介绍:
（下拉有中英对照文本）
The next morning the marquis took his time dressing for an audience with the king at Versailles, making sure that he was properly wigged and powdered. He
had decided to wear his finest dusty pink silk brocade coat, embroidered with small diamonds. Finally, dressed and perfumed and meeting with his own personal approval, he called for the lawyer.
He was an imposing sight as he looked down his curved aristocratic nose at Maître Tardieu.
第二天早上，侯爵花费很久，听从跟随Versailles国王的一位观众建议，确保自己的着装合适。他决定穿上最好的衣服，一件绣着小钻石的粉红色丝绸锦缎外套。最后，他穿上了衣服，喷上香水，检查了自己的着装后，叫来了律师。
侯爵从充满贵族气息的弯曲鼻子在向下看时，视线具有压迫性地看着Maître Tardieu。
“I have decided to agree to the count’s request,” he announced. “I see much that is agreeable in this marriage, and leave it to you to discuss terms. You may inform her of my decision.”
He walked out to his waiting carriage, passing the footmen who stood lined up like toy soldiers, and was helped up inside, his coat rearranged with much fuss so that he would not arrive creased.
Maître Tardieu stood on the gravel, silent and watching. He wondered if foolish men ever became wise.
“我已经决定同意伯爵的要求，”他宣布。“我在这桩婚姻中看到许多令人满意的东西，剩下的就由你来商议了。你通知下我的决定。”
他走到等候的马车旁，穿过像玩具士兵似的成排步兵，坐进了马车，由于衣服过于宽大，侯爵无法顺利地坐进去。
Maître Tardieu站在碎石旁，沉默的看着。他想知道愚蠢的人是否会变聪明。
The marquis, only half looking at him, said peevishly, “You have not noticed the buckles on my shoes. What say you to their elegance?”
The lawyer stared down at them, baffled. The Bastille might have fallen, France might be standing on the brink of civil war, but all the marquis could think of was buckles.
Maître Tardieu who sent Sido a message wanted to see her. Now he saw before him an anxious-looking young girl with large blue eyes, dark hair, and pale porcelain skin. It made the count’s letter and what he had to impart all the more distasteful.
侯爵微微看着他，说：“你有没有注意到我的鞋子上的扣子。你对如此优雅的扣子怎么看？”
律师盯着他们，困惑不解。巴士底狱可能已经倒了，法国可能正处于内战的边缘，但侯爵所能想到的一切只是扣子。
Maître Tardieu给Sido传了一个信息，想见到她。Maître Tardieu看见一个年轻姑娘，面色有些焦急，有双大大的蓝眼睛，黑头发，皮肤白皙。这让伯爵的信以及所说的一切更令人厌恶。
“I wish I had happier news for you, mademoiselle,” he said, “but I have not. I think it is best that you read this yourself.” And he handed her the black letter.
Sido, unlike her father, needed no explanation. Her response was immediate.
“I can’t marry him.”Maître Tardieu sighed.
“I greatly regret it, but your father has instructed me to agree to the marriage.”
Sido looked again at the three words written in red ink.
“Do you know what he means by ‘remember your wife’?”
“No, alas, I do not.”
Sido bit her lip and said, “Why have I no family to advise my father against this ill-judged marriage?”
“我希望我有令你快乐的消息，小姐，”他说，“但我没有。“我认为你最好自己读这封信。”然后他递给她那封黑色的信。
Sido，不像她的父亲，不需要解释。立刻就反应过来。
“我不能嫁给他。” Maître Tardieu叹了口气。
“我很遗憾，但你父亲让我同意这桩婚事。”
Sido又看了看三个用红墨水写的字。
“你知道他说‘记住你的妻子’是什么意思吗？”“
“不，我不知道。”
Sido咬着嘴唇说，“为什么我没有家人劝我父亲拒绝这桩错误的婚姻？“
She looked up at the old lawyer, fighting back tears. He suddenly took pity on her.
“You have family in London,” he said quickly. Then he looked appalled by what had just tripped off his tongue.
“Oh dear. I have always been under strict instructions to say nothing on the matter.
“Where in London?” asked Sido, hardly able to contain her excitement. “How can I find them?”
“I have no idea. I know your mother had a sister who married an Englishman, a Mr. Laxton. She is surely dead by now.
“Why?”asked Sido.
“Because,” said the lawyer, floundering, “because the English have a very poor diet.”
她抬头看着老律师，强忍着泪水。他突然有些同情她。
“你在伦敦有家人，”他很快说道。然后，他被自己说的话吓了一跳。
“哦，天哪。我被命令绝对不能说这件事情。
“伦敦哪里？”Sido问道，几乎控制不住自己激动的心情。“我怎么才能找到他们？”
“我不知道。我知道你的母亲有个姐姐，嫁给了一个叫Laxton先生的英国人。她现在肯定死了。
“为什么？”Sido问。
“因为，”律师说，内心有些挣扎，“因为英国伙食不好。”
Sido felt sorry for him. He looked quite exhausted and his face was gray.
“I must leave. I am too old to be doing this, too old and powerless to know how to help you. I wish it were not so.”
Sido knew it was no good questioning him further. She followed him out to his waiting carriage.
“Before you go, may I ask you one last thing? Do you think the Revolution might save me? Or is it already too late?”
“I think the world we knew has gone,” said Maître Tardieu. “What that means only time will tell.”
Sido为他感到难过。他看上去很疲惫，脸色灰白。
“我要离开了。我岁数大了，不能做这件事，我太老了，没办法帮助你。我也不希望这样。”
Sido知道接着问他并不好。Sido跟着他走到等候马车里。
“你走之前，我能问你最后一件事吗？你认为革命能拯救我吗？还是已经太迟了？”
“我想我们所熟知的世界已经逝去了：” Maître Tardieu说。“这意味着什么，只有时间会证明一切。”
----每周一/三/五晚更----
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