàng yí kāi， sǎo shì zhe jù chǎng duì miàn。 zhèng duì zhe tā de shì lǎo màn sēn · míng gē tè tài tài de bāo xiāng。 kě pà de féi pàng bìng zǎo yǐ shǐ tā wú fǎ lái tīng gē jù， bù guò zài yòu shè jiāo huó dòng de wǎn shàng， tā zǒng shì yóu jiā tíng de mǒu xiē nián qīng chéng yuán dài biǎo chū xí。 zhè yī cì， zhàn jù bāo xiāng qián pái zuò wèi de shì tā de 'ér xí luò fú 'ěr · míng gē tè tài tài hé tā de nǚ 'ér wéi lán tài tài。 zuò zài zhè liǎng wèi shēn zhe jǐn duàn de fù rén shēn hòu de shì yī wèi chuān bái yī de nián qīng gū niàn， zhèng mù bù zhuǎn jīng dì zhù shì zhe nà duì wǔ tái liàn rén。 dāng ní 'ěr sēn fū rén“ m 'ā má” de chàn yīn huá pò yīnyuè yuàn jìng jì de shàng kōng shí（ yǎn chàng chú jú gē qī jiān， gè bāo xiāng zǒng shì tíng zhǐ jiāo tán）， yī piàn cháo hóng fàn qǐ zài gū niàn de miàn jiá， cóng 'é tóu yǒng xiàng tā měi lì fàbiàn de gēn jì， màn guò tā nà qīng chūn de xiōng bù xié miàn， zhí zhì xì zhe yī duǒ wéi zǐ huā de báoshā lǐng de lǐng xiàn。 tā chuí xià yǎn jīng wàng zhe xī shàng nà yī dà shù líng lán。 niǔ lán · ā qiē 'ěr kàn jiàn tā dài bái shǒu tào de zhǐ jiān qīng fǔ zhe huā duǒ。 tā mǎn zú dì shēn shēn xī liǎo yī kǒu qì。 tā de mù guāng yòu huí dào wǔ tái shàng。
bù jǐng de zhì zuò shì bù xī gōng běn de， lián shú xī bā lí hé wéi yě nà gē jù yuàn de rén yě chéng rèn bù jǐng hěn měi。 qián jǐng zhí zhì jiǎo dēng pū liǎo yī kuài xiān lǜ sè de huà bù， zhōng jǐng de dǐ céng shì ruò gān fù gài zhe máo róng róng lǜ sè dì yī de duìchèn xiǎo qiū， yǔ chuí qiú yóu xì de gǒng mén lín jiē， shàng miàn de guàn mù cóng xíng zhuàng xiàng jié zǐ shù， dàn diǎn zhuì qí jiān de què shì dà duǒ dà duǒ fěn hóng sè hé hóng sè de méi guī huā。 bǐ zhè xiē méi guī gèng dà de zǐ luó lán， pō sì jiào qū nǚ jū mín wéi mù shī zhì zuò de huā xíng bǐ cā， cóng méi guī shù dǐ xià de lǜ tái zhōng bá dì 'ér qǐ； zài yī xiē xiān huā nù fàng de méi guī zhī tóu， jià jiē zhe duǒ duǒ chú jú， yù gào zhe lú sè · bó bān kè xiān shēng yuán yì shì yàn yáo yuǎn de qí guān。
zài zhè zuò mó huàn bān de huā yuán zhōng xīn， ní 'ěr sēn fū rén shēn chuān xiāng dàn lán sè duàn zǐ qièkǒu de bái sè kāi sī mǐ wài yī， yī gè wǎng zhuàng shǒu tí bāo diào zài lán yāo dài shàng huàng lái huàng qù， yī tiáo kuān dà de huáng sè zhì dài jīng xīn dì pái liè zài tā nà jiàn xì mián jǐn shēn xiōng yī de liǎng cè。 tā dī chuí zhuóyǎn jīng qīng tīng kǎ bù 'ěr rè liè de qiú 'ài， měi dāng tā yòng huà yǔ huò mù guāng quàn yòu tā qù cóng yòu cè xié shēn chū lái de nà zuò zhěng jié de zhuān zào bié shù yī lóu de chuāng kǒu shí， tā dū zhuāng chū yī fù duì tā de yì tú háo bù lǐ jiě de tiān zhēn de yàng zǐ。
“ qīn 'ài de！” niǔ lán · ā qiē 'ěr xīn lǐ xiǎng。 tā de mù guāng xùn sù huí dào nà wèi shǒu chí líng lán de nián qīng gū niàn shēn shàng。“ tā lián yī diǎn 'ér yě kàn bù dǒng 'ā。” tā zhù shì zhe tā quán” shén guàn zhù de zhì nèn miàn páng， xīn zhōng bù yóu yǒng chū yī zhèn yōng yòu zhě de jī dòng， qí zhōng yòu duì zì jǐ méng dòng de zhàng fū qì gài de zì háo， yě yòu duì tā nà shēn bù kě cè de chún jié de wēn xīn jìng yì。“ wǒ men jiāng zài yī qǐ dú《 fú shì dé》，…… zài yì dà lì de hú pàn……” tā xīn xiǎng， mí mí hú hú dì bǎ zì jǐ shè jì de mì yuè chǎng miàn yǔ wén xué míng zhù jiǎo zài yī qǐ。 xiàng zì jǐ de xīn niàn chǎn shì míng zhù sì hū shì tā zuò zhàng fū de tè quán。 jǐn jǐn zài jīn tiān xià wǔ， méi · wéi lán cái ràng tā cāi chū tā duì tā gǎn dào“ zhòngyì”（ niǔ yuē rén zūn chóng de wèi hūn shàonǚ rèn kě de yòng yǔ）， ér tā de xiǎng xiàng què zǎo yǐ yuè guò liǎo dìng hūn jiè zhǐ、 dìng hūn zhī wěn yǐ jí zǒu chū lú hēng gé lín jiào táng de hūn lǐ hángliè， gòu huà qǐ gǔ lǎo 'ōu zhōu mǒu gè lìng rén xīn zuì de chǎng jǐng zhōng tā wēi yǐ zài tā shēn bàng de qíng jǐng liǎo。
tā jué bù xī wàng wèi lái de niǔ lán · ā qiē 'ěr tài tài shì gè dāi zǐ。 tā yào ràng tā（ yóu yú tā zhāoxī xiāng bàn de qǐ méng） yǎng chéng yī zhǒng yuán tōng de shè jiāo néng lì， suí jī yìng biàn de kǒu cái， néng yǔ“ nián qīng yī dài” nà xiē zuì yòu míng qì de yǐ hūn nǚ zǐ píng qǐ píng zuò。 zài nà xiē rén zhōng jiān， yī tiáo gōng rèn de xí sú shì， jì yào mài nòng fēng qíng， yǐn qǐ nán rén de rè qíng， tóng shí yòu yào zhuāng lóng zuò yǎ， bù ràng tā men dé cùn jìn chǐ。 jiǎ rú tā zǎo yī xiē duì tā de xū róng xīn jìn xíng shēn rù de tàn suǒ（ yòu shí hòu tā jīhū yǐ jīng zuò dào liǎo）， tā kě néng zǎo yǐ fā xiàn nà 'ér yòu gè qián cáng de yuàn wàng： xī wàng zì jǐ de qī zǐ gēn nà xiē yǐ hūn nǚ shì yī yàng dì shì gù yuán tōng， yī yàng dì kě wàng qǔ yuè tā rén。 nà xiē tài tài men de wǔ mèi céng shǐ tā xīn zuì shén mí， ràng tā dù guò liǎo liǎng gè shāo xiǎn jiāo lǜ de nián tóu héng héng dāng rán， tā méi lù chū yī dīng diǎn cuì ruò de yǐng zǐ， jìn guǎn nà xiǎn xiē huǐ liǎo tā zhè wèi bù xìng zhě de zhōng shēng， bìng qiě zhěng zhěng yī gè dōng tiān jiǎo luàn liǎo tā de jìhuà。
zhì yú rú hé chuàng zào chū zhè huǒ yǔ bīng de qí jì， yòu rú hé zài yī gè lěng kù de shì jiè shàng zhī chēng xià qù， tā kě shì cóng lái méi yòu huā shí jiān xiǎng guò； tā zhǐ shì mǎn zú yú bù jiā fēn xī dì jiān chí zì jǐ de guān diǎn， yīn wéi tā zhī dào zhè yě shì suǒ yòu nà xiē jīng xīn shū liǎo tóu fā。 chuān bái bèi xīn、 kòu dòng lǐ bié xiān huā de shēn shì men de guān diǎn。 tā men yī gè jiē yī gè dì jìn rù jù lè bù bāo xiāng， yǒu hǎo dì hé tā dǎ zhāo hū， rán hòu dài zhe pī píng de yǎn guāng bǎ wàng yuǎn jìng duì zhǔn liǎo zuò wéi zhè gè zhì dù chǎn wù de nǚ shì men。 zài zhì lì yǔ yì shù fāng miàn， niǔ lán · ā qiē 'ěr jué dé zì jǐ bǐ lǎo niǔ yuē shàng liú jiē céng zhè xiē jīng xuǎn de biāo běn míng xiǎn yào gāo yī chóu： tā bǐ zhè bāng rén zhōng rèn hé yī wèi dà gài dū dú dé duō、 sī kǎo dé duō， bìng qiě yě jiàn shí dé duō。 dān dú lái kàn， tā mendōu chǔyú liè shì， dàn còu zài yī qǐ， tā men què dài biǎo zhe“ niǔ yuē”， ér nán xìng tuán jié yī zhì de guàn lì shǐ tā zài chēng zuò dào dé de suǒ yòu wèn tí shàng dū jiē shòu liǎo tā men de yuán zé。 tā běn néng dì gǎn dào， zài zhè fāng miàn tā ruò yī gè rén biāo xīn lì yì， kěn dìng huì yǐn qǐ má fán， ér qiě yě hěn bù dé tǐ。
“ āi yō héng héng wǒ de tiān！” láo lún sī · lāi fú cí hǎn dào， tū rán bǎ tā de xiǎo wàng yuǎn jìng cóng wǔ tái de fāng xiàng yí kāi。 jiù zǒng tǐ 'ér yán， láo lún sī · lāi fú cí zài“ jǔ zhǐ” wèn tí shàng shì niǔ yuē de zuì gāo quán wēi。 tā yán jiū zhè gè fù zá 'ér yòu rén de wèn tí huā fèi de shí jiān dà gài bǐ rèn hé réndōu duō。 dān zhǐ yán jiū hái bù néng shuō míng tā jià qīng jiù shú de quán cái， rén men zhǐ xū kàn tā yī yǎn héng héng cóng guāng tū tū de qián 'é xié miàn yǔ hǎo kàn de jīn huáng hú zī de qū xiàn， dào nà shòuxuē yōu yǎ de shēn tǐ lìng yī duān chuān qī pí xié de cháng jiǎo héng héng biàn huì jué dé， yī gè zhī dào rú hé suí biàn dì chuānzhuó rú cǐ guì zhòng de yī fú bìng bǎo chí jí dù xián shì yōu yǎ de rén， zài“ jǔ zhǐ” fāng miàn de xué shí yī dìng shì chū zì tiān fù。 zhèng rú yī wèi nián qīng chóng bài zhě yòu yī cì tán qǐ tā shí suǒ shuō de：“ jiǎ rú yòu shuí néng gào sù nǐ shénme shí jiān dǎ hēi lǐng dài pèi yè lǐ fú qià dào hǎo chù， shénme shí hòu bù xíng， nà me， zhè gè rén jiù shì láo lún sī · lāi fú cí。” zhì yú wǎng qiú xié yǔ qī pí“ niú jīn” xié shú yōu shú liè de wèn tí， tā de quán wēi cóng wèi yòu rén tí chū guò huái yí。
“ wǒ de shàng dì！” tā shuō， jiē zhe mò mò dì jiāng wàng yuǎn jìng dì gěi liǎo lǎo xī lè dùn · jié kè xùn。
niǔ lán · ā qiē 'ěr suí zhe lāi fú cí de mù guāng wàng qù， jīng yà dì fā xiàn tā de gǎn tàn shì yīn wéi yī gè mò shēng de shēn yǐng jìn rù míng gē tè tài tài de bāo xiāng 'ér yǐn qǐ de。 nà shì wèi shēn cái miáo tiáo de nián qīng nǚ zǐ， bǐ méi · wéi lán lüè 'ǎi yī diǎn， zōng sè de tóu fā zài bìn jiǎo chù biàn chéng nóng mì de fā quán， yòng yī tiáo zuàn shí zhǎi dài gù dìng zhù。 zhè zhǒng fàxíng shǐ tā jù yòu yī zhǒng shí xià chēng zuò“ yuē sè fēn shì” de múyàng， zhè yī lián xiǎng zài tā nà jiàn shēn lán sè sī róng wǎn lǐ fú de kuǎn shì shàng dé dào liǎo yìn zhèng， nà lǐ fú yòng yī tiáo dài lǎo shì dà kòu zǐ de yāo dài zài tā xiōng xià shí fēn kuā zhāng dì wǎn zhù。 tā chuānzhuó zhè yī shēn qí tè de yī fú， shí fēn yǐn rén zhù mù， kě tā sì hū yī diǎn 'ér yě wèi fā jué。 tā zài bāo xiāng zhōng jiān zhàn liǎo yī huì， yǔ wéi lán tài tài tǎo lùn zhàn jù tā qián pái yòu miàn jiǎo luò zuò wèi de lǐ jié wèn tí， jiē zhe biàn guǎn 'ěr tīng mìng， yǔ zuò zài duì miàn jiǎo luò lǐ de wéi lán tài tài de sǎo sǎo luò fú 'ěr · míng gē tè tài tài zài tóng yī pái jiù zuò。
xī lè dùn · jié kè xùn xiān shēng bǎ xiǎo wàng yuǎn jìng hái gěi liǎo láo lún sī · lāi fú cí。 quán jù lè bù de réndōu běn néng dì zhuǎn guò liǎn， děng zhe tīng zhè wèi lǎo zhě kāi jiǎng。 yīn wéi zhèng rú láo lún sī · lāi fú cí zài“ jǔ zhǐ” wèn tí shàng nà yàng， lǎo jié kè xùn xiān shēng zài“ jiā zú” wèn tí shàng shì zuì gāo quán wēi。 tā liǎo jiě niǔ yuē nà xiē táng、 biǎo qīn qī guān xì de suǒ yòu zhī pài； bù jǐn néng shuō qīng zhū rú míng gē tè jiā zú（ tōng guò suǒ lì jiā zú） yǔ nán kǎ luó lái nà zhōu dá lā sī jiā zú zhī jiān de guān xì， yǐ jí shàng yī zhī fèi chéng suǒ lì jiā zú yǔ 'ā 'ěr bā ní · qí fú sī jiā zú（ jué bù huì yǔ dà xué qū de màn sēn · qí fú sī zú hùn xiáo） fù zá de qīn yuán， ér qiě hái néng liè jǔ měi gè jiā zú de zhù yào tè diǎn。 bǐ rú lāi fú cí jiā nián qīng yī dài（ cháng dǎo nà xiē rén） wú bǐ lìn sè； lā shí wò sī yī jiā jí qí yú chǔn， zǒng shì zài hūn pèi wèn tí shàng fàn xià zhì mìng cuò wù； zài rú， ā 'ěr bā ní · qí fú sī jiā měi gé yī dài jiù huì chū xiàn yī gè shén jīng bìng， tā men niǔ yuē de biǎo xiōng mèi yī zhí jù jué yǔ zhī tōng hūn héng héng wéi dú kě lián de méi duō lā · màn sēn shì gè bù xìng de lì wài， tā héng héng rén suǒ gòng zhī…… ér tā de mǔ qīn běn lái jiù shì lā shí wò sī jiā de rén。
chú liǎo zhè zhǒng jiā zú pǔ xì de fēng fù zhī shí zhī wài， xī lè dùn · jié kè xùn zài 'āo xiàn xiá zhǎi de liǎng bìn zhī jiān、 róu ruǎn nóng mì de yín fā xià miàn， hái bǎo cún zhe yù jié zài niǔ yuē shè huì píng jìng biǎo céng dǐ xià de zuì jìn 50 nián jiān duō shù chǒu wén yǔ mì shǐ de jì lù。 tā de xìn xī díquè miàn guǎng liàng dà， tā de jì yì díquè jīng què wú wù， suǒ yǐ rén men rèn wéi wéi yòu tā cái néng shuō chū yínháng jiā zhū lì yè sī · bó fú tè jiū jìng shì hé xǔ rén， lǎo màn sēn · míng gē tè tài tài de fù qīn、 piào liàng de bào bó · sī pài sài de jié jú jiū jìng rú hé。 hòu zhě jié hūn bù dào yī nián， jiù zài yī wèi měi lì de xī bān yá wǔ dǎo yǎn yuán dēng chuán qù gǔ bā de nà yī tiān shén mì dì shī zōng liǎo（ dài zhe yī dà bǐ wěi tuō jīn）， tā zài bā tè lì de lǎo gē jù yuàn céng lìng fēng yōng de guān zhòng huān xīn gǔ wǔ。 bù guò zhè xiē mì wén héng héng hái yòu xǔ duō qí tā de héng héng dū yán yán shí shí suǒ zài jié kè xùn xiān shēng xīn zhōng。 yīn wéi， bù jǐn qiáng liè de dào yì gǎn bù xǔ tā chóngfù bié rén sī xià gào sù tā de rèn hé shì qíng， ér qiě tā shí fēn qīng chǔ， jǐn shèn zhōu dào de míng shēng huì gěi tā gèng duō de jī huì， yǐ biàn chá míng tā xiǎng liǎo jiě de qíng kuàng。
suǒ yǐ， dāng xī lè dùn · jié kè xùn xiān shēng bǎ xiǎo wàng yuǎn jìng hái gěi láo lún sī · lāi fú cí de shí hòu， jù lè bù bāo xiāng de rén dài zhe míng xiǎn de xuán niàn děng dài zhe。 tā yòng bù mǎn lǎo jīn de yǎn jiǎn xià nà shuāng méng lóng de lán yǎn jīng mò mò dì shěn shì yī fān nà huǒ xǐ 'ěr gōng tīng de rén， rán hòu ruò yòu suǒ sī dì dǒu dòng yī xià hú zī， jǐn jǐn shuō liǎo yī jù：“ méi xiǎng dào míng gē tè jiā de rén huì bǎi chū zhè zhǒng jià shì。”
Though there was already talk of the erection, in remote metropolitan distances "above the Forties," of a new Opera House which should compete in costliness and splendour with those of the great European capitals, the world of fashion was still content to reassemble every winter in the shabby red and gold boxes of the sociable old Academy. Conservatives cherished it for being small and inconvenient, and thus keeping out the "new people" whom New York was beginning to dread and yet be drawn to; and the sentimental clung to it for its historic associations, and the musical for its excellent acoustics, always so problematic a quality in halls built for the hearing of music.
