双语·面纱 第七十四章
It was not till Kitty was fairly settled at the Townsends, that she discovered that she was weary. The comfort and the unaccustomed amenity of this life broke up the strain under which she had been living. She had forgotten how pleasant it was to take one's ease, how lulling to be surrounded by pretty things, and how agreeable it was to receive attention. She sank back with a sigh of relief into the facile existence of the luxurious East. It was not displeasing to feel that in a discreet and well-bred fashion she was an object of sympathetic interest. Her bereavement was so recent that it was impossible for entertainments to be given for her, but ladies of consequence in the Colony (His Excellency's wife, the wives of the Admiral and of the Chief Justice) came to drink a quiet cup of tea with her. His Excellency's wife said that His Excellency was most anxious to see her and if she would come very quietly to luncheon at Government House (“not a party of course, only ourselves and the A.D.C.'s!”), it would be very nice. These ladies used Kitty as though she were a piece of porcelain which was as fragile as it was precious. She could not fail to see that they looked upon her as a little heroine, and she had sufficient humor to play the part with modesty and discretion. She wished sometimes that Waddington were there; with his malicious shrewdness he would have seen the fun of the situation; and when alone they might have had a good laugh over it together. Dorothy had had a letter from him, and he had said all manner of things about her devoted work at the convent, about her courage and her self-control. Of course he was skillfully pulling their legs: the dirty dog.
直到凯蒂在查理家里完全安顿下来以后，她才发现自己真的很疲惫。现在这种舒适的生活和不太适应的安逸让她从过去紧张的生活中走了出来，人一下子松弛了下来。她已经忘了放松是一件多么惬意的事，被周围漂亮的东西环绕是一件多么舒心的事，受到别人的关心是一件多么幸福的事。她如释重负地叹了口气，东方的奢华的一切都好像能轻而易举地获得。用一种审慎、教养良好的形象示人，她成了人们同情的对象，这种感觉也没有什么不好。她在前不久才遭受丧亲之痛，所以也不可能有什么娱乐活动，只是和过来陪她的殖民地的贵妇们（总督阁下的夫人、海军司令和首席大法官的夫人）安静地喝上一杯茶。总督阁下的夫人说，总督阁下急于见到凯蒂，希望她来总督府吃一顿安静的午饭（当然不是午餐会，只有他们自己人和一些副官参加），这次会面一定会很棒。这些贵妇把凯蒂当成了一件瓷器，既价值连城又易损易碎。她能看出来她们视她为一个年轻的英雄，而她也有足够多的幽默，谦逊而又矜持地扮演着这个角色。她有时希望威廷顿能在这里，以他玩世不恭的精明，一定能看出这情景的滑稽，当他们俩单独待在一起时，会好好地大笑一场。多萝西曾经接到过他的一封信，他对凯蒂在修道院里的工作、勇气和自制力极尽溢美之词。当然，他是在很有技巧地逗她们玩，这条狡猾的老狗。
