【荆棘鸟】第四章 06

 it was a hundred and twenty degrees.

  Their many layers of clothing were close-fitting and designed for New Zealand, where inside the house it was almost always cool. Mary Carson, exercising gently by walking down to see her sister-in-law, looked at Fee's high-necked, floor-length calico gown superciliously 1. She herself was clad in the new fashion, a cream silk dress coming only halfway 2 down her calves 3, with loose elbow sleeves, no waist and a low décolletage. "Really, Fiona, you're hopelessly old-fashioned," she said, glancing round the parlor 4 with its fresh coat of cream paint, the Persian carpets and the spindly priceless furniture.
  "I have no time to be anything else," Fee said, curtly 5 for her when acting 6 as hostess.
  "You'll have more time now, with the men away so much and fewer meals to get. Raise your hems 7 and stop wearing petticoats and stays, or you'll die when summer comes. It can get fifteen to twenty degrees hotter than this, you know." Her eyes dwelled on the portrait of the beautiful blond woman in her Empress Eugenie crinoline. "Who's that?" she asked, pointing. "My grandmother."
  "Oh, really? And the furniture, the carpets?" "Mine, from my grandmother."
  "Oh, really? My dear Fiona, you've come down in the world, haven't you?" Fee never lost her temper, so she didn't now, but her thin lips got thinner. "I don't think so, Mary. I have a good man; you ought to know that." "But penniless. What was your maiden 8 name?" 
  "Armstrong."
  "Oh, really? Not the Roderick Armstrong Armstrongs?" "He's my oldest brother. His namesake was my great-grandfather." Mary Carson rose, flapping her picture hat at the flies, which were not respecters of person. "Well, you're better born than the Clearys are, even if I do say so myself. Did you love Paddy enough to give all that up?" "My reasons for what I do," said Fee levelly, "are my business, Mary, not yours. I do not discuss my husband, even with his sister."
  The lines on either side of Mary Carson's nose got deeper, her eyes bulged 9 slightly. "Hoity-toity!"
  She did not come again, but Mrs. Smith, her housekeeper 10, came often, and repeated Mary Carson's advice about their clothes. 
 

他们穿的内外衣服都是可身剪裁的，适合于新西兰的气候，在那儿，屋里差不多总是凉飕飕的。玛丽·卡森在一次把安步当车作为一种锻炼时，来看她的弟妹；她对菲穿的那件高领、拖地印花布裙衫极不以为然。她本人穿着一身时新的米色真丝女装，长度只到小腿的一半，宽松的半截袖，没有收腰，领口开得很低，胸颈袒露着。
　　"说实在，菲，你真是老派到家了，"她说着，四下瞟了瞟这间会客室。它的墙上是新刷的米黄色，地上是波斯地毯，和那长长的、极其贵重的家具。
　　"我不得闲，只好如此啊，"菲说道；她当女主人的时候，说话总是那么简洁。
　　"男人们老在外边，饭也做得少多了，你会有时间的。把衣服改短点儿，别穿衬裙和紧身胸衣啦，不然夏天你会热死的。你知道，夏天温度还要高15到20度呢。"她的目光停留在那张穿着尤金妮亚女皇时期裙子的、美丽的金发女人的画像上。"那是谁？"她指着，问道。
　　
　　"我的祖母。"
　　"噢，真的？那这些家具和地毯呢？"
　　"是我的，我祖母给我的。"
　　"噢，真的吗？亲爱的菲，你们家道中落了，是吗？"
　　菲从来没发过火，因此，眼下她也没动怒，但是她那薄薄的嘴唇变得更薄了。"我不这样认为，玛丽。我有个好丈夫；这个你应当明白。"
　　"可是他一无所有，你出嫁前姓什么？"
　　"阿姆斯特朗。"
　　"噢，真的吗？不是罗德里克·阿姆斯特朗家吧？"
　　"他是我的长兄。他与我曾祖父同名。"
　　玛丽·卡森站了起来，用阔边帽挥赶着对任何人都一视同仁的苍蝇。"哦，你的出身比克利里家要高贵，即使是我也得这样讲。爱帕迪曼到了放弃这一切的程度，是吗？"
　　"我的所作所为自有我的道理，"菲淡淡地说道。"这是我的事，玛丽，不是你的事。我不议论我的丈夫，就是和他的亲姐姐也不。"
　　玛丽·卡森鼻子两旁的两道皱纹更深了，眼睛也有点儿鼓了出来。"嗳哟，嗳哟！"
　　她没有再来过，但她的女管家史密斯太太却常来，反反复复地告诉她们玛丽·卡森对她们衣着的建议。