介绍:
The marquis said nothing. He was still trying to take in Kalliovski’s new appearance. Kalliovski rang a bell and a footman entered. “Fetch Mademoiselle Sido,” he ordered. He turned his attention back to the marquis. “You have heard of the death of Madame Perrien, I imagine?”
“Why, yes. Dreadful.”
Kalliovski smiled.
“She asked you for your help, I believe.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” said the marquis hurriedly, Even under the makeup his cheeks glowed red.
The foolish woman asked the wrong person, of course, for you possess nothing but unpaid bills.” He smiled again, the corners of his lips curling mockingly. “There are angry craftsmen in Paris still waiting for their money for your ridiculous fête.”
侯爵什么也没说。他还在试着熟悉kalliovski的新形象。kalliovski摇铃，让仆人进来。“去Mademoiselle Sido，”他命令到，把注意力转向侯爵。“我想你听说了Madame Perrien的死？”
“是的。太可怕了。”
kalliovski笑了。
“她曾请求过你的帮助，我相信。”
“我不知道你在说什么，”侯爵连忙说，甚至有些脸红。
那个愚蠢的女人问错人了，你还有一些没付的账单。”他又一次笑了，嘴唇嘲讽似的卷起。“巴黎的工匠们仍在等待你为他们结清账单”。
“They will be paid in due course.” “Not by me,” said Kalliovski, and he took from his pocket a necklace of red stones that he played with in his hand like a rosary.
The sight of it made beads of sweat appear on the marquis’s forehead.
“Madame Perrien paid the price for disloyalty,” said Kalliovski. “Madame Claumont believes that by emigrating she will escape me. I f she thinks she can get rid of me that easily, she is very much mistaken.” The marquis bit his lip. The full impact of what had happened to Madame Perrien hit him like a blow to the stomach. With as much dignity as he could muster, he sat down heavily on a chair.
“Do you remember what we agreed when you last borrowed from me?”
The marquis said nothing.
“他们总会得到该得的。却不是我付给他们的，”Kalliovski说，他从口袋里掏出一条红色石头项链，在手里像玩一串念珠。
看到项链，侯爵的额头上冒出汗珠。
“Madame Perrien为自己的不忠付出了代价，”Kalliovski说。Madame Claumont认为，她能够移民躲开我。如果她认为能轻易摆脱我，就大错特错了。侯爵闭紧了双唇。在Madame Perrien身上发生的事情，像是给了他重重一击。他尽可能威严地，重重坐在椅子上。
“你还记得上次从我这儿借的东西吗？“
侯爵什么也没说。
“Then let me remind you. You have a choice, albeit a limited one, but a choice nevertheless. I could let certain papers find their way into the right hands. I am sure there are people who would be most interested to know how your wife died.”
“No,” said the marquis. His lips were white. “You wouldn’t do that, would you?”
“Without a moment’s regret,” said Kalliovski.
The marquis wiped his dripping forehead and regretted ever having had the fire lit.
“The body of Isabelle Gautier, now do correct me if I am wrong, was found in a field. Was she found with a necklace similar to this?
He held up the necklace with its bright red garnets that looked like drops of congealed blood.
“那我来提醒你。你有一个选择，虽然是有限的，但也是一个选择。我可以把那些文件公布出来。我相信有人会想知道你妻子是怎么死的。”
“不，”侯爵说。嘴唇变得发白。“你不会那样做的，是吗？“
“当然会了，”Kalliovski说。
侯爵擦了擦额头上的汗水，后悔引火烧身了。
“Isabelle Gautier的尸体，如果我说错了，你可以纠正我，是在一块地里发现的。有人发现她有一条类似的项链吗？”
他拿起项链，鲜红的石榴子石，看起来像是凝结的血滴。
The marquis swallowed hard, his mouth ash-dry. He trembled as a tidal wave of sound came crashing into the room from outside, engulfing the house with drumming, screaming, screeching, a wailing of women.
“We will have bread!”
The marquis got up to stare, bewildered, out of the window, at what appeared to be a never-ending stream of women passing close by his gates.
“What are they doing?”
“Going to fetch the king and queen, that’s if they don’t kill them first. They plan to take them back to Paris, where the National Guard can keep an eye on them, make sure that they don’t get carried away by any more such extravagant banquets. I tell you, citizen, soon the streets will run with blood and no one will care. Now, back to business.”
Above the noise the marquis let out a thin cry. I t was the sound of his fragile mind breaking, like fine porcelain.
侯爵艰难的吞咽了一下，嘴里越来越干。他颤抖着，屋外突然传来了声音，瞬间席卷了房间，击鼓声，尖叫声，妇女们在哀号。
“我们要面包！“
侯爵站起身来，茫然地盯着窗外，好像是一个女人从门边走过。
“他们在干什么？”“
“去接国王和王后，如果他们不先杀了这些人的话。这些人计划把国王和皇后带往巴黎，在那里，国民警卫队可以监视他们，确保他们不会被这种奢侈的宴会冲昏头脑。我告诉你，公民，很快街道上就会流满血，但没有人会关心这些。现在，我们谈我们的生意吧。”
侯爵在喧闹声中发出一声微弱的叫声。这是他脆弱的心脏破碎的声音，像是精致的瓷器碎裂了。
----每周一/三/五晚更----
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