作者：（美）亨利·詹姆斯
出版社：外语教学与研究出版社
格式: AZW3, DOCX, EPUB, MOBI, PDF, TXT
华盛顿广场(4级)试读：
内容简介
在19世纪的纽约，成功的标志就是在华盛顿广场拥有一幢自己的房屋，奥斯汀·斯洛珀医生就是一个成功的人。他生活时尚，为人风趣，又聪明机智，很招人喜爱。
这些特点在他女儿凯瑟琳身上却一个也看不到。她是一个善良单纯的姑娘，热爱并崇拜自己的父亲，一心一意想讨他的欢心，却令他非常失望。斯洛珀医生从不指望凯瑟琳身上会发生什么有趣或令人激动的事情。
但是华盛顿广场的生活最终却变得很不平静。这里发生了一段罗曼史，一个相貌英俊的年轻人来到这里追求凯瑟琳。凯瑟琳的姑姑，头脑简单的彭尼曼夫人着实为此感到高兴；她觉得莫里斯·汤森非常迷人，凯瑟琳当然也是这么认为的。可是，斯洛珀医生对年轻的汤森先生却有着截然不同的看法。医生很有钱，也知道自己死后凯瑟琳会继承一笔每年3万美元的遗产。他想知道这样一个英俊潇洒的年轻人为什么会追求他那毫无趣致的女儿……
WASHINGTON SQUARE
To own a house in Washington Square is a sign of success in nineteenth-century New York, and Dr Austin Sloper is a successful man．He is also fashionable, interesting, amusing, and clever.
His daughter Catherine is none of those things．She is a good, simple girl, who loves and admires her father and always tries hard to please him, but she is a great disappointment to him．Dr Sloper does not expect any interest or excitement from Catherine.
But life in Washington Square does become rather exciting, after all．Romance arrives, in the shape of a handsome young man who comes to court Catherine．This pleases Catherine's foolish aunt, Mrs Penniman, very much; she thinks Morris Townsend is charming, and so of course does Catherine．Dr Sloper, however, looks at young Mr Townsend rather differently．The Doctor is a rich man, and is conscious that after his death Catherine will inherit a fortune of 30,000 dollars a year．He wonders why such a charming and handsome young man is courting his dull daughter……
1 Poor Catherine
In the first half of the nineteenth century there lived in New York a very successful doctor．His success was for two reasons．He was, without doubt, a good doctor, intelligent and honest, but he also knew how to please his patients．He gave long, careful explanations about the illness, and always gave them some medicine to take．Indeed, his patients were fond of saying that they had the best doctor in the country.
By the time he was fifty, Doctor Austin Sloper was quite a famous person in New York．His conversation was clever and amusing, and no fashionable party in the city was complete without him.
He was also lucky．In 1820, at the age of twenty-seven, he had married, for love, a very charming girl, who had a fortune of ten thousand dollars a year．For about five years Doctor Sloper was a very happy husband; he continued to work as a doctor and each year became more experienced and more successful.
Some of the experience, however, was very unwelcome．His first child, a little boy of great promise, died at three years of age．Neither the mother's love nor the father's medicine could save him．Two years later Mrs Sloper had a second child, a little girl．This disappointed the Doctor, who had wished for another son to take the place of the first, but there was worse news to come．A week after the child was born, the young mother fell ill, and before another week had passed, she was dead.
For a man whose profession was to keep people alive, Austin Sloper had certainly done badly in his own family, but the only person who blamed Doctor Sloper was Doctor Sloper himself．He felt that he had failed, and he carried this private blame for the rest of his life.
He still had his little girl, whom he named Catherine after her poor mother．She grew up a strong and healthy child, and her father knew that he would not lose her.
When the child was about ten years old, the Doctor invited his sister, Mrs Lavinia Penniman, to stay with him．He had two sisters and both of them had married early in life．The younger one, Mrs Almond, was the wife of a rich man and the mother of a large family．Elizabeth Almond was a comfortable, reasonable woman and Doctor Sloper preferred her to his sister Lavinia．However, Lavinia's husband had died at the age of thirty-three, leaving his wife without children or fortune, and so Doctor Sloper invited his sister to stay while she looked for rooms to rent．No one really knew if Mrs Penniman ever looked for rooms, but it is certain that she never found them.
After six months the Doctor accepted the fact that his sister was never going to leave．Mrs Penniman told everyone except her brother that she was Catherine's teacher．Doctor Sloper guessed that this was her explanation, and he found the idea laughable since he did not think his sister was very intelligent．In fact, he did not have a good opinion of women at all．The only woman he had ever admired had been his wife.
He was always extremely polite to Lavinia, but he had no interest in her opinions or conversation．He only spoke to her to inform her of his wishes for Catherine.
Once, when the girl was about twelve years old, he said to his sister, 'Try to make a clever woman out of her, Lavinia．I should like her to be a clever woman.'
Mrs Penniman looked at him．'My dear Austin,' she said, 'do you think it is better to be clever than to be good?'