It was Madame Nilsson's first appearance that winter, and what the daily press had already learned to describe as "an exceptionally brilliant audience" had gathered to hear her, transported through the slippery, snowy streets in private broughams, in the spacious family landau, or in the humbler but more convenient "Brown coupe" To come to the Opera in a Brown coupe was almost as honourable a way of arriving as in one's own carriage; and departure by the same means had the immense advantage of enabling one (with a playful allusion to democratic principles) to scramble into the first Brown conveyance in the line, instead of waiting till the cold-and-gin congested nose of one's own coachman gleamed under the portico of the Academy. It was one of the great livery-stableman's most masterly intuitions to have discovered that Americans want to get away from amusement even more quickly than they want to get to it.
When Newland Archer opened the door at the back of the club box the curtain had just gone up on the garden scene. There was no reason why the young man should not have come earlier, for he had dined at seven, alone with his mother and sister, and had lingered afterward over a cigar in the Gothic library with glazed black-walnut bookcases and finial-topped chairs which was the only room in the house where Mrs. Archer allowed smoking. But, in the first place, New York was a metropolis, and perfectly aware that in metropolises it was "not the thing" to arrive early at the opera; and what was or was not "the thing" played a part as important in Newland Archer's New York as the inscrutable totem terrors that had ruled the destinies of his forefathers thousands of years ago.
The second reason for his delay was a personal one. He had dawdled over his cigar because he was at heart a dilettante, and thinking over a pleasure to come often gave him a subtler satisfaction than its realisation. This was especially the case when the pleasure was a delicate one, as his pleasures mostly were; and on this occasion the moment he looked forward to was so rare and exquisite in quality that--well, if he had timed his arrival in accord with the prima donna's stage-manager he could not have entered the Academy at a more significant moment than just as she was singing: "He loves me--he loves me not--HE LOVES ME!--" and sprinkling the falling daisy petals with notes as clear as dew.
She sang, of course, "M'ama!" and not "he loves me," since an unalterable and unquestioned law of the musical world required that the German text of French operas sung by Swedish artists should be translated into Italian for the clearer understanding of English- speaking audiences. This seemed as natural to Newland Archer as all the other conventions on which his life was moulded: such as the duty of using two silver- backed brushes with his monogram in blue enamel to part his hair, and of never appearing in society without a flower (preferably a gardenia) in his buttonhole.
"M'ama . . . non m'ama . . . " the prima donna sang, and "M'ama!", with a final burst of love triumphant, as she pressed the dishevelled daisy to her lips and lifted her large eyes to the sophisticated countenance of the little brown Faust-Capoul, who was vainly trying, in a tight purple velvet doublet and plumed cap, to look as pure and true as his artless victim.
Newland Archer, leaning against the wall at the back of the club box, turned his eyes from the stage and scanned the opposite side of the house. Directly facing him was the box of old Mrs. Manson Mingott, whose monstrous obesity had long since made it impossible for her to attend the Opera, but who was always represented on fashionable nights by some of the younger members of the family. On this occasion, the front of the box was filled by her daughter-in-law, Mrs. Lovell Mingott, and her daughter, Mrs. Welland; and slightly withdrawn behind these brocaded matrons sat a young girl in white with eyes ecstatically fixed on the stagelovers. As Madame Nilsson's "M'ama!" thrilled out above the silent house (the boxes always stopped talking during the Daisy Song) a warm pink mounted to the girl's cheek, mantled her brow to the roots of her fair braids, and suffused the young slope of her breast to the line where it met a modest tulle tucker fastened with a single gardenia. She dropped her eyes to the immense bouquet of lilies-of-the-valley on her knee, and Newland Archer saw her white-gloved finger-tips touch the flowers softly. He drew a breath of satisfied vanity and his eyes returned to the stage.
No expense had been spared on the setting, which was acknowledged to be very beautiful even by people who shared his acquaintance with the Opera houses of Paris and Vienna. The foreground, to the footlights, was covered with emerald green cloth. In the middle distance symmetrical mounds of woolly green moss bounded by croquet hoops formed the base of shrubs shaped like orange-trees but studded with large pink and red roses. Gigantic pansies, considerably larger than the roses, and closely resembling the floral pen- wipers made by female parishioners for fashionable clergymen, sprang from the moss beneath the rose- trees; and here and there a daisy grafted on a rose- branch flowered with a luxuriance prophetic of Mr. Luther Burbank's far-off prodigies.
In the centre of this enchanted garden Madame Nilsson, in white cashmere slashed with pale blue satin, a reticule dangling from a blue girdle, and large yellow braids carefully disposed on each side of her muslin chemisette, listened with downcast eyes to M. Capoul's impassioned wooing, and affected a guileless incomprehension of his designs whenever, by word or glance, he persuasively indicated the ground floor window of the neat brick villa projecting obliquely from the right wing.
"The darling!" thought Newland Archer, his glance flitting back to the young girl with the lilies-of-the- valley. "She doesn't even guess what it's all about." And he contemplated her absorbed young face with a thrill of possessorship in which pride in his own masculine initiation was mingled with a tender reverence for her abysmal purity. "We'll read Faust together . . . by the Italian lakes . . ." he thought, somewhat hazily confusing the scene of his projected honey-moon with the masterpieces of literature which it would be his manly privilege to reveal to his bride. It was only that afternoon that May Welland had let him guess that she "cared" (New York's consecrated phrase of maiden avowal), and already his imagination, leaping ahead of the engagement ring, the betrothal kiss and the march from Lohengrin, pictured her at his side in some scene of old European witchery.
He did not in the least wish the future Mrs. Newland Archer to be a simpleton. He meant her (thanks to his enlightening companionship) to develop a social tact and readiness of wit enabling her to hold her own with the most popular married women of the "younger set," in which it was the recognised custom to attract masculine homage while playfully discouraging it. If he had probed to the bottom of his vanity (as he sometimes nearly did) he would have found there the wish that his wife should be as worldly-wise and as eager to please as the married lady whose charms had held his fancy through two mildly agitated years; without, of course, any hint of the frailty which had so nearly marred that unhappy being's life, and had disarranged his own plans for a whole winter.
How this miracle of fire and ice was to be created, and to sustain itself in a harsh world, he had never taken the time to think out; but he was content to hold his view without analysing it, since he knew it was that of all the carefully-brushed, white-waistcoated, button- hole-flowered gentlemen who succeeded each other in the club box, exchanged friendly greetings with him, and turned their opera-glasses critically on the circle of ladies who were the product of the system. In matters intellectual and artistic Newland Archer felt himself distinctly the superior of these chosen specimens of old New York gentility; he had probably read more, thought more, and even seen a good deal more of the world, than any other man of the number. Singly they betrayed their inferiority; but grouped together they represented "New York," and the habit of masculine solidarity made him accept their doctrine on all the issues called moral. He instinctively felt that in this respect it would be troublesome--and also rather bad form--to strike out for himself.
"Well--upon my soul!" exclaimed Lawrence Lefferts, turning his opera-glass abruptly away from the stage. Lawrence Lefferts was, on the whole, the foremost authority on "form" in New York. He had probably devoted more time than any one else to the study of this intricate and fascinating question; but study alone could not account for his complete and easy competence. One had only to look at him, from the slant of his bald forehead and the curve of his beautiful fair moustache to the long patent-leather feet at the other end of his lean and elegant person, to feel that the knowledge of "form" must be congenital in any one who knew how to wear such good clothes so carelessly and carry such height with so much lounging grace. As a young admirer had once said of him: "If anybody can tell a fellow just when to wear a black tie with evening clothes and when not to, it's Larry Lefferts." And on the question of pumps versus patent-leather "Oxfords" his authority had never been disputed.
"My God!" he said; and silently handed his glass to old Sillerton Jackson.
Newland Archer, following Lefferts's glance, saw with surprise that his exclamation had been occasioned by the entry of a new figure into old Mrs. Mingott's box. It was that of a slim young woman, a little less tall than May Welland, with brown hair growing in close curls about her temples and held in place by a narrow band of diamonds. The suggestion of this headdress, which gave her what was then called a "Josephine look," was carried out in the cut of the dark blue velvet gown rather theatrically caught up under her bosom by a girdle with a large old-fashioned clasp. The wearer of this unusual dress, who seemed quite unconscious of the attention it was attracting, stood a moment in the centre of the box, discussing with Mrs. Welland the propriety of taking the latter's place in the front right- hand corner; then she yielded with a slight smile, and seated herself in line with Mrs. Welland's sister-in-law, Mrs. Lovell Mingott, who was installed in the opposite corner.
Mr. Sillerton Jackson had returned the opera-glass to Lawrence Lefferts. The whole of the club turned instinctively, waiting to hear what the old man had to say; for old Mr. Jackson was as great an authority on "family" as Lawrence Lefferts was on "form." He knew all the ramifications of New York's cousinships; and could not only elucidate such complicated questions as that of the connection between the Mingotts (through the Thorleys) with the Dallases of South Carolina, and that of the relationship of the elder branch of Philadelphia Thorleys to the Albany Chiverses (on no account to be confused with the Manson Chiverses of University Place), but could also enumerate the leading characteristics of each family: as, for instance, the fabulous stinginess of the younger lines of Leffertses (the Long Island ones); or the fatal tendency of the Rushworths to make foolish matches; or the insanity recurring in every second generation of the Albany Chiverses, with whom their New York cousins had always refused to intermarry--with the disastrous exception of poor Medora Manson, who, as everybody knew . . . but then her mother was a Rushworth.
In addition to this forest of family trees, Mr. Sillerton Jackson carried between his narrow hollow temples, and under his soft thatch of silver hair, a register of most of the scandals and mysteries that had smouldered under the unruffled surface of New York society within the last fifty years. So far indeed did his information extend, and so acutely retentive was his memory, that he was supposed to be the only man who could have told you who Julius Beaufort, the banker, really was, and what had become of handsome Bob Spicer, old Mrs. Manson Mingott's father, who had disappeared so mysteriously (with a large sum of trust money) less than a year after his marriage, on the very day that a beautiful Spanish dancer who had been delighting thronged audiences in the old Opera-house on the Battery had taken ship for Cuba. But these mysteries, and many others, were closely locked in Mr. Jackson's breast; for not only did his keen sense of honour forbid his repeating anything privately imparted, but he was fully aware that his reputation for discretion increased his opportunities of finding out what he wanted to know.
The club box, therefore, waited in visible suspense while Mr. Sillerton Jackson handed back Lawrence Lefferts's opera-glass. For a moment he silently scrutinised the attentive group out of his filmy blue eyes overhung by old veined lids; then he gave his moustache a thoughtful twist, and said simply: "I didn't think the Mingotts would have tried it on."
