64 After dinner they went to the library，and the servant put the coffee and liqueurs on a low table before her and left the room。She looked singularly soft and girlish in her rosy pale dress，against the dark leather of one of his bachelor armchairs。A day earlier the contrast would have charmed him。
65 He turned away now，choosing a cigar with affected deliberation。
66 “Did Haskett e？”he asked，with his back to her。
67 “Oh，yes—he came。”
68 “You didn’t see him，of course？”
69 She hesitated a moment。“I let the nurse see him。”
70 That was all。There was nothing more to ask。He swung round toward her，applying a match to his cigar。Well，the thing was over for a week，at any rate。Hewould try not to think of it。She looked up at him，a trifle rosier than usual，with a smile in her eyes。
71 “Ready for your coffee，dear？”
72 He leaned against the mantelpiece，watching her as she lifted the coffee-pot。The lamplight struck a gleam from her bracelets and tipped her soft hair withbrightness。How light and slender she was，and how each gesture flowed into thenext！She seemed a creature all pact of harmonies。As the thought of Haskettreceded，Waythorn felt himself yielding again to the joy of possessorship。Theywere his，those white hands with their flitting motions，her light haze of hair，the lips and eyes。。。
評注：第72段中，魏充對艾麗斯的審視是典型的“男性凝視”（male gaze），即女人作為客體成為男人凝視的對象。“細小”，“柔美”，“柔發”正是男人對女人的“情色”（erotic）幻想。女人是男人的藝術品，是男人的財產。
muse：v。沉思
perturb：v。感到不安
circuitous：adj。迂回線路的
placid：adj。溫和的
plication：n。並發症
adjure：v。懇請
chronicle：n。記錄
serene：adj。平靜的
unruffled：adj。安靜的
affected：adj。假裝的
bracelet：n。手鐲
recede：v。變得模糊，減退
possessorship：n。擁有
73 She set down the coffee-pot，and reaching for the decanter of cognac，measured off a liqueur-glass and poured it into his cup。
74 Waythorn uttered a sudden exclamation。
75 “What is the matter？”she said，startled。
76 “Nothingonly—I don’t take cognac in my coffee。”
77 “Oh，how stupid of me，”she cried。
78 Their eyes met，and she blushed a sudden agonized red。
Ⅲ
79 Ten days later，Mr。Sellers，still house-bound，asked Waythorn to call on his way downtown。
80 The senior partner，with his swaddled foot propped up by the fire，greeted his associate with an air of embarrassment。
81 “I’m sorry，my dear fellowI’ve got to ask you to do an awkward thing for me。”
82 Waythorn waited，and the other went on，after a pause apparentlygiven to the arrangement of his phrases：“The fact is，when I was knocked out I had just gone into a rather plicated piece of business for—Gus Varick。”
83 “Well？”said Waythorn，with an attempt to put him at his ease。
84 “Well—it’s this way：Varick came to me the day before my attack。He had evidently had an inside tip from somebody，and had made about a hundred thousand。He came to me for advice，and I suggested his going in with Vanderlyn。”
85 “Oh，the deuce！”Waythorn exclaimed。He saw in a flash what had happened。The investment was an alluring one，but required negotiation。He listened intently while Sellers put the case before him，and，the statement ended，he said：“Youthink I ought to see Varick？”
86 “I’m afraid I can’t as yet。The doctor is obdurate。Andthis thing can’t wait。I hate to ask you，but no one else in the office knows the ins and outs of it。”
87 Waythorn stood silent。He did not care a farthing for the success of Varick’s venture，but the honor of the office was to be considered，and he could hardly refuse to oblige his partner。
88 “Very well，”he said，“I’ll do it。”
89 That afternoon，apprised by telephone，Varick called at the office。Waythorn，waiting in his private room，wondered what the others thought of it。The newspapers，at the time of Mrs。Waythorn’s marriage，had acquainted their readers with every detail of her previous matrimonial ventures，and Waythorn could fancy the clerks smiling behind Varick’s back as he was ushered in。
90 Varick bore himself admirably。He was easy without being undignified，and Waythorn was conscious of cutting a much less impressive figure。Varick had no head for business，and the talk prolonged itself for nearly an hour while Waythornset forth with scrupulous precision the details of the proposedtransaction。
