Chapter 14.

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Browner’s Statement II: 
Poisoned Marriage

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II. The Adventure of the Cardboard Box

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“I was blue ribbon ( 禁酒誓約)
at that time,
and we were putting
a little money by ( 存點錢),
and all was
as bright
as a new dollar ( 嶄新明亮).

My God,
whoever would have thought
that it could
have come
to this?

Whoever would have 
dreamed it?”

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“I used to be home
for the week-ends
very often,
and sometimes
if the ship
were held back ( 延誤)
for cargo ( 貨物)
I would have
a whole week
at a time,
and in this way
I saw a deal of ( 許多)
my sister-in-law ( 妻子的姐妹),
Sarah.”

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“She was
a fine tall woman,
black and quick
and fierce ( 強悍的),
with a proud way
of carrying her head,
and a glint ( 微光)
from her eye
like a spark
from a flint ( 燧石).

But when little Mary
was there
I had never
a thought of her,
and that I swear
as I hope
for God’s mercy ( 但願上帝憐憫).”

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“It had seemed to me
sometimes
that she liked
to be alone
with me,
or to coax ( 哄誘)
me out
for a walk
with her,
but I had never
thought anything
of that.”

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“But one evening
my eyes were opened ( 恍然大悟).

I had come up
from the ship
and found my wife
out,
but Sarah
at home.”

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‘Where’s Mary?’
I asked.

‘Oh,
she has gone
to pay some accounts ( 付帳).’

I was impatient ( 不耐煩的)
and paced up and down ( 來回踱步)
the room.”

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‘Can’t you be happy
for five minutes
without Mary,
Jim?’
says she.

‘It’s a bad compliment ( 不好的恭維)
to me
that you can’t be contented ( 滿足的)
with my society
for so short
a time.’

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‘That’s all right,
my lass ( 姑娘),’
said I,
putting out my hand
towards her
in a kindly way,
but she had it
in both hers
in an instant,
and they burned
as if they were
in a fever ( 發燒般).”

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“I looked
into her eyes
and I read it
all there.

There was no need
for her
to speak,
nor for me
either.

I frowned
and drew my hand
away.”

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“Then she stood
by my side
in silence
for a bit,
and then
put up her hand
and patted me
on the shoulder.

‘Steady old Jim!’
said she,
and with a kind o’
mocking ( 嘲弄的)
laugh,
she ran
out of the room.”

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“Well,
from that time
Sarah hated me
with her whole heart
and soul,
and she is a woman
who can hate,
too.

I was a fool
to let her go on
biding ( 住著)
with us—
a besotted ( 糊塗的) fool—
but I never said
a word
to Mary,
for I knew
it would grieve ( 使傷心)
her.”

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“Things went on
much as before,
but after a time
I began to find
that there was
a bit of a change
in Mary herself.

She had always been
so trusting
and so innocent,
but now she became
queer ( 反常的)
and suspicious ( 多疑的),
wanting to know
where I had been
and what I had been doing,
and whom my letters
were from,
and what I had
in my pockets,
and a thousand
such follies ( 愚行).”

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“Day by day
she grew queerer
and more irritable ( 易怒的),
and we had
ceaseless rows ( 爭吵)
about nothing.

I was fairly
puzzled
by it all.”

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“Sarah avoided me
now,
but she and Mary
were just
inseparable ( 形影不離).

I can see now
how she was plotting
and scheming ( 策劃算計)
and poisoning
my wife’s mind
against me,
but I was
such a blind beetle ( 糊塗蟲)
that I could not
understand it
at the time.”

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“Then I broke
my blue ribbon ( 禁酒誓約)
and began
to drink again,
but I think
I should not
have done it
if Mary had been
the same
as ever.

She had some reason
to be disgusted ( 厭惡的)
with me now,
and the gap ( 隔閡)
between us
began to be
wider and wider.”

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“And then
this Alec Fairbairn
chipped in ( 插手),
and things became
a thousand times
blacker ( 更糟).”

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The  End