suī rán rén men zǎo jiù yì lùn yào zài dì 40 jiē yǐ běi de yuǎn jiāo xīng jiàn yī zuò xīn de gē jù yuàn， qí zào jià yǔ zhuàng guān jiāng hé 'ōu zhōu nà xiē zhù míng shǒu dū de gē jù yuàn pì měi， rán 'ér shàng liú shè huì què yǐ rán mǎn zú yú měi nián dōng tiān zài zhè zuò lì shǐ yōu jiǔ de yīnyuè yuàn hóng huáng liǎng sè de jiù bāo xiāng lǐ jìn xíng shè jiāo jù huì。 bǎo shǒu pài de rén men xīn shǎng tā de zhǎi xiǎo bù biàn， zhè yàng kě yǐ bǎ niǔ yuē shè huì kāi shǐ jù pà dàn yòu wéi zhī xī yǐn de “ xīn rén ” jù zhī mén wài； duō chóu shàn gǎn de rén men yīn wéi tā yǐn qǐ xǔ duō lì shǐ de lián xiǎng 'ér duì tā liàn liàn bùshě； ér yīnyuè 'àihào zhě zé liú liàn tā jīng měi de yīn xiǎng xiào guǒ。 zài zhuān wéi xīn shǎng yīnyuè 'ér xiū jiàn de tīng táng zhōng， yīn xiǎng xiào guǒ xiàng láidōu shì gè jí shǒu de zhì liàng wèn tí。
zhè shì ní 'ěr sēn fū rén dāng nián dōng tiān de shǒu chǎng yǎn chū。 nà xiē bèi rì bào chēng wéi“ chāo fán tuō sú de tīng zhòng” yǐ jīng yún jí lái tīng tā de yǎn chàng。 tā men huò chéng sī rén mǎ chē、 huò chéng kuān chǎng de jiā tíng shuāng péng mǎ chē、 huò zhě chéng dàng cì jiào dī què gèng wéi biàn lì de“ bù lǎng sì lún mǎ chē”， jīng guò liù huá duō xuě de jiē dào lái dào liǎo zhè lǐ。 chéng zuò bù lǎng mǎ chē lái tīng gē jù， jīhū gēn zuò zì jǐ de mǎ chē yī yàng tǐ miàn； ér qiě， lí kāi jù chǎng shí hái yòu jí dà de yōu yuè xìng（ duì yuán zé kāi yī jù wán xiào）： nǐ kě yǐ qiǎng xiān dēng shàng xiàn lù shàng dì yī liàng bù lǎng mǎ chē， ér bù yòng děng dài zì jǐ de nà yīn hán lěng hé liè jiǔ 'ér chōng xuè de hóng bí zǐ chē fū zài yīnyuè yuàn mén láng xià miàn xiǎn xiàn。 měi guó rén xiǎng lí kāi yú lè chǎng suǒ bǐ xiǎng qù de shí hòu gèng jiā pò qiē， zhè kě shì nà wèi liǎo bù qǐ de mǎ chē xíng diàn zhù píng jué miào de zhí jué huò dé de wěi dà fā xiàn。
dāng niǔ lán · ā qiē 'ěr dǎ kāi bāo xiāng hòu miàn de mén shí， huā yuán yīcháng de wéi mù gāng gāng shēng qǐ。 zhè wèi nián qīng rén běn kě yǐ zǎo yī diǎn lái dào。 tā 7 diǎn zhōng hé mǔ qīn yǔ mèi mèi yī qǐ yòng liǎo cān， qí hòu yòu zài gē tè shì tú shū shì lǐ màn màn tūn tūn dì xī liǎo yī zhī xuějiā。 nà jiān fàng liǎo guāng liàng de hēi sè hú táo mù shū chú hé jiān dǐng yǐ zǐ de fáng jiān， shì zhè suǒ fáng zǐ lǐ 'ā qiē 'ěr tài tài wéi yī yǔn xǔ xī yān de dì fāng。 rán 'ér， shǒu xiān， niǔ yuē shì gè dà dū shì， ér tā yòu shí fēn qīng chǔ， zài dà dū shì lǐ tīng gē jù zǎo dào shì“ bù hé yí” de。 ér shì fǒu“ hé yí”， zài niǔ lán · ā qiē 'ěr shí dài de niǔ yuē， qí yì yì jiù xiàng jǐ qiān nián qián zhī pèi liǎo tā zǔ xiān mìng yùn de bù kě sī yì de tú téng kǒng jù yī yàng zhòng yào。
tā wǎn dào de dì 'èr gè yuán yīn shì gè rén fāng miàn de。 tā xī yān màn màn tūn tūn， shì yīn wéi tā zài nèi xīn shēn chù shì gè yì shù de 'àihào zhě， wán wèi xíng jiāng lái dào de kuài lè， cháng cháng huì shǐ tā bǐ kuài lè zhēn de lái dào shí gǎn dào gēngshēn qiē de mǎn zú。 dāng zhè zhǒng kuài lè shí fēn wēi miào shí yóu qí rú cǐ， ér tā de lè qù duō bàn shǔ yú zhè zhǒng lèi xíng。 zhè yī cì tā qī pàn de shí jī fēi cháng zhēn guì， qí xìng zhì yì cháng wēi miào héng héng 'e， jiǎ ruò tā bǎ shí jiān zhǎng wò dé qià dào hǎo chù， néng yǔ nà wèi shǒu xí nǚ yǎn yuán de wǔ tái jiān dū hé shàng pāi， dào chǎng shí zhèng gǎn shàng tā yī biān chàng zhe“ tā 'ài wǒ héng héng tā bù 'ài wǒ héng héng tā 'ài wǒ！” yī biān pāo sǎ zhe chú jú huā bàn， qí 'àn shì xiàng lù shuǐ bān qīng chè héng héng guǒ zhēn rú cǐ， tā jìn yīnyuè yuàn de shí jī jiù zài měi miào bù guò liǎo。
dāng rán， tā chàng de shì“ m 'ā má”， ér bù shì“ tā 'ài wǒ”， yīn wéi yīnyuè jiè nà bù róng gǎi biàn、 bù róng huái yí de fǎ zé yào qiú， yóu ruì diǎn yì shù jiā yǎn chàng de fǎ guó gē jù de dé yǔ wén běn， bì xū fān yì chéng yì dà lì yǔ， yǐ biàn jiǎng yīng yǔ de tīng zhòng gèng qīng chǔ dì lǐ jiě。 zhè yī diǎn niǔ lán · ā qiē 'ěr jué dé hé tā shēng huó zhōng zūn xún de suǒ yòu qí tā guàn lì yī yàng lǐ suǒ dāng rán： bǐ rú， yòng liǎng bǎ dài yòu lán cí qī tú zhe tā xìng míng suō xiě de yín bèi shuà zǐ fēn kāi tā de tóu fā， niǔ kòu dòng lǐ chā yī duǒ huā（ zuì hǎo shì wéi zǐ huā） cái zài shè jiāo jiè lòumiàn。
“ m 'ā má …… nóng m 'ā má……” shǒu xí nǚ yǎn yuán chàng dào， tā yǐ yíng dé 'ài qíng hòu de zuì hòu bào fā lì chàng chū“ m 'ā má！” yī miàn bǎ nà shù luàn péng péng de chú jú yā zài chún shàng， tái qǐ yī shuāng dà yǎn jīng， cháo nà wèi yīn yù de xiǎo fú shì dé héng héng kǎ bù 'ěr zuò zuò de liǎn shàng wàng qù。 tā chuān yī jiàn zǐ sè de sī róng jǐn shēn shàng yī， dài yī dǐng gǔ náng náng de biàn mào， zhèng tú láo dì zhuāng chū yǔ nà wèi tiān zhēn de shòu hài zhě yī yàng chún jié zhēn chéng de biǎo qíng。
niǔ lán · ā qiē 'ěr yǐ zài jù lè bù bāo xiāng hòu miàn de qiáng shàng， mù guāng cóng wǔ tái shàng yí kāi， sǎo shì zhe jù chǎng duì miàn。 zhèng duì zhe tā de shì lǎo màn sēn · míng gē tè tài tài de bāo xiāng。 kě pà de féi pàng bìng zǎo yǐ shǐ tā wú fǎ lái tīng gē jù， bù guò zài yòu shè jiāo huó dòng de wǎn shàng， tā zǒng shì yóu jiā tíng de mǒu xiē nián qīng chéng yuán dài biǎo chū xí。 zhè yī cì， zhàn jù bāo xiāng qián pái zuò wèi de shì tā de 'ér xí luò fú 'ěr · míng gē tè tài tài hé tā de nǚ 'ér wéi lán tài tài。 zuò zài zhè liǎng wèi shēn zhe jǐn duàn de fù rén shēn hòu de shì yī wèi chuān bái yī de nián qīng gū niàn， zhèng mù bù zhuǎn jīng dì zhù shì zhe nà duì wǔ tái liàn rén。 dāng ní 'ěr sēn fū rén“ m 'ā má” de chàn yīn huá pò yīnyuè yuàn jìng jì de shàng kōng shí（ yǎn chàng chú jú gē qī jiān， gè bāo xiāng zǒng shì tíng zhǐ jiāo tán）， yī piàn cháo hóng fàn qǐ zài gū niàn de miàn jiá， cóng 'é tóu yǒng xiàng tā měi lì fàbiàn de gēn jì， màn guò tā nà qīng chūn de xiōng bù xié miàn， zhí zhì xì zhe yī duǒ wéi zǐ huā de báoshā lǐng de lǐng xiàn。 tā chuí xià yǎn jīng wàng zhe xī shàng nà yī dà shù líng lán。 niǔ lán · ā qiē 'ěr kàn jiàn tā dài bái shǒu tào de zhǐ jiān qīng fǔ zhe huā duǒ。 tā mǎn zú dì shēn shēn xī liǎo yī kǒu qì。 tā de mù guāng yòu huí dào wǔ tái shàng。
bù jǐng de zhì zuò shì bù xī gōng běn de， lián shú xī bā lí hé wéi yě nà gē jù yuàn de rén yě chéng rèn bù jǐng hěn měi。 qián jǐng zhí zhì jiǎo dēng pū liǎo yī kuài xiān lǜ sè de huà bù， zhōng jǐng de dǐ céng shì ruò gān fù gài zhe máo róng róng lǜ sè dì yī de duìchèn xiǎo qiū， yǔ chuí qiú yóu xì de gǒng mén lín jiē， shàng miàn de guàn mù cóng xíng zhuàng xiàng jié zǐ shù， dàn diǎn zhuì qí jiān de què shì dà duǒ dà duǒ fěn hóng sè hé hóng sè de méi guī huā。 bǐ zhè xiē méi guī gèng dà de zǐ luó lán， pō sì jiào qū nǚ jū mín wéi mù shī zhì zuò de huā xíng bǐ cā， cóng méi guī shù dǐ xià de lǜ tái zhōng bá dì 'ér qǐ； zài yī xiē xiān huā nù fàng de méi guī zhī tóu， jià jiē zhe duǒ duǒ chú jú， yù gào zhe lú sè · bó bān kè xiān shēng yuán yì shì yàn yáo yuǎn de qí guān。
zài zhè zuò mó huàn bān de huā yuán zhōng xīn， ní 'ěr sēn fū rén shēn chuān xiāng dàn lán sè duàn zǐ qièkǒu de bái sè kāi sī mǐ wài yī， yī gè wǎng zhuàng shǒu tí bāo diào zài lán yāo dài shàng huàng lái huàng qù， yī tiáo kuān dà de huáng sè zhì dài jīng xīn dì pái liè zài tā nà jiàn xì mián jǐn shēn xiōng yī de liǎng cè。 tā dī chuí zhuóyǎn jīng qīng tīng kǎ bù 'ěr rè liè de qiú 'ài， měi dāng tā yòng huà yǔ huò mù guāng quàn yòu tā qù cóng yòu cè xié shēn chū lái de nà zuò zhěng jié de zhuān zào bié shù yī lóu de chuāng kǒu shí， tā dū zhuāng chū yī fù duì tā de yì tú háo bù lǐ jiě de tiān zhēn de yàng zǐ。
“ qīn 'ài de！” niǔ lán · ā qiē 'ěr xīn lǐ xiǎng。 tā de mù guāng xùn sù huí dào nà wèi shǒu chí líng lán de nián qīng gū niàn shēn shàng。“ tā lián yī diǎn 'ér yě kàn bù dǒng 'ā。” tā zhù shì zhe tā quán” shén guàn zhù de zhì nèn miàn páng， xīn zhōng bù yóu yǒng chū yī zhèn yōng yòu zhě de jī dòng， qí zhōng yòu duì zì jǐ méng dòng de zhàng fū qì gài de zì háo， yě yòu duì tā nà shēn bù kě cè de chún jié de wēn xīn jìng yì。“ wǒ men jiāng zài yī qǐ dú《 fú shì dé》，…… zài yì dà lì de hú pàn……” tā xīn xiǎng， mí mí hú hú dì bǎ zì jǐ shè jì de mì yuè chǎng miàn yǔ wén xué míng zhù jiǎo zài yī qǐ。 xiàng zì jǐ de xīn niàn chǎn shì míng zhù sì hū shì tā zuò zhàng fū de tè quán。 jǐn jǐn zài jīn tiān xià wǔ， méi · wéi lán cái ràng tā cāi chū tā duì tā gǎn dào“ zhòngyì”（ niǔ yuē rén zūn chóng de wèi hūn shàonǚ rèn kě de yòng yǔ）， ér tā de xiǎng xiàng què zǎo yǐ yuè guò liǎo dìng hūn jiè zhǐ、 dìng hūn zhī wěn yǐ jí zǒu chū lú hēng gé lín jiào táng de hūn lǐ hángliè， gòu huà qǐ gǔ lǎo 'ōu zhōu mǒu gè lìng rén xīn zuì de chǎng jǐng zhōng tā wēi yǐ zài tā shēn bàng de qíng jǐng liǎo。
tā jué bù xī wàng wèi lái de niǔ lán · ā qiē 'ěr tài tài shì gè dāi zǐ。 tā yào ràng tā（ yóu yú tā zhāoxī xiāng bàn de qǐ méng） yǎng chéng yī zhǒng yuán tōng de shè jiāo néng lì， suí jī yìng biàn de kǒu cái， néng yǔ“ nián qīng yī dài” nà xiē zuì yòu míng qì de yǐ hūn nǚ zǐ píng qǐ píng zuò。 zài nà xiē rén zhōng jiān， yī tiáo gōng rèn de xí sú shì， jì yào mài nòng fēng qíng， yǐn qǐ nán rén de rè qíng， tóng shí yòu yào zhuāng lóng zuò yǎ， bù ràng tā men dé cùn jìn chǐ。 jiǎ rú tā zǎo yī xiē duì tā de xū róng xīn jìn xíng shēn rù de tàn suǒ（ yòu shí hòu tā jīhū yǐ jīng zuò dào liǎo）， tā kě néng zǎo yǐ fā xiàn nà 'ér yòu gè qián cáng de yuàn wàng： xī wàng zì jǐ de qī zǐ gēn nà xiē yǐ hūn nǚ shì yī yàng dì shì gù yuán tōng， yī yàng dì kě wàng qǔ yuè tā rén。 nà xiē tài tài men de wǔ mèi céng shǐ tā xīn zuì shén mí， ràng tā dù guò liǎo liǎng gè shāo xiǎn jiāo lǜ de nián tóu héng héng dāng rán， tā méi lù chū yī dīng diǎn cuì ruò de yǐng zǐ， jìn guǎn nà xiǎn xiē huǐ liǎo tā zhè wèi bù xìng zhě de zhōng shēng， bìng qiě zhěng zhěng yī gè dōng tiān jiǎo luàn liǎo tā de jìhuà。
zhì yú rú hé chuàng zào chū zhè huǒ yǔ bīng de qí jì， yòu rú hé zài yī gè lěng kù de shì jiè shàng zhī chēng xià qù， tā kě shì cóng lái méi yòu huā shí jiān xiǎng guò； tā zhǐ shì mǎn zú yú bù jiā fēn xī dì jiān chí zì jǐ de guān diǎn， yīn wéi tā zhī dào zhè yě shì suǒ yòu nà xiē jīng xīn shū liǎo tóu fā。 chuān bái bèi xīn、 kòu dòng lǐ bié xiān huā de shēn shì men de guān diǎn。 tā men yī gè jiē yī gè dì jìn rù jù lè bù bāo xiāng， yǒu hǎo dì hé tā dǎ zhāo hū， rán hòu dài zhe pī píng de yǎn guāng bǎ wàng yuǎn jìng duì zhǔn liǎo zuò wéi zhè gè zhì dù chǎn wù de nǚ shì men。 zài zhì lì yǔ yì shù fāng miàn， niǔ lán · ā qiē 'ěr jué dé zì jǐ bǐ lǎo niǔ yuē shàng liú jiē céng zhè xiē jīng xuǎn de biāo běn míng xiǎn yào gāo yī chóu： tā bǐ zhè bāng rén zhōng rèn hé yī wèi dà gài dū dú dé duō、 sī kǎo dé duō， bìng qiě yě jiàn shí dé duō。 dān dú lái kàn， tā mendōu chǔyú liè shì， dàn còu zài yī qǐ， tā men què dài biǎo zhe“ niǔ yuē”， ér nán xìng tuán jié yī zhì de guàn lì shǐ tā zài chēng zuò dào dé de suǒ yòu wèn tí shàng dū jiē shòu liǎo tā men de yuán zé。 tā běn néng dì gǎn dào， zài zhè fāng miàn tā ruò yī gè rén biāo xīn lì yì， kěn dìng huì yǐn qǐ má fán， ér qiě yě hěn bù dé tǐ。
“ āi yō héng héng wǒ de tiān！” láo lún sī · lāi fú cí hǎn dào， tū rán bǎ tā de xiǎo wàng yuǎn jìng cóng wǔ tái de fāng xiàng yí kāi。 jiù zǒng tǐ 'ér yán， láo lún sī · lāi fú cí zài“ jǔ zhǐ” wèn tí shàng shì niǔ yuē de zuì gāo quán wēi。 tā yán jiū zhè gè fù zá 'ér yòu rén de wèn tí huā fèi de shí jiān dà gài bǐ rèn hé réndōu duō。 dān zhǐ yán jiū hái bù néng shuō míng tā jià qīng jiù shú de quán cái， rén men zhǐ xū kàn tā yī yǎn héng héng cóng guāng tū tū de qián 'é xié miàn yǔ hǎo kàn de jīn huáng hú zī de qū xiàn， dào nà shòuxuē yōu yǎ de shēn tǐ lìng yī duān chuān qī pí xié de cháng jiǎo héng héng biàn huì jué dé， yī gè zhī dào rú hé suí biàn dì chuānzhuó rú cǐ guì zhòng de yī fú bìng bǎo chí jí dù xián shì yōu yǎ de rén， zài“ jǔ zhǐ” fāng miàn de xué shí yī dìng shì chū zì tiān fù。 zhèng rú yī wèi nián qīng chóng bài zhě yòu yī cì tán qǐ tā shí suǒ shuō de：“ jiǎ rú yòu shuí néng gào sù nǐ shénme shí jiān dǎ hēi lǐng dài pèi yè lǐ fú qià dào hǎo chù， shénme shí hòu bù xíng， nà me， zhè gè rén jiù shì láo lún sī · lāi fú cí。” zhì yú wǎng qiú xié yǔ qī pí“ niú jīn” xié shú yōu shú liè de wèn tí， tā de quán wēi cóng wèi yòu rén tí chū guò huái yí。
“ wǒ de shàng dì！” tā shuō， jiē zhe mò mò dì jiāng wàng yuǎn jìng dì gěi liǎo lǎo xī lè dùn · jié kè xùn。
niǔ lán · ā qiē 'ěr suí zhe lāi fú cí de mù guāng wàng qù， jīng yà dì fā xiàn tā de gǎn tàn shì yīn wéi yī gè mò shēng de shēn yǐng jìn rù míng gē tè tài tài de bāo xiāng 'ér yǐn qǐ de。 nà shì wèi shēn cái miáo tiáo de nián qīng nǚ zǐ， bǐ méi · wéi lán lüè 'ǎi yī diǎn， zōng sè de tóu fā zài bìn jiǎo chù biàn chéng nóng mì de fā quán， yòng yī tiáo zuàn shí zhǎi dài gù dìng zhù。 zhè zhǒng fàxíng shǐ tā jù yòu yī zhǒng shí xià chēng zuò“ yuē sè fēn shì” de múyàng， zhè yī lián xiǎng zài tā nà jiàn shēn lán sè sī róng wǎn lǐ fú de kuǎn shì shàng dé dào liǎo yìn zhèng， nà lǐ fú yòng yī tiáo dài lǎo shì dà kòu zǐ de yāo dài zài tā xiōng xià shí fēn kuā zhāng dì wǎn zhù。 tā chuānzhuó zhè yī shēn qí tè de yī fú， shí fēn yǐn rén zhù mù， kě tā sì hū yī diǎn 'ér yě wèi fā jué。 tā zài bāo xiāng zhōng jiān zhàn liǎo yī huì， yǔ wéi lán tài tài tǎo lùn zhàn jù tā qián pái yòu miàn jiǎo luò zuò wèi de lǐ jié wèn tí， jiē zhe biàn guǎn 'ěr tīng mìng， yǔ zuò zài duì miàn jiǎo luò lǐ de wéi lán tài tài de sǎo sǎo luò fú 'ěr · míng gē tè tài tài zài tóng yī pái jiù zuò。
xī lè dùn · jié kè xùn xiān shēng bǎ xiǎo wàng yuǎn jìng hái gěi liǎo láo lún sī · lāi fú cí。 quán jù lè bù de réndōu běn néng dì zhuǎn guò liǎn， děng zhe tīng zhè wèi lǎo zhě kāi jiǎng。 yīn wéi zhèng rú láo lún sī · lāi fú cí zài“ jǔ zhǐ” wèn tí shàng nà yàng， lǎo jié kè xùn xiān shēng zài“ jiā zú” wèn tí shàng shì zuì gāo quán wēi。 tā liǎo jiě niǔ yuē nà xiē táng、 biǎo qīn qī guān xì de suǒ yòu zhī pài； bù jǐn néng shuō qīng zhū rú míng gē tè jiā zú（ tōng guò suǒ lì jiā zú） yǔ nán kǎ luó lái nà zhōu dá lā sī jiā zú zhī jiān de guān xì， yǐ jí shàng yī zhī fèi chéng suǒ lì jiā zú yǔ 'ā 'ěr bā ní · qí fú sī jiā zú（ jué bù huì yǔ dà xué qū de màn sēn · qí fú sī zú hùn xiáo） fù zá de qīn yuán， ér qiě hái néng liè jǔ měi gè jiā zú de zhù yào tè diǎn。 bǐ rú lāi fú cí jiā nián qīng yī dài（ cháng dǎo nà xiē rén） wú bǐ lìn sè； lā shí wò sī yī jiā jí qí yú chǔn， zǒng shì zài hūn pèi wèn tí shàng fàn xià zhì mìng cuò wù； zài rú， ā 'ěr bā ní · qí fú sī jiā měi gé yī dài jiù huì chū xiàn yī gè shén jīng bìng， tā men niǔ yuē de biǎo xiōng mèi yī zhí jù jué yǔ zhī tōng hūn héng héng wéi dú kě lián de méi duō lā · màn sēn shì gè bù xìng de lì wài， tā héng héng rén suǒ gòng zhī…… ér tā de mǔ qīn běn lái jiù shì lā shí wò sī jiā de rén。