91 “I’m awfully obliged to you，”Varick said as he rose。“The fact is I’m not used to having much money to look after，and I don’t want to make an ass of myself—”He smiled，and Waythorn could not help noticing that there was somethingpleasant about his smile。“It feels unmonly queer to have enough cash to payone’s bills。I’d have sold my soul for it a few years ago！”
deuce：n。魔鬼（用於較溫和的咒語）
alluring：adj。誘人的
obdurate：adj。執拗的
ins and outs：n。細節
farthing：n。一點兒
apprise：v。（apprize）（正式）通知
usher：v。引導
scrupulous：adj。細心的
transaction：n。交易
make an ass of oneself：[口]做蠢事
92 Waythorn winced at the allusion。He had heard it rumored that a lack of funds had been one of the determining causes of the Varick separation，but it did not occur to him that Varick’s words were intentional。It seemed more likely thatthe desire to keep clear of embarrassing topics had fatally drawn him into one。Waythorn did not wish to be outdone in civility。
評注：當凡呂克提到自己曾經經濟窘迫時，魏充突然想到有謠言說艾麗斯是因為凡呂克窮才跟他離婚的。兩件事的不謀而合，讓魏充開始懷疑艾麗斯是否真是一個好女人。
93 “We’ll do the best we can for you，”he said。“I think this is a good thing you’re in。”
94 “Oh，I’m sure it’s immense。It’s awfully good of you—”Varickbroke off，embarrassed。“I suppose the thing’s settled now—but if—”
95 “If anything happens before Sellers is about，I’ll see you again，”said Waythorn quietly。He was glad，in the end，to appear the more self-possessed of the two。
96 The course of Lily’s illness ran smooth，and as the days passed Waythorn grew used to the idea of Haskett’s weekly visit。The first time the day came round，he stayed out late，and questioned his wife as to the visit on his return。Shereplied at once that Haskett had merely seen the nurse downstairs，as the doctor did not wish any one in the child’s sick-room till after the crisis。
97 The following week Waythorn was again conscious of the recurrence of the day，but had forgotten it by the time he came home to dinner。The crisis of the disease came a few days later，with a rapid decline of fever，and the little girl was pronounced out of danger。In the rejoicing which ensued the thought of Haskett passed out of Waythorn’s mind and one afternoon，letting himself into the house with a latchkey，he went straight to his library without noticing a shabby hat and umbrella in the hall。
98 In the library he found a small effaced-looking man with a thinnish gray beard sitting on the edge of a chair。The stranger might have been a piano-tuner，or one of those mysteriously efficient persons who are summoned in emergencies to adjust some detail of the domestic machinery。He blinked at Waythorn through apair of gold-rimmed spectacles and said mildly：“Mr。Waythorn，I presume？I amLily’s father。”
99 Waythorn flushed。“Oh—”he stammered unfortably。He broke off，disliking to appear rude。Inwardly he was trying to adjust the actual Haskett to the image of him projected by his wife’s reminiscences。Waythorn hadbeen allowed toinfer that Alice’s first husband was a brute。
100 “I am sorry to intrude，”said Haskett，with his over-the-counterpoliteness。
101 “Don’t mention it，”returned Waythorn，collecting himself。“I suppose the nurse has been told？”
102 “I presume so。I can wait，”said Haskett。He had a resigned wayof speaking，as though life had worn down his natural powers of resistance。
wince：v。因驚愕而退縮
allusion：n。暗示
immense：adj。[口]非常好的
inwardly：adv。在內部地
reminiscence：n。回憶，記憶
over-the-counter：adj。坦率的
resigned：adj。聽由天命的
103 Waythorn stood on the threshold，nervously pulling off his gloves。
104 “I’m sorry you’ve been detained。I will send for the nurse，”he saidand as he opened the door he added with an effort：“I’m glad we can give you a goodreport of Lily。”He winced as we slipped out，but Haskett seemed not to notice it。
105 “Thank you，Mr。Waythorn。It’s been an anxious time for me。”
106 “Ah，well，that’s past。Soon she’ll be able to go to you。”Waythorn nodded and passed out。
107 In his own room，he flung himself down with a groan。He hated the womanishsensibility which made him suffer so acutely from the grotesque chances of life。He had known when he married that his wife’s former husbands were both living，and that amid the multiplied contacts of modern existence there were a thousandchances to one that he would run against one or the other，yet he found himselfas much disturbed by his brief encounter with Haskett as though the law had notobligingly removed all difficulties in the way of their meeting。
