【荆棘鸟】第七章 01

 （但是众所瞩目的地是梅吉。也许是因为基里的女裁缝依然对自己的少女时代萦怀难忘，并且对其他受到邀请的年轻女郎全都在悉尼定制自己的长袍恨恨不已，）她把自己的全部心思都投进梅吉的这套服装之中去了。这是一套无袖、带褶、低开领的服装；菲曾经苦苦恳求大截缝不要做成这种样子，可是女裁缝却向她担保，所有的姑娘都会穿这种衣服的--难道她想让她的女儿穿着过时的服装，土里土气，让人笑掉大牙吗？于是，菲便通情达理地让步了。这件用细薄绉纱和层层叠叠的雪纺绸做成的服装，仅仅在腰部稍微收紧了一些，但是在髋部却有一条用同样的料子做成的带子。这身衣服的颜色略有些发暗，灰中呈浅粉，那时候，这种颜色被称为玫瑰灰。女裁缝和梅吉两人面对面地把这件长袍全部绣上了粉红色的小玫瑰花苞。梅吉把她的头发尽可能地剪短，做成了短发型，甚至连基里的姑娘们都对这种发型感到骇然。当然，卷发更为时髦。不过，对梅吉来说，短发比长发更相宜。

　　帕迪张嘴喊出了声，因为她不是他的小丫头梅吉了。但是，他又无言地闭上了嘴；很久以前，他在神父宅邸中，在弗兰克那里他已经领教过这种情形了。不，他不能永远把她当作一个小姑娘，她已经是个年轻女郎，已经在镜中含羞地凝望自己的花容月貌了。为何要让这可怜的小家伙过得苦上加苦呢？
　　他向她伸出了一只手，温和地笑着。"哦，梅吉，你真可爱啊！来，我要亲自陪你去，鲍勃和杰克会陪你妈妈去的。"
　　她只差一个月便17岁了。帕迪在自己的一生中第一次感到自己垂垂老矣。可是，她是他的心头肉；什么也不能破坏她成年后参加的头一次宴会。
　　他们缓缓地向庄园走去，比第一批来客到的要早得多。他们约好和玛丽·止森一起进餐，并且站在她的旁边和她一起接待客人的。谁都不愿把鞋弄脏，可是在德罗海达的尘埃中行走一英里，就意味着必须在厨房里站一站，把鞋擦亮，将裤脚和裙裾上的尘土刷去。
　　拉尔夫神父穿着他日常的法衣，这件法衣式样简朴，只有几道闪光的线条。法衣前身：数不清的小黑扣从袍边直扣到领口，扎着紫红边的教长饰带。这身衣服很适合他，任何男子的晚宴服装都抵不上这身服装的一半。
　　玛丽·卡森选择了一套白缎子服装，白花边，白色驼鸟羽毛。菲呆呆地盯着她，尽管菲养成了冷漠的习惯，也不能不为之震惊--她干嘛把自己打扮成这副样子，就像一只昏庸的老蜘蛛玩弄出嫁的把戏一样呢？
 

the Gilly dressmaker had put her heart into Meggie's dress. It was sleeveless and had a low, draped neckline; Fee had been dubious 1, but Meggie had implored 2 and the dressmaker assured her all the girls would be wearing the same sort of thing-did she want her daughter laughed at for being countrified and dowdy 3? So Fee had given in gracefully 4. Of crepe georgette, a heavy chiffon, the dress was only slightly fitted at the waist, but sashed around the hips 5 with the same material. It was a dusky, pale pinkish grey, the color that in those days was called ashes of roses; between them the dressmaker and Meggie had embroidered 7 the entire gown in tiny pink rosebuds 8. And Meggie had cut her hair in the closest way she could to the shingle 9 creeping even through the ranks of Gilly girls. It curled far too much for fashion, of course, but it suited her better short than long.
Paddy opened his mouth to roar because she was not his little girl Meggie, but shut it again with the words unuttered; he had learned from that scene in the presbytery with Frank long ago. No, he couldn't keep her a little girl forever; she was a young woman and shy of the amazing transformation 10 her mirror had shown her. Why make it harder for the poor little beggar? He extended his hand to her, smiling tenderly. "Oh, Meggie, you're so lovely! Come on, I'm going to escort you myself, and Bob and Jack 11 shall take your mother."
She was just a month short of seventeen, and for the first time in his life Paddy felt really old. But she was the treasure of his heart; nothing should spoil her first grown-up party.
They walked to the homestead slowly, far too early for the first guests; they were to dine with Mary Carson and be on hand to receive with her. No one wanted dirty shoes, but a mile through Drogheda dust meant a pause in the cookhouse to polish shoes, brush dust from trouser bottoms and trailing hems 12. Father Ralph was in his soutane as usual; no male evening fashion could have suited him half so well as that severely 13 cut robe with its slightly flaring 14 lines, the innumerable little black cloth buttons up its front from hem 6 to collar, the purple-edged monsignor's sash. Mary Carson has chosen to wear white satin, white lace and white ostrich 15 feathers. Fee stared at her stupidly, shocked out of her habitual 16 indifference 17. It was so incongruously bridal, so grossly unsuitable--why on earth had she tricked herself out like a raddled old spinster playacting at being married?