chú liǎo zhè zhǒng jiā zú pǔ xì de fēng fù zhī shí zhī wài， xī lè dùn · jié kè xùn zài 'āo xiàn xiá zhǎi de liǎng bìn zhī jiān、 róu ruǎn nóng mì de yín fā xià miàn， hái bǎo cún zhe yù jié zài niǔ yuē shè huì píng jìng biǎo céng dǐ xià de zuì jìn 50 nián jiān duō shù chǒu wén yǔ mì shǐ de jì lù。 tā de xìn xī díquè miàn guǎng liàng dà， tā de jì yì díquè jīng què wú wù， suǒ yǐ rén men rèn wéi wéi yòu tā cái néng shuō chū yínháng jiā zhū lì yè sī · bó fú tè jiū jìng shì hé xǔ rén， lǎo màn sēn · míng gē tè tài tài de fù qīn、 piào liàng de bào bó · sī pài sài de jié jú jiū jìng rú hé。 hòu zhě jié hūn bù dào yī nián， jiù zài yī wèi měi lì de xī bān yá wǔ dǎo yǎn yuán dēng chuán qù gǔ bā de nà yī tiān shén mì dì shī zōng liǎo（ dài zhe yī dà bǐ wěi tuō jīn）， tā zài bā tè lì de lǎo gē jù yuàn céng lìng fēng yōng de guān zhòng huān xīn gǔ wǔ。 bù guò zhè xiē mì wén héng héng hái yòu xǔ duō qí tā de héng héng dū yán yán shí shí suǒ zài jié kè xùn xiān shēng xīn zhōng。 yīn wéi， bù jǐn qiáng liè de dào yì gǎn bù xǔ tā chóngfù bié rén sī xià gào sù tā de rèn hé shì qíng， ér qiě tā shí fēn qīng chǔ， jǐn shèn zhōu dào de míng shēng huì gěi tā gèng duō de jī huì， yǐ biàn chá míng tā xiǎng liǎo jiě de qíng kuàng。
suǒ yǐ， dāng xī lè dùn · jié kè xùn xiān shēng bǎ xiǎo wàng yuǎn jìng hái gěi láo lún sī · lāi fú cí de shí hòu， jù lè bù bāo xiāng de rén dài zhe míng xiǎn de xuán niàn děng dài zhe。 tā yòng bù mǎn lǎo jīn de yǎn jiǎn xià nà shuāng méng lóng de lán yǎn jīng mò mò dì shěn shì yī fān nà huǒ xǐ 'ěr gōng tīng de rén， rán hòu ruò yòu suǒ sī dì dǒu dòng yī xià hú zī， jǐn jǐn shuō liǎo yī jù：“ méi xiǎng dào míng gē tè jiā de rén huì bǎi chū zhè zhǒng jià shì。”
Though there was already talk of the erection, in remote metropolitan distances "above the Forties," of a new Opera House which should compete in costliness and splendour with those of the great European capitals, the world of fashion was still content to reassemble every winter in the shabby red and gold boxes of the sociable old Academy. Conservatives cherished it for being small and inconvenient, and thus keeping out the "new people" whom New York was beginning to dread and yet be drawn to; and the sentimental clung to it for its historic associations, and the musical for its excellent acoustics, always so problematic a quality in halls built for the hearing of music.
It was Madame Nilsson's first appearance that winter, and what the daily press had already learned to describe as "an exceptionally brilliant audience" had gathered to hear her, transported through the slippery, snowy streets in private broughams, in the spacious family landau, or in the humbler but more convenient "Brown coupe" To come to the Opera in a Brown coupe was almost as honourable a way of arriving as in one's own carriage; and departure by the same means had the immense advantage of enabling one (with a playful allusion to democratic principles) to scramble into the first Brown conveyance in the line, instead of waiting till the cold-and-gin congested nose of one's own coachman gleamed under the portico of the Academy. It was one of the great livery-stableman's most masterly intuitions to have discovered that Americans want to get away from amusement even more quickly than they want to get to it.
When Newland Archer opened the door at the back of the club box the curtain had just gone up on the garden scene. There was no reason why the young man should not have come earlier, for he had dined at seven, alone with his mother and sister, and had lingered afterward over a cigar in the Gothic library with glazed black-walnut bookcases and finial-topped chairs which was the only room in the house where Mrs. Archer allowed smoking. But, in the first place, New York was a metropolis, and perfectly aware that in metropolises it was "not the thing" to arrive early at the opera; and what was or was not "the thing" played a part as important in Newland Archer's New York as the inscrutable totem terrors that had ruled the destinies of his forefathers thousands of years ago.
The second reason for his delay was a personal one. He had dawdled over his cigar because he was at heart a dilettante, and thinking over a pleasure to come often gave him a subtler satisfaction than its realisation. This was especially the case when the pleasure was a delicate one, as his pleasures mostly were; and on this occasion the moment he looked forward to was so rare and exquisite in quality that--well, if he had timed his arrival in accord with the prima donna's stage-manager he could not have entered the Academy at a more significant moment than just as she was singing: "He loves me--he loves me not--HE LOVES ME!--" and sprinkling the falling daisy petals with notes as clear as dew.
She sang, of course, "M'ama!" and not "he loves me," since an unalterable and unquestioned law of the musical world required that the German text of French operas sung by Swedish artists should be translated into Italian for the clearer understanding of English- speaking audiences. This seemed as natural to Newland Archer as all the other conventions on which his life was moulded: such as the duty of using two silver- backed brushes with his monogram in blue enamel to part his hair, and of never appearing in society without a flower (preferably a gardenia) in his buttonhole.
"M'ama . . . non m'ama . . . " the prima donna sang, and "M'ama!", with a final burst of love triumphant, as she pressed the dishevelled daisy to her lips and lifted her large eyes to the sophisticated countenance of the little brown Faust-Capoul, who was vainly trying, in a tight purple velvet doublet and plumed cap, to look as pure and true as his artless victim.
Newland Archer, leaning against the wall at the back of the club box, turned his eyes from the stage and scanned the opposite side of the house. Directly facing him was the box of old Mrs. Manson Mingott, whose monstrous obesity had long since made it impossible for her to attend the Opera, but who was always represented on fashionable nights by some of the younger members of the family. On this occasion, the front of the box was filled by her daughter-in-law, Mrs. Lovell Mingott, and her daughter, Mrs. Welland; and slightly withdrawn behind these brocaded matrons sat a young girl in white with eyes ecstatically fixed on the stagelovers. As Madame Nilsson's "M'ama!" thrilled out above the silent house (the boxes always stopped talking during the Daisy Song) a warm pink mounted to the girl's cheek, mantled her brow to the roots of her fair braids, and suffused the young slope of her breast to the line where it met a modest tulle tucker fastened with a single gardenia. She dropped her eyes to the immense bouquet of lilies-of-the-valley on her knee, and Newland Archer saw her white-gloved finger-tips touch the flowers softly. He drew a breath of satisfied vanity and his eyes returned to the stage.
No expense had been spared on the setting, which was acknowledged to be very beautiful even by people who shared his acquaintance with the Opera houses of Paris and Vienna. The foreground, to the footlights, was covered with emerald green cloth. In the middle distance symmetrical mounds of woolly green moss bounded by croquet hoops formed the base of shrubs shaped like orange-trees but studded with large pink and red roses. Gigantic pansies, considerably larger than the roses, and closely resembling the floral pen- wipers made by female parishioners for fashionable clergymen, sprang from the moss beneath the rose- trees; and here and there a daisy grafted on a rose- branch flowered with a luxuriance prophetic of Mr. Luther Burbank's far-off prodigies.
In the centre of this enchanted garden Madame Nilsson, in white cashmere slashed with pale blue satin, a reticule dangling from a blue girdle, and large yellow braids carefully disposed on each side of her muslin chemisette, listened with downcast eyes to M. Capoul's impassioned wooing, and affected a guileless incomprehension of his designs whenever, by word or glance, he persuasively indicated the ground floor window of the neat brick villa projecting obliquely from the right wing.
"The darling!" thought Newland Archer, his glance flitting back to the young girl with the lilies-of-the- valley. "She doesn't even guess what it's all about." And he contemplated her absorbed young face with a thrill of possessorship in which pride in his own masculine initiation was mingled with a tender reverence for her abysmal purity. "We'll read Faust together . . . by the Italian lakes . . ." he thought, somewhat hazily confusing the scene of his projected honey-moon with the masterpieces of literature which it would be his manly privilege to reveal to his bride. It was only that afternoon that May Welland had let him guess that she "cared" (New York's consecrated phrase of maiden avowal), and already his imagination, leaping ahead of the engagement ring, the betrothal kiss and the march from Lohengrin, pictured her at his side in some scene of old European witchery.
He did not in the least wish the future Mrs. Newland Archer to be a simpleton. He meant her (thanks to his enlightening companionship) to develop a social tact and readiness of wit enabling her to hold her own with the most popular married women of the "younger set," in which it was the recognised custom to attract masculine homage while playfully discouraging it. If he had probed to the bottom of his vanity (as he sometimes nearly did) he would have found there the wish that his wife should be as worldly-wise and as eager to please as the married lady whose charms had held his fancy through two mildly agitated years; without, of course, any hint of the frailty which had so nearly marred that unhappy being's life, and had disarranged his own plans for a whole winter.
How this miracle of fire and ice was to be created, and to sustain itself in a harsh world, he had never taken the time to think out; but he was content to hold his view without analysing it, since he knew it was that of all the carefully-brushed, white-waistcoated, button- hole-flowered gentlemen who succeeded each other in the club box, exchanged friendly greetings with him, and turned their opera-glasses critically on the circle of ladies who were the product of the system. In matters intellectual and artistic Newland Archer felt himself distinctly the superior of these chosen specimens of old New York gentility; he had probably read more, thought more, and even seen a good deal more of the world, than any other man of the number. Singly they betrayed their inferiority; but grouped together they represented "New York," and the habit of masculine solidarity made him accept their doctrine on all the issues called moral. He instinctively felt that in this respect it would be troublesome--and also rather bad form--to strike out for himself.
"Well--upon my soul!" exclaimed Lawrence Lefferts, turning his opera-glass abruptly away from the stage. Lawrence Lefferts was, on the whole, the foremost authority on "form" in New York. He had probably devoted more time than any one else to the study of this intricate and fascinating question; but study alone could not account for his complete and easy competence. One had only to look at him, from the slant of his bald forehead and the curve of his beautiful fair moustache to the long patent-leather feet at the other end of his lean and elegant person, to feel that the knowledge of "form" must be congenital in any one who knew how to wear such good clothes so carelessly and carry such height with so much lounging grace. As a young admirer had once said of him: "If anybody can tell a fellow just when to wear a black tie with evening clothes and when not to, it's Larry Lefferts." And on the question of pumps versus patent-leather "Oxfords" his authority had never been disputed.
"My God!" he said; and silently handed his glass to old Sillerton Jackson.
Newland Archer, following Lefferts's glance, saw with surprise that his exclamation had been occasioned by the entry of a new figure into old Mrs. Mingott's box. It was that of a slim young woman, a little less tall than May Welland, with brown hair growing in close curls about her temples and held in place by a narrow band of diamonds. The suggestion of this headdress, which gave her what was then called a "Josephine look," was carried out in the cut of the dark blue velvet gown rather theatrically caught up under her bosom by a girdle with a large old-fashioned clasp. The wearer of this unusual dress, who seemed quite unconscious of the attention it was attracting, stood a moment in the centre of the box, discussing with Mrs. Welland the propriety of taking the latter's place in the front right- hand corner; then she yielded with a slight smile, and seated herself in line with Mrs. Welland's sister-in-law, Mrs. Lovell Mingott, who was installed in the opposite corner.
