the diary of a goose girl(牧鹅女日记)-第12章
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are usually so full at this season。 Why did so many leave？〃
True Love。〃As a matter of fact； only one left。 〃Full〃 and 〃empty〃
are purely relative terms。 I call a hotel full when it has you in it； empty
when it hasn't。〃
Bailiff's Daughter （dying to laugh； but concealing her feelings）。 〃I
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trust my bulk does not make the same impression on the general public！
Well； I won't detain you longer； good afternoon； I must go home to my
evening work。〃
True Love。〃I will accompany you。〃
Bailiff's Daughter。〃If you are a gentleman you will remain where you
are。〃
True Love。〃In the road？ Perhaps； but if I am a man I shall follow
you； they always do； I notice。 What are those foolish bundles in the back
of that silly cart？〃
Bailiff's Daughter。〃Feed for the pony； please； sir； fish for dinner；
randans and barley meal for the poultry； and four unsold rabbits。
Wouldn't you like them？ Only one and sixpence apiece。 Shot at three
o'clock this morning。〃
True Love。〃Thanks； I don't like mine shot so early。〃
Bailiff's Daughter。〃Oh； well！ doubtless I shall be able to dispose of
them on my way home； though times is 'ard！〃
True Love。〃Do you mean that you will 〃peddle〃 them along the
road？〃
Bailiff's Daughter。〃You understand me better than usual；in fact to
perfection。〃
He dismounts and strides to the back of the cart； lifts the covers； seizes
the rabbits； flings some silver contemptuously into the basket； and looks
about him for a place to bury his bargain。 A small boy approaching in the
far distance will probably bag the game。
Bailiff's Daughter （modestly）。〃Thanks for your trade； sir； rather
ungraciously bestowed； and we 'opes for a continuance of your past
fyvors。〃
True Love （leaning on the wheel of the trap）。〃Let us stop this
nonsense。 What did you hope to gain by running away？〃
Bailiff 's Daughter。〃Distance and absence。〃
True Love。〃You knew you couldn't prevent my offering myself to
you sometime or other。〃
Bailiff's Daughter。〃Perhaps not； but I could at least defer it； couldn't
I？〃
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True Love。〃Why postpone the inevitable？〃
Bailiff's Daughter。〃Doubtless I shrank from giving you the pain of a
refusal。〃
True Love。〃Perhaps； but do you know what I suspect？〃
Bailiff's Daughter。〃I'm not a suspicious person； thank goodness！〃
True Love。〃That； on the contrary； you are wilfully withholding from
me the joy of acceptance。〃
Bailiff's Daughter。〃If I intended to accept you； why did I run away？〃
True Love。〃To make yourself more desirable and precious； I
suppose。〃
Bailiff's Daughter （with the most confident coquetry）。〃Did I
succeed？〃
True Love。〃No； you failed utterly。〃
Bailiff's Daughter （secretly piqued）。〃Then I am glad I tried it。〃
True Love。〃You couldn't succeed because you were superlatively
desirable and precious already； but you should never have experimented。
Don't you know that Love is a high explosive？〃
Bailiff's Daughter。〃Is it？ Then it ought always to be labelled
〃dangerous；〃 oughtn't it？ But who thought of suggesting matches？ I'm
sure I didn't！〃
True Love。〃No such luck； I wish you would。〃
Bailiff's Daughter。〃According to your theory； if you apply a match to
Love it is likely to 'go off。'〃
True Love。〃I wish you would try it on mine and await the result。
Come now； you'll have to marry somebody； sometime。〃
Bailiff's Daughter。〃I confess I don't see the necessity。〃
True Love （morosely）。〃You're the sort of woman men won't leave in
undisturbed spinsterhood； they'll keep on badgering you。〃
Bailiff's Daughter。〃Oh； I don't mind the badgering of a number of
men； it's rather nice。 It's the one badger I find obnoxious。〃
True Love （impatiently）。〃That's just the perversity of things。 I
could put a stop to the protestations of the many； I should like nothing
betterbut the pertinacity of the one！ Ah； well！ I can't drop that
without putting an end to my existence。〃
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Bailiff's Daughter （politely）。〃I shouldn't think of suggesting anything
so extreme。〃
True Love （quoting）。〃'Mrs。 Hauksbee proceeded to take the conceit
out of Pluffles as you remove the ribs of an umbrella before re… covering。'
However； you couldn't ask me anything seriously that I wouldn't do； dear
Mistress Perversity。〃
Bailiff's Daughter （yielding a point）。〃I'll put that boldly to the proof。
Say you don't love me！〃
True Love （seizing his advantage）。〃I don't！ It's imbecile and
besotted devotion！ Tell me； when may I come to take you away？〃
Bailiff's Daughter （sighing）。〃It's like asking me to leave Heaven。〃
True Love。〃I know it； she told me where to find you；Thornycroft is
the seventh poultry…farm I've visited；but you could never leave Heaven；
you can't be happy without poultry； why that is a wish easily gratified。
I'll get you a farm to…morrow； no； it's Saturday； and the real estate offices
close at noon； but on Monday； without fail。 Your ducks and geese；
always carrying it along with you。 All you would have to do is to admit
me； Heaven is full of twos。 If you shall swim on a crystal lakePhoebe
told me what a genius you have for getting them out of the muddy pond；
she was sitting beside it when I called； her hand in that of a straw…
coloured person named Gladwish； and the ground in her vicinity
completely strewn with votive offerings。 You shall splash your silver sea
with an ivory wand； your hens shall have suburban cottages； each with its
garden； their perches shall be of satin… wood and their water dishes of
mother…of…pearl。 You shall be the Goose Girl and I will be the Swan
Herdsimply to be near youfor I hate live poultry。 Dost like the picture？
It's a little like Claude Melnotte's； I confess。 The fact is I am not quite
sane； talking with you after a fortnight of the tabbies at the Hydro is like
quaffing inebriating vodka after Miffin's Food！ May I come to…morrow？〃
Bailiffs Daughter （hedging）。〃I shall be rather busy； the Crossed
Minorca hen comes off to…morrow。〃
True Love。〃Oh； never mind！ I'll take her off to…night when I escort
you to the farm； then she'll get a day's advantage。〃
Bailiff's Daughter。〃And rob fourteen prospective chicks of a mother；
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nay； lose the chicks themselves？ Never！〃
True Love。〃So long as you are a Goose Girl； does it make any
difference whose you are？ Is it any more agreeable to be Mrs。 Heaven's
Goose Girl than mine？〃
Bailiff's Daughter。〃Ah！ but in one case the term of service is limited；
in the other； permanent。〃
True Love。〃But in the one case you are the slave of the employer； in
the other the employer of the slave。 Why did you run away？〃
Bailiff's Daughter。〃A man's mind is too dull an instrument to
measure a woman's reason； even my own fails sometimes to deal with all
its delicate shades； but I think I must have run away chiefly to taste the
pleasure of being pursued and brought back。 If it is necessary to your
happiness that you should explore all the Bluebeard chambers of my being；
I will confess further that it has taken you nearly three weeks to
accomplish what I supposed you would do in three days！〃
True Love （after a well…spent interval）。〃To…morrow； then； shall we
say before breakfast？ All； do！ Why not？ Well； then； immediately
after breakfast； and I breakfast at seven nowadays； and sometimes earlier。
Do take off those ugly cotton gloves； dear； they are five sizes too large for
you； and so rough and baggy to the touch！〃
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