【荆棘鸟】第三章 08

 “让我们再回到你刚刚说过的、基里不在教皇主教使节版图中央的话题上来吧，”

她说着，往椅子里角坐了坐，“你认为有什么能把那位神父先生好好震撼一下，使
基里成为他的生活的转折点呢？”
 
    神父哀婉地一笑。“这就不好说了。来个一鸣惊人吗？突然拯救了一千个灵魂，
突然有了使病者健步、使盲者复明的本领……但是，出奇迹的时代已经过去了。”
 
    “哦，得啦，这我可怀疑！这只不过是上帝变了他的法子罢了。这年头他用的
是钱。”
 
    “你真是个玩世不恭的人！也许这正是我这样喜欢你的缘故，卡森夫人。”
 
    “我的名字叫玛丽。请叫我玛丽。”
 
    恰好在德·布里克萨特神父说“谢谢你，玛丽”的时候，明妮推着茶点车走了
进来。
 
    玛丽·卡森一边吃着新做的糕饼和(鱼是)鱼吐司，一边叹道：“亲爱的神父，
我希望你今天上午能特别卖力地为我祈祷。”
 
    “叫我拉尔夫吧，”他说道。接着，他又调皮地说：“我怀疑我是否能比平常
更卖力地为你祈祷，不过我试试看吧。”
 
    “哦，你真叫人着迷！或许这话是冷嘲热讽吧？我一般不喜欢一眼望穿的东西，
可是对你，我始终没有把握，那显而易见的东西是否掩盖着更深一层的东西。就象
驴子前面的胡萝卜。德·布里克萨特神父，你对我的真实看法到底如何？我永远不
得而知，因为你非常圆滑，决不会对我讲的。这太有意思了，太使人着迷了。不过，
你一定得为我祈祷。我老了，而且罪孽深重。”
 
    “岁月流逝，对你我都一样，而且我也是有罪孽的。”
 
    她忍不住轻轻地于笑了一声。”我倒真想以很高的代价来知道你是怎样造孽的
呢！真的，我确实想知道。”她沉默了片刻，然后改了话题。“眼下我的牧场里缺
一个工头。”
 
    “又缺人了？”
 
    “去年就缺了五个。要找象样的人越来越难了。”
 
    “噢，听人说你不是个慷慨大方、体谅别人的雇主。”
 
    “啊，放肆！”她喘了口气，笑了起来。“是谁给你买了一辆崭新的戴姆载汽
车，你才用不着在马背上颠的？”
 
    “啊，可是，瞧我为你祈祷得多卖力气呀！”
 
    “要是迈克尔有你一半的才智和品格，那我也许就会喜欢上他了，”她出其不
意地说道。她的面容为之一改，变得恶狠狠的。
 

she liked outguessing him because she was never sure she actually did outguess him.
  "Getting back to what you were saying about Gilly not being the epicenter of the Archbishop Papal Legate's map," she said, settling deeply into her chair, "what do you think would shake the reverend gentleman sufficiently 1 to make Gilly the pivot 2 of his world?"
  The priest smiled ruefully. "Impossible to say. A coup 3 of some sort? The sudden saving of a thousand souls, a sudden capacity to heal the lame 4 and the blind .... But the age of miracles is past."
  "Oh, come now, I doubt that! It's just that He's altered His technique. These days He uses money."
  "What a cynic you are! Maybe that's why I like you so much, Mrs. Carson." "My name is Mary. Please call me Mary."
  Minnie came in wheeling the tea trolley 5 as Father de Bricassart said, "Thank you, Mary."
  Over fresh bannocks and anchovies 6 on toast, Mary Carson sighed. "Dear Father, I want you to pray especially hard for me this morning." "Call me Ralph," he said, then went on mischievously 7, "I doubt it's possible for me to pray any harder for you than I normally do, but I'll try." "Oh, you're a charmer! Or was that remark innuendo 8? I don't usually care for obviousness, but with you I'm never sure if the obviousness isn't actually a cloak for something deeper. Like a carrot before a donkey. Just what do you really think of me, Father de Bricassart? I'll never know, because you'll never be tactless enough to tell me, will you? Fascinating, fascinating . . . But you must pray for me. I'm old, and I've sinned much." "Age creeps on us all, and I, too, have sinned."
  A dry chuckle 9 escaped her. "I'd give a lot to know how you've sinned! Indeed, indeed I would." She was silent for a moment, then changed the subject. "At this minute I'm minus a head stockman."
  "Again?"
  "Five in the past year. It's getting hard to find a decent man." "Well, rumor 10 hath it you're not exactly a generous or a considerate employer."
  "Oh, impudent 11!" she gasped 12, laughing. "Who bought you a brand-new Daimler so you wouldn't have to ride?"
  "Ah, but look how hard I pray for you!"
  "If Michael had only had half your wit and character, I might have loved him," she said abruptly 13. Her face changed, became spiteful.