Mr. Sillerton Jackson had returned the opera-glass to Lawrence Lefferts. The whole of the club turned instinctively, waiting to hear what the old man had to say; for old Mr. Jackson was as great an authority on "family" as Lawrence Lefferts was on "form." He knew all the ramifications of New York's cousinships; and could not only elucidate such complicated questions as that of the connection between the Mingotts (through the Thorleys) with the Dallases of South Carolina, and that of the relationship of the elder branch of Philadelphia Thorleys to the Albany Chiverses (on no account to be confused with the Manson Chiverses of University Place), but could also enumerate the leading characteristics of each family: as, for instance, the fabulous stinginess of the younger lines of Leffertses (the Long Island ones); or the fatal tendency of the Rushworths to make foolish matches; or the insanity recurring in every second generation of the Albany Chiverses, with whom their New York cousins had always refused to intermarry--with the disastrous exception of poor Medora Manson, who, as everybody knew . . . but then her mother was a Rushworth.
In addition to this forest of family trees, Mr. Sillerton Jackson carried between his narrow hollow temples, and under his soft thatch of silver hair, a register of most of the scandals and mysteries that had smouldered under the unruffled surface of New York society within the last fifty years. So far indeed did his information extend, and so acutely retentive was his memory, that he was supposed to be the only man who could have told you who Julius Beaufort, the banker, really was, and what had become of handsome Bob Spicer, old Mrs. Manson Mingott's father, who had disappeared so mysteriously (with a large sum of trust money) less than a year after his marriage, on the very day that a beautiful Spanish dancer who had been delighting thronged audiences in the old Opera-house on the Battery had taken ship for Cuba. But these mysteries, and many others, were closely locked in Mr. Jackson's breast; for not only did his keen sense of honour forbid his repeating anything privately imparted, but he was fully aware that his reputation for discretion increased his opportunities of finding out what he wanted to know.
The club box, therefore, waited in visible suspense while Mr. Sillerton Jackson handed back Lawrence Lefferts's opera-glass. For a moment he silently scrutinised the attentive group out of his filmy blue eyes overhung by old veined lids; then he gave his moustache a thoughtful twist, and said simply: "I didn't think the Mingotts would have tried it on."
zài zhè gè duǎn zàn de chāqǔ zhōng jiān， niǔ lán · ā qiē 'ěr xiàn rù yī zhǒng qí guài de gān gà jìng dì。
tǎo yàn de shì， rú cǐ xī yǐn zhe niǔ yuē nán xìng shì jiè quán bù zhù yì lì de bāo xiāng jìng shì tā wèi hūn qī jiù zuò de nà yī gè， tā zuò zài mǔ qīn yǔ jiù mā zhōng jiān。 tā yī shí jìng rèn bù chū nà wèi chuānzhuó fǎ guó 30 nián dài fú zhuāng de nǚ shì， yě xiǎng xiàng bù chū tā de chū xiàn wèishénme huì zài jù lè bù huì yuán zhōng yǐn qǐ rú cǐ de xīng fèn。 jiē zhe， tā míng bái guò lái， bìng suí zhī chǎn shēng yī zhèn fèn kǎi。 díquè， méi yòu rén huì xiǎng dào míng gē tè jiā de rén huì bǎi chū zhè zhǒng jià shì！
rán 'ér tā men zhè yàng zuò liǎo。 háo wú yí yì， tā men shì zhè yàng zuò liǎo； yīn wéi 'ā qiē 'ěr shēn hòu dī shēng de píng lùn shǐ tā xīn zhōng méi yòu sī háo huái yí， nà wèi nián qīng nǚ zǐ jiù shì méi · wéi lán de biǎo jiě， nà wèi jiā lǐ rén yī zhí chēng zuò“ kě lián de 'āi lún · ào lán sī kǎ” de biǎo jiě。 ā qiē 'ěr zhī dào tā yī liǎng tiān qián tū rán cóng 'ōu zhōu huí lái liǎo， shèn zhì hái tīng wéi lán xiǎo jiě（ bìng fēi bù mǎn dì） shuō guò， tā yǐ jīng qù kàn guò kě lián de 'āi lún liǎo。 tā zhù zài lǎo míng gē tè tài tài nà 'ér。 ā qiē 'ěr wán quán yōng hù jiā zú de tuán jié。 tā zuì chóng bài de míng gē tè jiā zú de pǐn dé zhī yī， jiù shì tā men duì jiā zú zhōng chū de jǐ gè bù xiào zǐ dì de jiān jué zhī chí。 tā bìng bù zì sī， yě bù shì xiǎo jī dù cháng； tā wèi lái de qī zǐ méi yòu shòu dào jiǎ zhèng jīng de jú xiàn， néng（ sī xià） shàn dài tā bù xìng de biǎo jiě， tā hái wèicǐ gǎn dào gāo xīng。 rán 'ér， zài jiā tíng juàn zǐ nèi jiē dài 'ào lán sī kǎ bó jué fū rén shì yī huí shì， bǎ tā dài dào gōng gòng chǎng suǒ， yóu qí shì gē jù yuàn zhè yàng de dì fāng， zé shì wán quán bù tóng de lìng yī huí shì。 ér qiě jiù zài nà wèi nián qīng gū niàn de bāo xiāng lǐ， tā yǔ tā niǔ lán · ā qiē 'ěr de dìng hūn xiāo xī jǐ zhōu zhī nèi jiù yào xuān bù。 shì de， tā de gǎn jué yǔ lǎo xī lè dùn · jié kè xùn yī yàng： tā méi xiǎng dào míng gē tè jiā de rén huì bǎi chū zhè zhǒng jià shì！
tā dāng rán zhī dào， nán rén gǎn zuò de rèn hé shì（ dì wǔ dà jiē fàn wéi zhī nèi）， lǎo màn sēn · míng gē tè tài tài zhè wèi nǚ zú cháng dū gǎn zuò。 tā yī xiàng chóng bài zhè wèi gāo dà gāng yì de lǎo fū rén， jìn guǎn tā yuán lái bù guò shì sī tǎ téng dǎo de kǎi sè lín · sī pài sài， yòu yī wèi shén mì de míng yù sǎo dì de fù qīn， nà jiàn shì wú lùn jīn qián hái shì dì wèi dū nán yǐ ràng rén men wàng jì。 rán 'ér， tā què yǔ fù yòu de míng gē tè jiā zú de lǐng tóu rén lián liǎo yīn， bǎ liǎng gè nǚ 'ér jià gěi liǎo“ wài guó rén”（ yī gè yì dà lì hóu jué， yī gè yīng guó yínháng jiā）， bìng qiě zài zhōng yāng gōng yuán fù jìn wú fǎ chā zú de huāng dì lǐ jiàn liǎo yī suǒ rǔ bái sè shí tóu dà zhái yuàn（ zhèng zhí zōng sè shā shí fǎng fó xiàng xià wǔ de cháng lǐ fú nà yàng qīng yī sè de shí hòu）， cóng 'ér dá dào liǎo dēng fēng zào jí de dì bù。
lǎo míng gē tè tài tài de liǎng gè wài jí nǚ 'ér chéng liǎo yī zé shén huà gù shì。 tā men cóng bù huí lái kàn wàng mǔ qīn。 mǔ qīn yǐ liàn gù tǔ qiě shēn tǐ féi pàng， xiàng xǔ duō sī xiǎng huó yuè yì zhì zhuān héng de rén nà yàng， yī zhí dá guān dì liú zài jiā zhōng， ér nà chuáng rǔ bái sè de fáng zǐ（ jù shuō shì fǎng zhào bā lí guì zú de sī rén lǚ guǎn jiàn zào de） què chéng liǎo tā dà wú wèi jīng shén de jiàn zhèng。 tā zài lǐ miàn dēng shàng bǎo zuò， píng jìng dì shēng huó zài dú lì zhàn zhēng qián de jiā jù yǔ lù yì · ná pò lún dù yī lè lì gōng（ tā zhōng nián shí céng zài nà 'ér dà chū fēng tóu） de jì niàn pǐn zhōng jiān， fǎng fó zhù zài 34 jiē yǐ běi、 yòng kāi dé xiàng mén yī yàng dà de fǎ shì chuāng hù dài tì tuī lā shì diào chuāng sī háo bùzúwèi guài sì de。
rén rén（ bāo kuò xī lè dùn · jié kè xùn xiān shēng） dū yī zhì rèn wéi， lǎo kǎi sè lín cóng méi yōng yòu guò měi mào， ér zài niǔ yuē rén yǎn zhōng， měi mào shì chéng gōng de bǎo zhèng， yě kě zuò wéi mǒu xiē shī bài de jiè kǒu。 bù yǒu shàn de rén men shuō， xiàng tā nà wèi dà yīng dì guó de tóng míng nǚ rén yī yàng， tā huò dé chéng gōng kào de shì yì zhì lì liàng yǔ lěng kù xīn cháng， wài jiā yī zhǒng yóu yú sī shēng huó jué duì zhèng pài 'ér shǐ tā zài yī dìng chéng dù shàng miǎn zāo fēi yì de 'ào màn。 màn sēn · míng gē tè xiān shēng qù shì de shí hòu tā zhǐ yòu 28 suì。 chū yú duì sī pài sài jiā zú de bù xìn rèn， tā yòng yī tiáo fù jiā tiáo kuǎn“ dòng jié” liǎo zì jǐ de yí chǎn。 tā nà wèi nián qīng、 guǒ gǎn de yí shuāng dà wú wèi dì zǒu zhe zì jǐ de lù， tā wú jū wú shù dì hùn jì zài wài guó de shè jiāo jiè， bǎ nǚ 'ér jià dào tiān zhī dào hé děng fǔ huà shí máo de juàn zǐ lǐ， yǔ gōng jué dà shǐ men kāi huái chàng yǐn， yǔ jiào huáng jiā qīn mì jiāo wǎng， kuǎn dài gē jù yǎn yuán， bìng zuò liǎo bā lěi míng mén zhī hòu tǎ gē lǐ 'ào ní fū rén de mì yǒu。 yǔ cǐ tóng shí（ zhèng rú xī lè dùn · jié kè xùn shǒu xiān xuān bù de）， guān yú tā de míng shēng què cóng méi yòu yī jù kǒu shé。 zhè shì tā wéi yī yī diǎn， tā zǒng shì jiē zhe shuō， yǔ yǐ qián nà wèi kǎi sè lín de bù tóng zhī chù。
màn sēn · míng gē tè tài tài zǎo yǐ jiě dòng liǎo zhàng fū de cái chǎn， bìng yǐnyǐn shí shí dì huó liǎo bàn gè shì jì。 zǎo nián kùn jìng de jì yì shǐ tā gé wài jié jiǎn， suī rán tā zài mǎi yī fú huò tiān zhì jiā jù shí zǒng shì guān zhào yào zuì hǎo de， dàn què shěbùdé wéi cān zhuō shàng shùn jiān de xiǎng lè guò duō pò fèi。 suǒ yǐ， yóu yú wán quán bù tóng de yuán yīn， tā de fàn cài gēn 'ā qiē 'ěr tài tài jiā yī yàng chā， tā de jiǔ yě bù néng wéi zhī zēng guāng tiān cǎi。 qīn qī men rèn wéi， tā cān zhuō shàng de lìn sè sǔn hài liǎo míng gē tè jiā de míng yù héng héng tā yī xiàng shì yǔ chī hē jiǎng jiū lián zài yī qǐ de。 rán 'ér rén men hái shì bù gù nà xiē“ pīn pán” yǔ zǒu wèi de xiāng bìn， jì xù dào tā jiā lái。 zhēn duì tā 'ér zǐ luò fú 'ěr de quàn gào（ tā qǐ tú gù yōng niǔ yuē zuì hǎo de chú shī yǐ huī fù jiā zú de míng yù）， tā cháng cháng xiào zhe shuō：“ jì rán gū niàn mendōu jià chū qù liǎo， wǒ yòu bù néng yòng tiáowèi pǐn， yī gè jiā tíng yòng liǎng gè hǎo chú shī hái yòu shénme yòng？”
niǔ lán · ā qiē 'ěr yī miàn chén sī zhe zhè xiē shì qíng， yòu bǎ mù guāng zhuànxiàng liǎo míng gē tè bāo xiāng。 tā jiàn wéi lán tài tài yǔ tā de sǎo sǎo zhèng dài zhe lǎo kǎi sè lín xiàng zú rén guàn shū de nà zhǒng míng gē tè jiā tè yòu de zì shì miàn duì zhe zǔ chéng bàn yuán xíng de pī píng zhě。 zhǐ yòu méi · wéi lán miàn sè fēi hóng（ yě xǔ yóu yú zhī dào tā zài kàn tā）， liú lù chū shì tài yán jùn de yì wèi。 zhì yú yǐn qǐ sāo dòng de nà yī wèi， yǐ rán yōu yǎ dì zuò zài bāo xiāng jiǎo luò lǐ， liǎng yǎn níng shì zhe wǔ tái。 yóu yú shēn tǐ qián qīng， tā jiān bǎng hé xiōng bù lù dé bǐ niǔ yuē shè huì xí guàn kàn dào de shāo shāo duō liǎo yī diǎn， zhì shǎo zài nà xiē yòu lǐ yóu xī wàng bù yǐn qǐ zhù yì de nǚ shì men zhōng jiān shì rú cǐ。
zài niǔ lán · ā qiē 'ěr kàn lái， hěn shǎo yòu shénme shì bǐ yǔ“ pǐn wèi” xiāng bèi gèng nán kān de liǎo。 pǐn wèi shì yī zhǒng kàn bù jiàn de shén yùn，“ jǔ zhǐ” jǐn jǐn shì tā zhí guān de tì dài wù yǔ dài biǎo。 ào lán sī kǎ fū rén cāng bái 'ér yán sù de miàn kǒng， àn tā de xiǎng xiàng shì shì hé yú zhè zhǒng chǎng hé jí tā de bù xìng chǔjìng de， dàn tā de yī fú（ méi yòu yī lǐng） cóng nà dān bó de jiān tóu pō xià qù de yàng shì què lìng tā zhèn jīng bù 'ān。 tā bù yuàn shè xiǎng méi · wéi lán shòu dào yī gè rú cǐ bù gù pǐn wèi hé qíng qù de nián qīng nǚ zǐ de yǐng xiǎng。
“ jiū jìng héng héng” tā tīng dào shēn hòu yī gè nián qīng rén kāi kǒu shuō（ zài mí fěi sī tè yǔ mǎ suō de jǐ chǎng xì zhōng， dà jiā zì shǐ zhì zhōng dōuzài jiāo tán），“ jiū jìng fā shēng liǎo shénme shì？”
“ ò héng héng tā lí kāi liǎo tā； shuí yě bù xiǎng fǒu rèn zhè yī diǎn。”
“ tā shì gè kě pà de chù shēng， bù shì má？” nián qīng rén jiē zhe shuō， tā shì suǒ lì jiā zú zhōng yī wèi zhí shuài de rén， xiǎn rán zhǔn bèi jiā rù nà wèi nǚ shì de hù huā shǐ zhě zhī liè。
“ yī gè zāo gāo tòu liǎo de jiā huǒ； wǒ zài ní sī jiàn guò tā，” láo lún sī · lāi fú cí yǐ quán wēi de kǒu qì shuō。“ lǎo hē dé bàn zuì， cāng bái de miàn kǒng shàng lù chū jī xiào héng héng dàn nǎo dài dǎo hěn piào liàng， bù guò yǎn jié máo tài duō。 ō， wǒ lái gào sù nǐ tā nà dé xíng： tā bù shì gēn nǚ rén zài yī qǐ， jiù shì qù shōu jí cí qì。 jù wǒ suǒ zhī， tā duì liǎng zhě dōubù xī rèn hé dài jià。”
zhè huà yǐn chū yī zhèn hōng táng dà xiào， nà wèi nián qīng de hù huā shǐ zhě shuō：“ wú， kě shì héng héng”
“ wú， kě shì， tā gēn tā de mì shū táo páo liǎo。”
“ ō， wǒ míng bái liǎo。” hù huā shǐ zhě de liǎn chén liǎo xià lái。
“ kě shì， zhè bìng méi yòu chí xù duō jiǔ： wǒ tīng shuō tā jǐ gè yuè hòu jiù dú zì zhù zài wēi ní sī， wǒ xiāng xìn luò fú 'ěr · míng gē tè nà cì chū guó shì qù zhǎo tā de。 tā céng shuō tā fēi cháng dì bù kuài huó。 xiàn zài méi shì liǎo héng héng bù guò zài gē jù yuàn lǐ zhè yàng xuàn yào tā què lìng dāng bié lùn。”
“ yě xǔ，” nà wèi xiǎo suǒ lì mào xiǎn dì shuō，“ tā tài bù kuài huó liǎo， bù huì yuàn yì yī gè rén bèi liàng zài jiā lǐ。”
zhè huà yǐn lái yī zhèn wú lǐ de xiào shēng， nián qīng rén liǎn sè shēn hóng， jié lì zhuāng chū shì xiǎng qiǎo miào shǐ yòng cōng míng rén suǒ shuō de“ shuāng guān yǔ” de yàng zǐ。
“ wú héng héng bù guǎn zěn me shuō， bǎ wéi lán xiǎo jiě dài lái zǒng shì lìng rén fèi jiě，” yòu rén qiāoqiāo dì shuō， yī miàn xié shì liǎo 'ā qiē 'ěr yī yǎn。
“ ō， zhè shì yùn dòng de yī gè zǔ chéng bù fēn má： kěn dìng shì lǎo zǔ zōng de mìng lìng，” lāi fú cí xiào zhe shuō。“ lǎo fū rén yào shì gān yī jiàn shì， zǒng yào gānde wán quán chè dǐ。”
zhè yī mù jié shù liǎo， bāo xiāng lǐ yī zhèn pǔ biàn de sāo dòng。 niǔ lán · ā qiē 'ěr tū rán gǎn dào bì xū cǎi qǔ guǒ duàn xíng dòng。 tā yào dì yī gè zǒu jìn míng gē tè tài tài de bāo xiāng， dì yī gè xiàng qī wàng zhōng de shè jiāo jiè xuān bù tā yǔ méi · wéi lán de dìng hūn xiāo xī， dì yī gè qù bāng zhù tā dù guò biǎo jiě de yì cháng chǔjìng kě néng shǐ tā juàn rén de rèn hé kùn nán。 zhè yī chōng dòng měng rán jiān yā dǎo liǎo yī qiē gù lǜ yǔ chí yí， cù shǐ tā cōng cōng chuān guò yī jié jié hóng sè zǒu láng， xiàng jù yuàn jiào yuǎn de yī duān zǒu qù。
jìn rù bāo xiāng de shí hòu， tā de yǎn jīng yù dào liǎo wéi lán xiǎo jiě de mù guāng， ér qiě tā fā xiàn tā lì jí míng bái liǎo tā de lái yì， jìn guǎn jiā zú de zūn yán bù yǔn xǔ tā duì tā míng jiǎng héng héng liǎng gè réndōu rèn wéi zhè shì yī zhǒng hěn gāo shàng de měi dé。 tā men zhè gè juàn zǐ de réndōu shēng huó zài yī zhǒng hán 'ér bù lù、 shāo xiǎn jīn chí de qì fēn zhōng， nián qīng rén jué dé， tā yǔ tā bù yòng shuō yī jù huà jiù néng hù xiāng gōu tōng， rèn hé jiě shì dōubù néng shǐ tā men gèng jiā tiē jìn。 tā de yǎn jīng zài shuō：“ nǐ míng bái mā mā wèishénme dài wǒ lái。” tā de yǎn jīng zé huí dá：“ wú lùn rú hé wǒdōu bù kěn ràng nǐ lí kāi zhè 'ér。”