108 Waythorn sprang up and began to pace the room nervously。He hadnot suffered half as much from his two meetings with Varick。It was Haskett’s presence inhis own house that made the situation so intolerable。He stood still，hearing steps in the passage。
109 “This way，please，”he heard the nurse say。Haskett was being taken upstairs，then not a corner of the house but was open to him。Waythorn dropped into another chair，staring vaguely ahead of him。On his dressing-table stood a photograph of Alice，taken when he had first known her。She was Alice Varick then—how fine and exquisite he had thought her！Those were Varick’s pearls about her neck。At Waythorn’s instance they had been returned before her marriage。Had Haskett ever given her any trinkets—and what had bee of them，Waythorn wondered？He realized suddenly that he knew very little of Haskett’s past or present situationbut from the man’s appearance and manner of speech he could reconstructwith curious precision the surroundings of Alice’s first marriage。And it startled him to think that she had，in the background of her life，a phase of existence so different from anything with which he had connected her。
Varick，whatever his faults，was a gentleman，in the conventional，traditional sense of the term：the sense which at that moment seemed，oddly enough，to have most meaning to Waythorn。He and Varick had the same social habits，spoke the same language，understood the same allusions。But this other man。。。it was grotesquely uppermost in Waythorn’s mind that Haskett had worn a made-up tie attached with an elastic。Why should that ridiculous detail symbolize the whole man？Waythorn was exasperated by his own paltriness，but the fact of the tie expanded，forced itself on him，became as it were the key to Alice’s past。He could see her，as Mrs。Haskett，sitting in a“front parlor”furnished in plush，with a pianola，and a copy of“Ben Hur”on the centre-table。He could see her going to the theatre with Haskett—or perhaps even to a“Church Sociable”—she in a“picture hat”and Haskett in a black frock-coat，a little creased，with the made-up tie on an elastic。On the way home they would stop and look at the illuminated shop-windows，lingering over the photographs of New York actresses。On Sunday afternoons Haskett would take her for a walk，pushing Lily ahead of them in a white enameled perambulator，and Waythorn had a vision of the people they would stop and talk to。He could fancy how pretty Alice must have looked，in a dress adroitly constructed from the hints of a New York fashion-paperhow she must have looked down on the other women，chafing at her life，and secretly feeling that she belonged in a biggerplace。
評注：亥斯克得脖子上的假領帶讓魏充陷入了痛苦的幻想。他的印象是妻子的第一個丈夫是一個粗暴的人，因為家庭暴力艾麗斯才與之離婚，但是事實恰恰相反。亥斯克得有著文雅舉止和紳士風度，而且具有讓人欽佩的父愛。這讓魏充更加懷疑艾麗斯離婚的動機和品質。
110 For the moment his foremost thought was one of wonder at the way in which she had shed the phase of existence which her marriage with Haskett implied。It was as if her whole aspect，every gesture，every inflection，every allusion，were a studied negation of that period of her life。If she had denied being marriedto Haskett she could hardly have stood more convicted of duplicity than in thisobliteration of the self which had been his wife。
111 Waythorn started up，checking himself in the analysis of her motives。What right had he to create a fantastic effigy of her and then pass judgment on it？She had spoken vaguely of her first marriage as unhappy，had hinted，with being reticence，that Haskett had wrought havoc among her young illusions。。。It was a pity for Waythorn’s peace of mind that Haskett’s very inoffensiveness sheda new light on the nature of those illusions。A man would rather think that his wife has been brutalized by her first husband than that the process has been reversed。
obligingly：adv。親切地
exquisite：adj。高雅的
trinket：n。小裝飾品
exasperate：v。激怒
paltriness：n。卑鄙
parlor：n。客廳
plush：n。長毛絨
pianola：n。自動鋼琴
illuminated：adj。被照亮的
