死亡约会 Part II Chapter 19（1）

 

Epilogue

Extract from the Evening Shout:

We regret to announce the death of Lady Westholme, M.P., the result of a tragicaccident. Lady Westholme, who was fond of travelling in out-of-the-waycountries, always took a small revolver with her. She was cleaning this when itwent off accidentally and killed her. Death was instantaneous. The deepestsympathy will be felt for Lord Westholme, etc., etc.

On a warm June evening five years later Sarah Boynton and her husband sat in the stalls of aLondon theatre. The play was Hamlet. Sarah gripped Raymond’s arm as Ophelia’s words camefloating over the footlights:

How should I your true love know

From another one?

By his cockle hat and staff,

And his sandal shoon.

He is dead and gone, lady,

He is dead and gone;

At his head a grass-green turf;

At his heels a stone.

O, ho!

A lump rose in Sarah’s throat. That exquisite¹ witless beauty, that lovely unearthly smile of onegone beyond trouble and grief to a region where only a floating mirage² was truth…Sarah said to herself: ‘She’s lovely…’

That haunting, lilting voice, always beautiful in tone, but now disciplined and modulated³ to bethe perfect instrument.

Sarah said with decision as the curtain fell at the end of the act: ‘Jinny’s a great actress—a great—great actress!’

Later they sat round a supper-table at the Savoy. Ginevra, smiling, remote, turned to the beardedman by her side.

‘I was good, wasn’t I, Theodore?’

‘You were wonderful, chérie.’

A happy smile floated on her lips.

She murmured: ‘You always believed in me—you always knew I could do great things—swaymultitudes…’

At a table not far away the Hamlet of the evening was saying gloomily:

‘Her mannerisms! Of course people like it just at first—but what I say is, it’s not Shakespeare.

Did you see how she ruined my exit?’

Nadine, sitting opposite Ginevra, said: ‘How exciting it is to be here in London with Jinnyacting Ophelia and being so famous!’

Ginevra said softly: ‘It was nice of you to come over.’

‘A regular family party,’ said Nadine, smiling as she looked round. Then she said to Lennox: ‘Ithink the children might go to the matinée, don’t you? They’re quite old enough, and they do sowant to see Aunt Jinny on the stage!’

Lennox, a sane⁴, happy-looking Lennox with humorous eyes, lifted his glass.

‘To the newly-weds, Mr and Mrs Cope.’

Jefferson Cope and Carol acknowledged the toast.

‘The unfaithful swain!’ said Carol, laughing. ‘Jeff, you’d better drink to your first love as she’ssitting right opposite you.’

Raymond said gaily⁵: ‘Jeff’s blushing. He doesn’t like being reminded of the old days.’

His face clouded suddenly.

Sarah touched his hand with hers, and the cloud lifted. He looked at her and grinned.

‘Seems just like a bad dream!’

 

1 exquisite   

adj.精美的；敏锐的；剧烈的，感觉强烈的

参考例句：

• I was admiring the exquisite workmanship in the mosaic.我当时正在欣赏镶嵌画的精致做工。
• I still remember the exquisite pleasure I experienced in Bali.我依然记得在巴厘岛所经历的那种剧烈的快感。

2 mirage   

n.海市蜃楼，幻景

参考例句：

• Perhaps we are all just chasing a mirage.也许我们都只是在追逐一个幻想。
• Western liberalism was always a mirage.西方自由主义永远是一座海市蜃楼。

3 modulated   

已调整[制]的，被调的

参考例句：

• He carefully modulated his voice. 他小心地压低了声音。
• He had a plump face, lemur-like eyes, a quiet, subtle, modulated voice. 他有一张胖胖的脸，狐猴般的眼睛，以及安详、微妙和富于抑扬顿挫的嗓音。

4 sane   

adj.心智健全的，神志清醒的，明智的，稳健的

参考例句：

• He was sane at the time of the murder.在凶杀案发生时他的神志是清醒的。
• He is a very sane person.他是一个很有头脑的人。

5 gaily   

adv.欢乐地，高兴地

参考例句：

• The children sing gaily.孩子们欢唱着。
• She waved goodbye very gaily.她欢快地挥手告别。