“ nǐ rèn shí wǒ de zhí nǚ 'ào lán sī kǎ bó jué fū rén má？” wéi lán tài tài yǔ tā wèi lái de nǚ xù wò shǒu shí wèn dào。 àn zhào yǐn jiàn gěi nǚ shì de xí guàn， ā qiē 'ěr qiàn yī zǐ， méi yòu shēn chū shǒu； āi lún · ào lán sī kǎ qīng qīng dī yī xià tóu， liǎng zhǐ dài qiǎn sè shǒu tào de shǒu jì xù wò zhe nà bǎ dà yīng máo shàn zǐ。 yǔ luò fú 'ěr · míng gē tè tài tài dǎ guò zhāo hū héng héng tā shì gè dà kuài tóu de jīn fā nǚ rén， chuān yī shēn xī suǒ zuò xiǎng de duàn zǐ yī qún héng héng tā zài wèi hūn qī de shēn bàng zuò xià， dī shēng shuō：“ wǒ xī wàng nǐ yǐ jīng gào sù 'ào lán sī kǎ fū rén wǒ men dìng hūn liǎo bā？ wǒ xiǎng ràng měi gè réndōu zhī dào héng héng wǒ yào nǐ yǔn xǔ wǒ jīn wǎn zài wǔ huì shàng xuān bù。”
wéi lán xiǎo jiě de liǎn biàn chéng shǔ guāng bān de méi guī hóng sè， tā liǎng yǎn fā guāng dì kàn zhe tā。“ rú guǒ nǐ néng shuō fú mā mā de huà，” tā shuō，“ bù guò， yǐ jīng dìng liǎo de shì， gànmá yào gǎi biàn ní？” tā méi yòu shuō huà， zhǐ yòng yǎn jīng zuò liǎo huí dá。 tā xìn xīn gèng zú dì xiào zhe bǔ chōng shuō：“ nǐ zì jǐ gào sù wǒ biǎo jiě bā， wǒ yǔn xǔ nǐ。 tā shuō nǐ hái shì hái zǐ de shí hòu， tā cháng hé nǐ yī qǐ wán shuǎ。”
tā bǎ yǐ zǐ xiàng hòu tuī liǎo tuī， gěi tā ràng chū liǎo lù。 ā qiē 'ěr huái zhe yī zhǒng ràng quán chǎng de réndōu néng kàn jiàn zì jǐ de jǔ dòng de yuàn wàng， lì kè shì wēi xìng dì zuò dào liǎo 'ào lán sī kǎ bó jué fū rén shēn biān。
“ wǒ men guò qù díquè cháng zài yī qǐ wán， bù shì má？” tā wèn dào， yī miàn yòng yán sù de mù guāng kàn zhe tā de yǎn jīng。“ nǐ nà shí shì gè hěn tǎo yàn de nán hái， yòu yī cì nǐ zài mén hòu miàn wěn liǎo wǒ， dàn nà shí wǒ 'ài shàng de què shì nǐ de táng xiōng fàn dí · niǔ lán， kě tā cóng lái bù kàn wǒ yī yǎn。” tā de mù guāng sǎo shì zhe nà xiē mǎ tí xíng pái liè de bāo xiāng。“ ā， zhè chǎng miàn duō ràng wǒ huí xiǎng qǐ guò qù de yī qiē 'ā héng héng wǒ fā xiàn zhè lǐ rén réndōu chuān dēng lóng kù huò kuān sōng kù，” tā dài zhe lüè wēi tuō cháng de yì guó kǒu yīn shuō， mù guāng yòu huí dào tā de liǎn shàng。
zhè fān huà jìn guǎn biǎo dá de gǎn qíng shì lìng rén yú kuài de， què jìng rán shǐ tā xiǎng dào liǎo wēi yán de fǎ tíng， zhè yī bù xiāngchèn de lián xiǎng lìng nián qīng rén gǎn dào zhèn jīng。 ér cǐ shí cǐ kè， zhè gè fǎ tíng jiù bǎi zài tā de miàn qián， tā de 'àn zǐ zhèng zài jìn xíng shěn lǐ。 méi yòu shénme dōng xī bǐ bù hé shí yí de qīng shuài gèng yòu shāng dà yǎ liǎo。 tā yòu diǎn shēng yìng dì huí dá shuō：“ shì 'ā， nǐ lí kāi zhè 'ér yǐ jīng hěn jiǔ liǎo。”
“ ā， hǎo xiàng yòu hǎo jǐ bǎi nián liǎo。 tài jiǔ liǎo，” tā shuō，“ ràng wǒ jué dé zì jǐ yǐ jīng sǐ liǎo， bèi mái diào liǎo， ér zhè fāng qīnqiè de gù tǔ jiù shì tiān táng。” shuō bù qīng shì shénme lǐ yóu， niǔ lán · ā qiē 'ěr zhǐ jué dé zhè yàng xíng róng niǔ yuē shè huì jiù gèng jiā shī lǐ liǎo。
It was annoying that the box which was thus attracting the undivided attention of masculine New York should be that in which his betrothed was seated between her mother and aunt; and for a moment he could not identify the lady in the Empire dress, nor imagine why her presence created such excitement among the initiated. Then light dawned on him, and with it came a momentary rush of indignation. No, indeed; no one would have thought the Mingotts would have tried it on!
But they had; they undoubtedly had; for the low- toned comments behind him left no doubt in Archer's mind that the young woman was May Welland's cousin, the cousin always referred to in the family as "poor Ellen Olenska." Archer knew that she had suddenly arrived from Europe a day or two previously; he had even heard from Miss Welland (not disapprovingly) that she had been to see poor Ellen, who was staying with old Mrs. Mingott. Archer entirely approved of family solidarity, and one of the qualities he most admired in the Mingotts was their resolute championship of the few black sheep that their blameless stock had produced. There was nothing mean or ungenerous in the young man's heart, and he was glad that his future wife should not be restrained by false prudery from being kind (in private) to her unhappy cousin; but to receive Countess Olenska in the family circle was a different thing from producing her in public, at the Opera of all places, and in the very box with the young girl whose engagement to him, Newland Archer, was to be announced within a few weeks. No, he felt as old Sillerton Jackson felt; he did not think the Mingotts would have tried it on!
He knew, of course, that whatever man dared (within Fifth Avenue's limits) that old Mrs. Manson Mingott, the Matriarch of the line, would dare. He had always admired the high and mighty old lady, who, in spite of having been only Catherine Spicer of Staten Island, with a father mysteriously discredited, and neither money nor position enough to make people forget it, had allied herself with the head of the wealthy Mingott line, married two of her daughters to "foreigners" (an Italian marquis and an English banker), and put the crowning touch to her audacities by building a large house of pale cream-coloured stone (when brown sandstone seemed as much the only wear as a frock-coat in the afternoon) in an inaccessible wilderness near the Central Park.
Old Mrs. Mingott's foreign daughters had become a legend. They never came back to see their mother, and the latter being, like many persons of active mind and dominating will, sedentary and corpulent in her habit, had philosophically remained at home. But the cream- coloured house (supposed to be modelled on the private hotels of the Parisian aristocracy) was there as a visible proof of her moral courage; and she throned in it, among pre-Revolutionary furniture and souvenirs of the Tuileries of Louis Napoleon (where she had shone in her middle age), as placidly as if there were nothing peculiar in living above Thirty-fourth Street, or in having French windows that opened like doors instead of sashes that pushed up.
Every one (including Mr. Sillerton Jackson) was agreed that old Catherine had never had beauty--a gift which, in the eyes of New York, justified every success, and excused a certain number of failings. Unkind people said that, like her Imperial namesake, she had won her way to success by strength of will and hardness of heart, and a kind of haughty effrontery that was somehow justified by the extreme decency and dignity of her private life. Mr. Manson Mingott had died when she was only twenty-eight, and had "tied up" the money with an additional caution born of the general distrust of the Spicers; but his bold young widow went her way fearlessly, mingled freely in foreign society, married her daughters in heaven knew what corrupt and fashionable circles, hobnobbed with Dukes and Ambassadors, associated familiarly with Papists, entertained Opera singers, and was the intimate friend of Mme. Taglioni; and all the while (as Sillerton Jackson was the first to proclaim) there had never been a breath on her reputation; the only respect, he always added, in which she differed from the earlier Catherine.
Mrs. Manson Mingott had long since succeeded in untying her husband's fortune, and had lived in affluence for half a century; but memories of her early straits had made her excessively thrifty, and though, when she bought a dress or a piece of furniture, she took care that it should be of the best, she could not bring herself to spend much on the transient pleasures of the table. Therefore, for totally different reasons, her food was as poor as Mrs. Archer's, and her wines did nothing to redeem it. Her relatives considered that the penury of her table discredited the Mingott name, which had always been associated with good living; but people continued to come to her in spite of the "made dishes" and flat champagne, and in reply to the remonstrances of her son Lovell (who tried to retrieve the family credit by having the best chef in New York) she used to say laughingly: "What's the use of two good cooks in one family, now that I've married the girls and can't eat sauces?"
Newland Archer, as he mused on these things, had once more turned his eyes toward the Mingott box. He saw that Mrs. Welland and her sister-in-law were facing their semicircle of critics with the Mingottian APLOMB which old Catherine had inculcated in all her tribe, and that only May Welland betrayed, by a heightened colour (perhaps due to the knowledge that he was watching her) a sense of the gravity of the situation. As for the cause of the commotion, she sat gracefully in her corner of the box, her eyes fixed on the stage, and revealing, as she leaned forward, a little more shoulder and bosom than New York was accustomed to seeing, at least in ladies who had reasons for wishing to pass unnoticed.
Few things seemed to Newland Archer more awful than an offence against "Taste," that far-off divinity of whom "Form" was the mere visible representative and vicegerent. Madame Olenska's pale and serious face appealed to his fancy as suited to the occasion and to her unhappy situation; but the way her dress (which had no tucker) sloped away from her thin shoulders shocked and troubled him. He hated to think of May Welland's being exposed to the influence of a young woman so careless of the dictates of Taste.
"After all," he heard one of the younger men begin behind him (everybody talked through the Mephistopheles- and-Martha scenes), "after all, just WHAT happened?"
"Well--she left him; nobody attempts to deny that."
"He's an awful brute, isn't he?" continued the young enquirer, a candid Thorley, who was evidently preparing to enter the lists as the lady's champion.
"The very worst; I knew him at Nice," said Lawrence Lefferts with authority. "A half-paralysed white sneering fellow--rather handsome head, but eyes with a lot of lashes. Well, I'll tell you the sort: when he wasn't with women he was collecting china. Paying any price for both, I understand."
There was a general laugh, and the young champion said: "Well, then----?"
"Well, then; she bolted with his secretary."
"Oh, I see." The champion's face fell.
"It didn't last long, though: I heard of her a few months later living alone in Venice. I believe Lovell Mingott went out to get her. He said she was desperately unhappy. That's all right--but this parading her at the Opera's another thing."
"Perhaps," young Thorley hazarded, "she's too unhappy to be left at home."
This was greeted with an irreverent laugh, and the youth blushed deeply, and tried to look as if he had meant to insinuate what knowing people called a "double entendre."
"Well--it's queer to have brought Miss Welland, anyhow," some one said in a low tone, with a side- glance at Archer.
"Oh, that's part of the campaign: Granny's orders, no doubt," Lefferts laughed. "When the old lady does a thing she does it thoroughly."
The act was ending, and there was a general stir in the box. Suddenly Newland Archer felt himself impelled to decisive action. The desire to be the first man to enter Mrs. Mingott's box, to proclaim to the waiting world his engagement to May Welland, and to see her through whatever difficulties her cousin's anomalous situation might involve her in; this impulse had abruptly overruled all scruples and hesitations, and sent him hurrying through the red corridors to the farther side of the house.
As he entered the box his eyes met Miss Welland's, and he saw that she had instantly understood his motive, though the family dignity which both considered so high a virtue would not permit her to tell him so. The persons of their world lived in an atmosphere of faint implications and pale delicacies, and the fact that he and she understood each other without a word seemed to the young man to bring them nearer than any explanation would have done. Her eyes said: "You see why Mamma brought me," and his answered: "I would not for the world have had you stay away."
"You know my niece Countess Olenska?" Mrs. Welland enquired as she shook hands with her future son- in-law. Archer bowed without extending his hand, as was the custom on being introduced to a lady; and Ellen Olenska bent her head slightly, keeping her own pale-gloved hands clasped on her huge fan of eagle feathers. Having greeted Mrs. Lovell Mingott, a large blonde lady in creaking satin, he sat down beside his betrothed, and said in a low tone: "I hope you've told Madame Olenska that we're engaged? I want everybody to know--I want you to let me announce it this evening at the ball."
Miss Welland's face grew rosy as the dawn, and she looked at him with radiant eyes. "If you can persuade Mamma," she said; "but why should we change what is already settled?" He made no answer but that which his eyes returned, and she added, still more confidently smiling: "Tell my cousin yourself: I give you leave. She says she used to play with you when you were children."