perambulator：n。嬰兒搖籃車
adroitly：adv。巧妙地
chafe at：v。發怒
inflection：n。變化
duplicity：n。口是心非
obliteration：n。塗去，刪去
effigy：n。（被憎恨或蔑視的人的）肖像
reticence：n。沉默寡言
havoc：n。大破壞
shed a light on：對……做出解釋
reverse：v。顛倒
Ⅳ
112 “Mr。Waythorn，I don’t like that French governess of Lily’s。”
113 Haskett，subdued and apologetic，stood before Waythorn in the library，revolving his shabby hat in his hand。
114 Waythorn，surprised in his armchair over the evening paper，stared back perplexedly at his visitor。
115 “You’ll excuse my asking to see you，”Haskett continued。“But this is my last visit，and I thought if I could have a word with you it would be a better way than writing to Mrs。Waythorn’s lawyer。”
116 Waythorn rose uneasily。He did not like the French governess eitherbut that was irrelevant。
117 “I am not so sure of that，”he returned stiffly“but since youwish it I will give your message to—my wife。”He always hesitated over the possessive pronoun in addressing Haskett。
118 The latter sighed。“I don’t know as that will help much。She didn’t like it when I spoke to her。”
119 Waythorn turned red。“When did you see her？”he asked。
120 “Not since the first day I came to see Lily—right after she wastaken sick。I remarked to her then that I didn’t like the governess。”
121 Waythorn made no answer。He remembered distinctly that，after that first visit，he had asked his wife if she had seen Haskett。She had lied to him then，but she had respected his wishes sinceand the incident cast a curious light on her character。He was sure she would not have seen Haskett that first day if shehad divined that Waythorn would object，and the fact that she did not divine itwas almost as disagreeable to the latter as the discovery that she had lied to him。
122 “I don’t like the woman，”Haskett was repeating with mild persistency。“Sheain’t straight，Mr。Waythorn—she’ll teach the child to be underhand。I’ve noticed a change in Lily—she’s too anxious to please—and she don’t always tellthe truth。She used to be the straightest child，Mr。Waythorn—”He broke off，his voice a little thick。“Not but what I want her to have a stylish education，”he ended。
123 Waythorn was touched。“I’m sorry，Mr。Haskettbut frankly，I don’t quite see what I can do。”Haskett hesitated。Then he laid his hat on the table，and advanced to the hearth-rug，on which Waythorn was standing。There was nothing aggressive in his mannerbut he had the solemnity of a timid man resolved on a decisive measure。
124 “There’s just one thing you can do，Mr。Waythorn，”he said。“You can remind Mrs。Waythorn that，by the decree of the courts，I am entitledto have a voicein Lily’s bringing up。”He paused，and went on more deprecatingly：“I’m not thekind to talk about enforcing my rights，Mr。Waythorn。I don’t know as I think aman is entitled to rights he hasn’t known how to hold on tobut this businessof the child is different。I’ve never let go there—and I never mean to。”
125 The scene left Waythorn deeply shaken。Shamefacedly，in indirect ways，he had been finding out about Haskettand all that he had learned was favorable。The little man，in order to be near his daughter，had sold out his share in a profitable business in Utica，and accepted a modest clerkship in a New York manufacturing house。He boarded in a shabby street and had few acquaintances。His passion for Lily filled his life。Waythorn felt that this exploration of Haskett was like groping about with a dark-lantern in his wife’s pastbuthe saw now thatthere were recesses his lantern had not explored。He had never inquired into the exact circumstances of his wife’s first matrimonial rupture。Onthe surface allhad been fair。It was she who had obtained the divorce，and the court had given her the child。But Waythorn knew how many ambiguities such a verdict might cover。The mere fact that Haskett retained a right over his daughter implied an unsuspected promise。Waythorn was an idealist。He always refused to recognize unpleasant contingencies till he found himself confronted with them，and then he sawthem followed by a special train of consequences。His next days were thus haunted，and he determined to try to lay the ghosts by conjuring them up in his wife’s presence。