She made way for him by pushing back her chair, and promptly, and a little ostentatiously, with the desire that the whole house should see what he was doing, Archer seated himself at the Countess Olenska's side.
"We DID use to play together, didn't we?" she asked, turning her grave eyes to his. "You were a horrid boy, and kissed me once behind a door; but it was your cousin Vandie Newland, who never looked at me, that I was in love with." Her glance swept the horse-shoe curve of boxes. "Ah, how this brings it all back to me--I see everybody here in knickerbockers and pantalettes," she said, with her trailing slightly foreign accent, her eyes returning to his face.
Agreeable as their expression was, the young man was shocked that they should reflect so unseemly a picture of the august tribunal before which, at that very moment, her case was being tried. Nothing could be in worse taste than misplaced flippancy; and he answered somewhat stiffly: "Yes, you have been away a very long time."
"Oh, centuries and centuries; so long," she said, "that I'm sure I'm dead and buried, and this dear old place is heaven;" which, for reasons he could not define, struck Newland Archer as an even more disrespectful way of describing New York society.
tǎo yàn de shì， rú cǐ xī yǐn zhe niǔ yuē nán xìng shì jiè quán bù zhù yì lì de bāo xiāng jìng shì tā wèi hūn qī jiù zuò de nà yī gè， tā zuò zài mǔ qīn yǔ jiù mā zhōng jiān。 tā yī shí jìng rèn bù chū nà wèi chuānzhuó fǎ guó 30 nián dài fú zhuāng de nǚ shì， yě xiǎng xiàng bù chū tā de chū xiàn wèishénme huì zài jù lè bù huì yuán zhōng yǐn qǐ rú cǐ de xīng fèn。 jiē zhe， tā míng bái guò lái， bìng suí zhī chǎn shēng yī zhèn fèn kǎi。 díquè， méi yòu rén huì xiǎng dào míng gē tè jiā de rén huì bǎi chū zhè zhǒng jià shì！
rán 'ér tā men zhè yàng zuò liǎo。 háo wú yí yì， tā men shì zhè yàng zuò liǎo； yīn wéi 'ā qiē 'ěr shēn hòu dī shēng de píng lùn shǐ tā xīn zhōng méi yòu sī háo huái yí， nà wèi nián qīng nǚ zǐ jiù shì méi · wéi lán de biǎo jiě， nà wèi jiā lǐ rén yī zhí chēng zuò“ kě lián de 'āi lún · ào lán sī kǎ” de biǎo jiě。 ā qiē 'ěr zhī dào tā yī liǎng tiān qián tū rán cóng 'ōu zhōu huí lái liǎo， shèn zhì hái tīng wéi lán xiǎo jiě（ bìng fēi bù mǎn dì） shuō guò， tā yǐ jīng qù kàn guò kě lián de 'āi lún liǎo。 tā zhù zài lǎo míng gē tè tài tài nà 'ér。 ā qiē 'ěr wán quán yōng hù jiā zú de tuán jié。 tā zuì chóng bài de míng gē tè jiā zú de pǐn dé zhī yī， jiù shì tā men duì jiā zú zhōng chū de jǐ gè bù xiào zǐ dì de jiān jué zhī chí。 tā bìng bù zì sī， yě bù shì xiǎo jī dù cháng； tā wèi lái de qī zǐ méi yòu shòu dào jiǎ zhèng jīng de jú xiàn， néng（ sī xià） shàn dài tā bù xìng de biǎo jiě， tā hái wèicǐ gǎn dào gāo xīng。 rán 'ér， zài jiā tíng juàn zǐ nèi jiē dài 'ào lán sī kǎ bó jué fū rén shì yī huí shì， bǎ tā dài dào gōng gòng chǎng suǒ， yóu qí shì gē jù yuàn zhè yàng de dì fāng， zé shì wán quán bù tóng de lìng yī huí shì。 ér qiě jiù zài nà wèi nián qīng gū niàn de bāo xiāng lǐ， tā yǔ tā niǔ lán · ā qiē 'ěr de dìng hūn xiāo xī jǐ zhōu zhī nèi jiù yào xuān bù。 shì de， tā de gǎn jué yǔ lǎo xī lè dùn · jié kè xùn yī yàng： tā méi xiǎng dào míng gē tè jiā de rén huì bǎi chū zhè zhǒng jià shì！
tā dāng rán zhī dào， nán rén gǎn zuò de rèn hé shì（ dì wǔ dà jiē fàn wéi zhī nèi）， lǎo màn sēn · míng gē tè tài tài zhè wèi nǚ zú cháng dū gǎn zuò。 tā yī xiàng chóng bài zhè wèi gāo dà gāng yì de lǎo fū rén， jìn guǎn tā yuán lái bù guò shì sī tǎ téng dǎo de kǎi sè lín · sī pài sài， yòu yī wèi shén mì de míng yù sǎo dì de fù qīn， nà jiàn shì wú lùn jīn qián hái shì dì wèi dū nán yǐ ràng rén men wàng jì。 rán 'ér， tā què yǔ fù yòu de míng gē tè jiā zú de lǐng tóu rén lián liǎo yīn， bǎ liǎng gè nǚ 'ér jià gěi liǎo“ wài guó rén”（ yī gè yì dà lì hóu jué， yī gè yīng guó yínháng jiā）， bìng qiě zài zhōng yāng gōng yuán fù jìn wú fǎ chā zú de huāng dì lǐ jiàn liǎo yī suǒ rǔ bái sè shí tóu dà zhái yuàn（ zhèng zhí zōng sè shā shí fǎng fó xiàng xià wǔ de cháng lǐ fú nà yàng qīng yī sè de shí hòu）， cóng 'ér dá dào liǎo dēng fēng zào jí de dì bù。
lǎo míng gē tè tài tài de liǎng gè wài jí nǚ 'ér chéng liǎo yī zé shén huà gù shì。 tā men cóng bù huí lái kàn wàng mǔ qīn。 mǔ qīn yǐ liàn gù tǔ qiě shēn tǐ féi pàng， xiàng xǔ duō sī xiǎng huó yuè yì zhì zhuān héng de rén nà yàng， yī zhí dá guān dì liú zài jiā zhōng， ér nà chuáng rǔ bái sè de fáng zǐ（ jù shuō shì fǎng zhào bā lí guì zú de sī rén lǚ guǎn jiàn zào de） què chéng liǎo tā dà wú wèi jīng shén de jiàn zhèng。 tā zài lǐ miàn dēng shàng bǎo zuò， píng jìng dì shēng huó zài dú lì zhàn zhēng qián de jiā jù yǔ lù yì · ná pò lún dù yī lè lì gōng（ tā zhōng nián shí céng zài nà 'ér dà chū fēng tóu） de jì niàn pǐn zhōng jiān， fǎng fó zhù zài 34 jiē yǐ běi、 yòng kāi dé xiàng mén yī yàng dà de fǎ shì chuāng hù dài tì tuī lā shì diào chuāng sī háo bùzúwèi guài sì de。
rén rén（ bāo kuò xī lè dùn · jié kè xùn xiān shēng） dū yī zhì rèn wéi， lǎo kǎi sè lín cóng méi yōng yòu guò měi mào， ér zài niǔ yuē rén yǎn zhōng， měi mào shì chéng gōng de bǎo zhèng， yě kě zuò wéi mǒu xiē shī bài de jiè kǒu。 bù yǒu shàn de rén men shuō， xiàng tā nà wèi dà yīng dì guó de tóng míng nǚ rén yī yàng， tā huò dé chéng gōng kào de shì yì zhì lì liàng yǔ lěng kù xīn cháng， wài jiā yī zhǒng yóu yú sī shēng huó jué duì zhèng pài 'ér shǐ tā zài yī dìng chéng dù shàng miǎn zāo fēi yì de 'ào màn。 màn sēn · míng gē tè xiān shēng qù shì de shí hòu tā zhǐ yòu 28 suì。 chū yú duì sī pài sài jiā zú de bù xìn rèn， tā yòng yī tiáo fù jiā tiáo kuǎn“ dòng jié” liǎo zì jǐ de yí chǎn。 tā nà wèi nián qīng、 guǒ gǎn de yí shuāng dà wú wèi dì zǒu zhe zì jǐ de lù， tā wú jū wú shù dì hùn jì zài wài guó de shè jiāo jiè， bǎ nǚ 'ér jià dào tiān zhī dào hé děng fǔ huà shí máo de juàn zǐ lǐ， yǔ gōng jué dà shǐ men kāi huái chàng yǐn， yǔ jiào huáng jiā qīn mì jiāo wǎng， kuǎn dài gē jù yǎn yuán， bìng zuò liǎo bā lěi míng mén zhī hòu tǎ gē lǐ 'ào ní fū rén de mì yǒu。 yǔ cǐ tóng shí（ zhèng rú xī lè dùn · jié kè xùn shǒu xiān xuān bù de）， guān yú tā de míng shēng què cóng méi yòu yī jù kǒu shé。 zhè shì tā wéi yī yī diǎn， tā zǒng shì jiē zhe shuō， yǔ yǐ qián nà wèi kǎi sè lín de bù tóng zhī chù。
màn sēn · míng gē tè tài tài zǎo yǐ jiě dòng liǎo zhàng fū de cái chǎn， bìng yǐnyǐn shí shí dì huó liǎo bàn gè shì jì。 zǎo nián kùn jìng de jì yì shǐ tā gé wài jié jiǎn， suī rán tā zài mǎi yī fú huò tiān zhì jiā jù shí zǒng shì guān zhào yào zuì hǎo de， dàn què shěbùdé wéi cān zhuō shàng shùn jiān de xiǎng lè guò duō pò fèi。 suǒ yǐ， yóu yú wán quán bù tóng de yuán yīn， tā de fàn cài gēn 'ā qiē 'ěr tài tài jiā yī yàng chā， tā de jiǔ yě bù néng wéi zhī zēng guāng tiān cǎi。 qīn qī men rèn wéi， tā cān zhuō shàng de lìn sè sǔn hài liǎo míng gē tè jiā de míng yù héng héng tā yī xiàng shì yǔ chī hē jiǎng jiū lián zài yī qǐ de。 rán 'ér rén men hái shì bù gù nà xiē“ pīn pán” yǔ zǒu wèi de xiāng bìn， jì xù dào tā jiā lái。 zhēn duì tā 'ér zǐ luò fú 'ěr de quàn gào（ tā qǐ tú gù yōng niǔ yuē zuì hǎo de chú shī yǐ huī fù jiā zú de míng yù）， tā cháng cháng xiào zhe shuō：“ jì rán gū niàn mendōu jià chū qù liǎo， wǒ yòu bù néng yòng tiáowèi pǐn， yī gè jiā tíng yòng liǎng gè hǎo chú shī hái yòu shénme yòng？”
niǔ lán · ā qiē 'ěr yī miàn chén sī zhe zhè xiē shì qíng， yòu bǎ mù guāng zhuànxiàng liǎo míng gē tè bāo xiāng。 tā jiàn wéi lán tài tài yǔ tā de sǎo sǎo zhèng dài zhe lǎo kǎi sè lín xiàng zú rén guàn shū de nà zhǒng míng gē tè jiā tè yòu de zì shì miàn duì zhe zǔ chéng bàn yuán xíng de pī píng zhě。 zhǐ yòu méi · wéi lán miàn sè fēi hóng（ yě xǔ yóu yú zhī dào tā zài kàn tā）， liú lù chū shì tài yán jùn de yì wèi。 zhì yú yǐn qǐ sāo dòng de nà yī wèi， yǐ rán yōu yǎ dì zuò zài bāo xiāng jiǎo luò lǐ， liǎng yǎn níng shì zhe wǔ tái。 yóu yú shēn tǐ qián qīng， tā jiān bǎng hé xiōng bù lù dé bǐ niǔ yuē shè huì xí guàn kàn dào de shāo shāo duō liǎo yī diǎn， zhì shǎo zài nà xiē yòu lǐ yóu xī wàng bù yǐn qǐ zhù yì de nǚ shì men zhōng jiān shì rú cǐ。
zài niǔ lán · ā qiē 'ěr kàn lái， hěn shǎo yòu shénme shì bǐ yǔ“ pǐn wèi” xiāng bèi gèng nán kān de liǎo。 pǐn wèi shì yī zhǒng kàn bù jiàn de shén yùn，“ jǔ zhǐ” jǐn jǐn shì tā zhí guān de tì dài wù yǔ dài biǎo。 ào lán sī kǎ fū rén cāng bái 'ér yán sù de miàn kǒng， àn tā de xiǎng xiàng shì shì hé yú zhè zhǒng chǎng hé jí tā de bù xìng chǔjìng de， dàn tā de yī fú（ méi yòu yī lǐng） cóng nà dān bó de jiān tóu pō xià qù de yàng shì què lìng tā zhèn jīng bù 'ān。 tā bù yuàn shè xiǎng méi · wéi lán shòu dào yī gè rú cǐ bù gù pǐn wèi hé qíng qù de nián qīng nǚ zǐ de yǐng xiǎng。
“ jiū jìng héng héng” tā tīng dào shēn hòu yī gè nián qīng rén kāi kǒu shuō（ zài mí fěi sī tè yǔ mǎ suō de jǐ chǎng xì zhōng， dà jiā zì shǐ zhì zhōng dōuzài jiāo tán），“ jiū jìng fā shēng liǎo shénme shì？”
“ ò héng héng tā lí kāi liǎo tā； shuí yě bù xiǎng fǒu rèn zhè yī diǎn。”
“ tā shì gè kě pà de chù shēng， bù shì má？” nián qīng rén jiē zhe shuō， tā shì suǒ lì jiā zú zhōng yī wèi zhí shuài de rén， xiǎn rán zhǔn bèi jiā rù nà wèi nǚ shì de hù huā shǐ zhě zhī liè。
“ yī gè zāo gāo tòu liǎo de jiā huǒ； wǒ zài ní sī jiàn guò tā，” láo lún sī · lāi fú cí yǐ quán wēi de kǒu qì shuō。“ lǎo hē dé bàn zuì， cāng bái de miàn kǒng shàng lù chū jī xiào héng héng dàn nǎo dài dǎo hěn piào liàng， bù guò yǎn jié máo tài duō。 ō， wǒ lái gào sù nǐ tā nà dé xíng： tā bù shì gēn nǚ rén zài yī qǐ， jiù shì qù shōu jí cí qì。 jù wǒ suǒ zhī， tā duì liǎng zhě dōubù xī rèn hé dài jià。”
zhè huà yǐn chū yī zhèn hōng táng dà xiào， nà wèi nián qīng de hù huā shǐ zhě shuō：“ wú， kě shì héng héng”
“ wú， kě shì， tā gēn tā de mì shū táo páo liǎo。”
“ ō， wǒ míng bái liǎo。” hù huā shǐ zhě de liǎn chén liǎo xià lái。
“ kě shì， zhè bìng méi yòu chí xù duō jiǔ： wǒ tīng shuō tā jǐ gè yuè hòu jiù dú zì zhù zài wēi ní sī， wǒ xiāng xìn luò fú 'ěr · míng gē tè nà cì chū guó shì qù zhǎo tā de。 tā céng shuō tā fēi cháng dì bù kuài huó。 xiàn zài méi shì liǎo héng héng bù guò zài gē jù yuàn lǐ zhè yàng xuàn yào tā què lìng dāng bié lùn。”
“ yě xǔ，” nà wèi xiǎo suǒ lì mào xiǎn dì shuō，“ tā tài bù kuài huó liǎo， bù huì yuàn yì yī gè rén bèi liàng zài jiā lǐ。”
zhè huà yǐn lái yī zhèn wú lǐ de xiào shēng， nián qīng rén liǎn sè shēn hóng， jié lì zhuāng chū shì xiǎng qiǎo miào shǐ yòng cōng míng rén suǒ shuō de“ shuāng guān yǔ” de yàng zǐ。
“ wú héng héng bù guǎn zěn me shuō， bǎ wéi lán xiǎo jiě dài lái zǒng shì lìng rén fèi jiě，” yòu rén qiāoqiāo dì shuō， yī miàn xié shì liǎo 'ā qiē 'ěr yī yǎn。
“ ō， zhè shì yùn dòng de yī gè zǔ chéng bù fēn má： kěn dìng shì lǎo zǔ zōng de mìng lìng，” lāi fú cí xiào zhe shuō。“ lǎo fū rén yào shì gān yī jiàn shì， zǒng yào gānde wán quán chè dǐ。”
zhè yī mù jié shù liǎo， bāo xiāng lǐ yī zhèn pǔ biàn de sāo dòng。 niǔ lán · ā qiē 'ěr tū rán gǎn dào bì xū cǎi qǔ guǒ duàn xíng dòng。 tā yào dì yī gè zǒu jìn míng gē tè tài tài de bāo xiāng， dì yī gè xiàng qī wàng zhōng de shè jiāo jiè xuān bù tā yǔ méi · wéi lán de dìng hūn xiāo xī， dì yī gè qù bāng zhù tā dù guò biǎo jiě de yì cháng chǔjìng kě néng shǐ tā juàn rén de rèn hé kùn nán。 zhè yī chōng dòng měng rán jiān yā dǎo liǎo yī qiē gù lǜ yǔ chí yí， cù shǐ tā cōng cōng chuān guò yī jié jié hóng sè zǒu láng， xiàng jù yuàn jiào yuǎn de yī duān zǒu qù。
jìn rù bāo xiāng de shí hòu， tā de yǎn jīng yù dào liǎo wéi lán xiǎo jiě de mù guāng， ér qiě tā fā xiàn tā lì jí míng bái liǎo tā de lái yì， jìn guǎn jiā zú de zūn yán bù yǔn xǔ tā duì tā míng jiǎng héng héng liǎng gè réndōu rèn wéi zhè shì yī zhǒng hěn gāo shàng de měi dé。 tā men zhè gè juàn zǐ de réndōu shēng huó zài yī zhǒng hán 'ér bù lù、 shāo xiǎn jīn chí de qì fēn zhōng， nián qīng rén jué dé， tā yǔ tā bù yòng shuō yī jù huà jiù néng hù xiāng gōu tōng， rèn hé jiě shì dōubù néng shǐ tā men gèng jiā tiē jìn。 tā de yǎn jīng zài shuō：“ nǐ míng bái mā mā wèishénme dài wǒ lái。” tā de yǎn jīng zé huí dá：“ wú lùn rú hé wǒdōu bù kěn ràng nǐ lí kāi zhè 'ér。”
“ nǐ rèn shí wǒ de zhí nǚ 'ào lán sī kǎ bó jué fū rén má？” wéi lán tài tài yǔ tā wèi lái de nǚ xù wò shǒu shí wèn dào。 àn zhào yǐn jiàn gěi nǚ shì de xí guàn， ā qiē 'ěr qiàn yī zǐ， méi yòu shēn chū shǒu； āi lún · ào lán sī kǎ qīng qīng dī yī xià tóu， liǎng zhǐ dài qiǎn sè shǒu tào de shǒu jì xù wò zhe nà bǎ dà yīng máo shàn zǐ。 yǔ luò fú 'ěr · míng gē tè tài tài dǎ guò zhāo hū héng héng tā shì gè dà kuài tóu de jīn fā nǚ rén， chuān yī shēn xī suǒ zuò xiǎng de duàn zǐ yī qún héng héng tā zài wèi hūn qī de shēn bàng zuò xià， dī shēng shuō：“ wǒ xī wàng nǐ yǐ jīng gào sù 'ào lán sī kǎ fū rén wǒ men dìng hūn liǎo bā？ wǒ xiǎng ràng měi gè réndōu zhī dào héng héng wǒ yào nǐ yǔn xǔ wǒ jīn wǎn zài wǔ huì shàng xuān bù。”
wéi lán xiǎo jiě de liǎn biàn chéng shǔ guāng bān de méi guī hóng sè， tā liǎng yǎn fā guāng dì kàn zhe tā。“ rú guǒ nǐ néng shuō fú mā mā de huà，” tā shuō，“ bù guò， yǐ jīng dìng liǎo de shì， gànmá yào gǎi biàn ní？” tā méi yòu shuō huà， zhǐ yòng yǎn jīng zuò liǎo huí dá。 tā xìn xīn gèng zú dì xiào zhe bǔ chōng shuō：“ nǐ zì jǐ gào sù wǒ biǎo jiě bā， wǒ yǔn xǔ nǐ。 tā shuō nǐ hái shì hái zǐ de shí hòu， tā cháng hé nǐ yī qǐ wán shuǎ。”
tā bǎ yǐ zǐ xiàng hòu tuī liǎo tuī， gěi tā ràng chū liǎo lù。 ā qiē 'ěr huái zhe yī zhǒng ràng quán chǎng de réndōu néng kàn jiàn zì jǐ de jǔ dòng de yuàn wàng， lì kè shì wēi xìng dì zuò dào liǎo 'ào lán sī kǎ bó jué fū rén shēn biān。
“ wǒ men guò qù díquè cháng zài yī qǐ wán， bù shì má？” tā wèn dào， yī miàn yòng yán sù de mù guāng kàn zhe tā de yǎn jīng。“ nǐ nà shí shì gè hěn tǎo yàn de nán hái， yòu yī cì nǐ zài mén hòu miàn wěn liǎo wǒ， dàn nà shí wǒ 'ài shàng de què shì nǐ de táng xiōng fàn dí · niǔ lán， kě tā cóng lái bù kàn wǒ yī yǎn。” tā de mù guāng sǎo shì zhe nà xiē mǎ tí xíng pái liè de bāo xiāng。“ ā， zhè chǎng miàn duō ràng wǒ huí xiǎng qǐ guò qù de yī qiē 'ā héng héng wǒ fā xiàn zhè lǐ rén réndōu chuān dēng lóng kù huò kuān sōng kù，” tā dài zhe lüè wēi tuō cháng de yì guó kǒu yīn shuō， mù guāng yòu huí dào tā de liǎn shàng。
zhè fān huà jìn guǎn biǎo dá de gǎn qíng shì lìng rén yú kuài de， què jìng rán shǐ tā xiǎng dào liǎo wēi yán de fǎ tíng， zhè yī bù xiāngchèn de lián xiǎng lìng nián qīng rén gǎn dào zhèn jīng。 ér cǐ shí cǐ kè， zhè gè fǎ tíng jiù bǎi zài tā de miàn qián， tā de 'àn zǐ zhèng zài jìn xíng shěn lǐ。 méi yòu shénme dōng xī bǐ bù hé shí yí de qīng shuài gèng yòu shāng dà yǎ liǎo。 tā yòu diǎn shēng yìng dì huí dá shuō：“ shì 'ā， nǐ lí kāi zhè 'ér yǐ jīng hěn jiǔ liǎo。”
“ ā， hǎo xiàng yòu hǎo jǐ bǎi nián liǎo。 tài jiǔ liǎo，” tā shuō，“ ràng wǒ jué dé zì jǐ yǐ jīng sǐ liǎo， bèi mái diào liǎo， ér zhè fāng qīnqiè de gù tǔ jiù shì tiān táng。” shuō bù qīng shì shénme lǐ yóu， niǔ lán · ā qiē 'ěr zhǐ jué dé zhè yàng xíng róng niǔ yuē shè huì jiù gèng jiā shī lǐ liǎo。
It was annoying that the box which was thus attracting the undivided attention of masculine New York should be that in which his betrothed was seated between her mother and aunt; and for a moment he could not identify the lady in the Empire dress, nor imagine why her presence created such excitement among the initiated. Then light dawned on him, and with it came a momentary rush of indignation. No, indeed; no one would have thought the Mingotts would have tried it on!
But they had; they undoubtedly had; for the low- toned comments behind him left no doubt in Archer's mind that the young woman was May Welland's cousin, the cousin always referred to in the family as "poor Ellen Olenska." Archer knew that she had suddenly arrived from Europe a day or two previously; he had even heard from Miss Welland (not disapprovingly) that she had been to see poor Ellen, who was staying with old Mrs. Mingott. Archer entirely approved of family solidarity, and one of the qualities he most admired in the Mingotts was their resolute championship of the few black sheep that their blameless stock had produced. There was nothing mean or ungenerous in the young man's heart, and he was glad that his future wife should not be restrained by false prudery from being kind (in private) to her unhappy cousin; but to receive Countess Olenska in the family circle was a different thing from producing her in public, at the Opera of all places, and in the very box with the young girl whose engagement to him, Newland Archer, was to be announced within a few weeks. No, he felt as old Sillerton Jackson felt; he did not think the Mingotts would have tried it on!
He knew, of course, that whatever man dared (within Fifth Avenue's limits) that old Mrs. Manson Mingott, the Matriarch of the line, would dare. He had always admired the high and mighty old lady, who, in spite of having been only Catherine Spicer of Staten Island, with a father mysteriously discredited, and neither money nor position enough to make people forget it, had allied herself with the head of the wealthy Mingott line, married two of her daughters to "foreigners" (an Italian marquis and an English banker), and put the crowning touch to her audacities by building a large house of pale cream-coloured stone (when brown sandstone seemed as much the only wear as a frock-coat in the afternoon) in an inaccessible wilderness near the Central Park.
Old Mrs. Mingott's foreign daughters had become a legend. They never came back to see their mother, and the latter being, like many persons of active mind and dominating will, sedentary and corpulent in her habit, had philosophically remained at home. But the cream- coloured house (supposed to be modelled on the private hotels of the Parisian aristocracy) was there as a visible proof of her moral courage; and she throned in it, among pre-Revolutionary furniture and souvenirs of the Tuileries of Louis Napoleon (where she had shone in her middle age), as placidly as if there were nothing peculiar in living above Thirty-fourth Street, or in having French windows that opened like doors instead of sashes that pushed up.
Every one (including Mr. Sillerton Jackson) was agreed that old Catherine had never had beauty--a gift which, in the eyes of New York, justified every success, and excused a certain number of failings. Unkind people said that, like her Imperial namesake, she had won her way to success by strength of will and hardness of heart, and a kind of haughty effrontery that was somehow justified by the extreme decency and dignity of her private life. Mr. Manson Mingott had died when she was only twenty-eight, and had "tied up" the money with an additional caution born of the general distrust of the Spicers; but his bold young widow went her way fearlessly, mingled freely in foreign society, married her daughters in heaven knew what corrupt and fashionable circles, hobnobbed with Dukes and Ambassadors, associated familiarly with Papists, entertained Opera singers, and was the intimate friend of Mme. Taglioni; and all the while (as Sillerton Jackson was the first to proclaim) there had never been a breath on her reputation; the only respect, he always added, in which she differed from the earlier Catherine.
Mrs. Manson Mingott had long since succeeded in untying her husband's fortune, and had lived in affluence for half a century; but memories of her early straits had made her excessively thrifty, and though, when she bought a dress or a piece of furniture, she took care that it should be of the best, she could not bring herself to spend much on the transient pleasures of the table. Therefore, for totally different reasons, her food was as poor as Mrs. Archer's, and her wines did nothing to redeem it. Her relatives considered that the penury of her table discredited the Mingott name, which had always been associated with good living; but people continued to come to her in spite of the "made dishes" and flat champagne, and in reply to the remonstrances of her son Lovell (who tried to retrieve the family credit by having the best chef in New York) she used to say laughingly: "What's the use of two good cooks in one family, now that I've married the girls and can't eat sauces?"
Newland Archer, as he mused on these things, had once more turned his eyes toward the Mingott box. He saw that Mrs. Welland and her sister-in-law were facing their semicircle of critics with the Mingottian APLOMB which old Catherine had inculcated in all her tribe, and that only May Welland betrayed, by a heightened colour (perhaps due to the knowledge that he was watching her) a sense of the gravity of the situation. As for the cause of the commotion, she sat gracefully in her corner of the box, her eyes fixed on the stage, and revealing, as she leaned forward, a little more shoulder and bosom than New York was accustomed to seeing, at least in ladies who had reasons for wishing to pass unnoticed.
Few things seemed to Newland Archer more awful than an offence against "Taste," that far-off divinity of whom "Form" was the mere visible representative and vicegerent. Madame Olenska's pale and serious face appealed to his fancy as suited to the occasion and to her unhappy situation; but the way her dress (which had no tucker) sloped away from her thin shoulders shocked and troubled him. He hated to think of May Welland's being exposed to the influence of a young woman so careless of the dictates of Taste.
"After all," he heard one of the younger men begin behind him (everybody talked through the Mephistopheles- and-Martha scenes), "after all, just WHAT happened?"
"Well--she left him; nobody attempts to deny that."
"He's an awful brute, isn't he?" continued the young enquirer, a candid Thorley, who was evidently preparing to enter the lists as the lady's champion.
"The very worst; I knew him at Nice," said Lawrence Lefferts with authority. "A half-paralysed white sneering fellow--rather handsome head, but eyes with a lot of lashes. Well, I'll tell you the sort: when he wasn't with women he was collecting china. Paying any price for both, I understand."
There was a general laugh, and the young champion said: "Well, then----?"
"Well, then; she bolted with his secretary."
"Oh, I see." The champion's face fell.
"It didn't last long, though: I heard of her a few months later living alone in Venice. I believe Lovell Mingott went out to get her. He said she was desperately unhappy. That's all right--but this parading her at the Opera's another thing."
"Perhaps," young Thorley hazarded, "she's too unhappy to be left at home."
This was greeted with an irreverent laugh, and the youth blushed deeply, and tried to look as if he had meant to insinuate what knowing people called a "double entendre."
"Well--it's queer to have brought Miss Welland, anyhow," some one said in a low tone, with a side- glance at Archer.
"Oh, that's part of the campaign: Granny's orders, no doubt," Lefferts laughed. "When the old lady does a thing she does it thoroughly."
The act was ending, and there was a general stir in the box. Suddenly Newland Archer felt himself impelled to decisive action. The desire to be the first man to enter Mrs. Mingott's box, to proclaim to the waiting world his engagement to May Welland, and to see her through whatever difficulties her cousin's anomalous situation might involve her in; this impulse had abruptly overruled all scruples and hesitations, and sent him hurrying through the red corridors to the farther side of the house.
As he entered the box his eyes met Miss Welland's, and he saw that she had instantly understood his motive, though the family dignity which both considered so high a virtue would not permit her to tell him so. The persons of their world lived in an atmosphere of faint implications and pale delicacies, and the fact that he and she understood each other without a word seemed to the young man to bring them nearer than any explanation would have done. Her eyes said: "You see why Mamma brought me," and his answered: "I would not for the world have had you stay away."
"You know my niece Countess Olenska?" Mrs. Welland enquired as she shook hands with her future son- in-law. Archer bowed without extending his hand, as was the custom on being introduced to a lady; and Ellen Olenska bent her head slightly, keeping her own pale-gloved hands clasped on her huge fan of eagle feathers. Having greeted Mrs. Lovell Mingott, a large blonde lady in creaking satin, he sat down beside his betrothed, and said in a low tone: "I hope you've told Madame Olenska that we're engaged? I want everybody to know--I want you to let me announce it this evening at the ball."
Miss Welland's face grew rosy as the dawn, and she looked at him with radiant eyes. "If you can persuade Mamma," she said; "but why should we change what is already settled?" He made no answer but that which his eyes returned, and she added, still more confidently smiling: "Tell my cousin yourself: I give you leave. She says she used to play with you when you were children."
She made way for him by pushing back her chair, and promptly, and a little ostentatiously, with the desire that the whole house should see what he was doing, Archer seated himself at the Countess Olenska's side.
"We DID use to play together, didn't we?" she asked, turning her grave eyes to his. "You were a horrid boy, and kissed me once behind a door; but it was your cousin Vandie Newland, who never looked at me, that I was in love with." Her glance swept the horse-shoe curve of boxes. "Ah, how this brings it all back to me--I see everybody here in knickerbockers and pantalettes," she said, with her trailing slightly foreign accent, her eyes returning to his face.
Agreeable as their expression was, the young man was shocked that they should reflect so unseemly a picture of the august tribunal before which, at that very moment, her case was being tried. Nothing could be in worse taste than misplaced flippancy; and he answered somewhat stiffly: "Yes, you have been away a very long time."
"Oh, centuries and centuries; so long," she said, "that I'm sure I'm dead and buried, and this dear old place is heaven;" which, for reasons he could not define, struck Newland Archer as an even more disrespectful way of describing New York society.