'Good for what?' asked the Doctor．'You are good for nothing unless you are clever．Of course I wish Catherine to be good, but it will not make her a better person to be a fool.'
Mrs Penniman was a tall, thin, fair woman．She was romantic, and her brother knew that she loved little secrets and mysteries.
'When Catherine is about seventeen,' he said to himself, 'Lavinia will try and persuade her that some young man with a moustache is in love with her．It will be quite untrue．No young man, with or without a moustache, will ever be in love with Catherine.'
Catherine was strong and healthy, but she did not have any of her mother's beauty or her father's cleverness—in fact, there was very little that was interesting about her at all．She was large and well built, with brown hair, a round face, and small, quiet eyes．The more generous friends of Doctor Sloper noticed that she was well behaved and polite; others thought she was just dull．But Catherine was not someone people spent much time talking about.
She was extremely fond of her father and very much afraid of him．She wanted to please him more than anything in the world, but although Doctor Sloper was usually kind to Catherine, he was very disappointed in her．He wanted to be proud of his daughter, but there was nothing to be proud of in poor Catherine．She was not elegant or pretty or charming like her mother．And by the age of eighteen Mrs Penniman had still not made her a clever woman.
Over the years, however, Doctor Sloper got used to his disappointment．'I expect nothing from her,' he said to himself．'If she gives me a surprise, I will be happy．If she doesn't, I shall not lose anything.'
At this time it did not seem possible that Catherine would ever surprise anyone．She was always very quiet, saying so little in conversation that she seemed almost stupid．But she was silent because she was shy, uncomfortably, painfully shy．In fact, she was a very gentle, sensitive girl.
Slowly Catherine realized that she was changing from a girl into a young lady．She began wearing expensive clothes in very bright colours—rather too bright for Doctor Sloper．When she was twenty, she bought a red and gold evening dress, and did not seem to realize that it made her look ten years older．Doctor Sloper preferred simple, elegant things, and it annoyed him to think that his child was both ugly and badly dressed, though he kept this opinion private.
It must be added that Catherine was expected to become a very rich woman．She had already inherited some money from her mother, but the Doctor had been making twenty thousand dollars a year by his profession and saving half of it．One day, this growing fortune would pass to Catherine.
In 1835 Doctor Sloper moved his family to a more fashionable address．He built himself a handsome, modern house in Washington Square, which was just around the corner from Fifth Avenue．Across the road from the house, in the centre of the square, was a pretty garden, which was open to everyone though few people ever used it.
Mrs Almond lived further out of the city in a house that was almost in the country．She had nine children, and Catherine went with Mrs Penniman to see her cousins every week．The little Almonds were now growing up; the boys had been sent off to college or to work in offices, while the girls looked for suitable husbands.
When Mrs Almond gave a party for her younger daughter Marian, who had become engaged to a promising young man, Catherine, naturally, was invited．At this time she was twenty-one years old, and Mrs Almond's party was the beginning of something very important.
quite a used to indicate that a person or thing is unusual. 异常的，出众的。
charming adj．delightful. 迷人的；可爱的。
of great promise likely to become very good. 大有希望的，前程远大的。
take the place of sb./sth. replace sb./sth. 代替某人或某事物。
private adj．not (to be) revealed to others; secret. 不公开的；秘密的。
have a good opinion of sb. think well of sb. 对某人有好感。
good for nothing completely useless and worthless. 无用的。
be in love (with sb.) feel affection and desire (for sb.). 热恋着（某人）。
elegant adj．tasteful and stylish in appearance or manner.（相貌或仪态）优雅的；文雅的；高雅的。
used to sth./doing sth. having learned to accept sth.; accustomed to sth.（对某事物）已适应，已习惯。
prefer v．choose sth．rather than sth．else; like sth．better. 宁可，更喜爱。
send sb．off send someone to another place. 送走。
engaged (to sb.) adj．(of a person or two people) having agreed to marry.（指一人或两人）已订婚的。
1．可怜的凯瑟琳
19世纪上半叶，纽约住着一位事业很成功的医生。他成功的秘诀有两条。毫无疑问，他是一个德才兼备的好医生，此外他还知道怎样令病人满意。他对病人所患的疾病总是不厌其烦地详加解释，而且也总是给他们开些药。真的，他的病人都喜欢说给他们看病的是国内最棒的医生。
到50岁的时候，奥斯汀·斯洛珀医生已经是纽约响当当的人物了。他谈吐机智风趣，城里上流社会的聚会从来都少不了他。
他运气也好。1820年他27岁的时候，他为了爱情娶了一位很迷人的姑娘，姑娘每年有1万美元的进项。有五年左右的时间，斯洛珀医生是一个非常幸福的丈夫；他继续行医，经验越来越丰富，事业也越来越发达。
但有些经历却很不愉快。他的头一个孩子，一个前途光明的小男孩儿，三岁的时候不幸夭折了。母亲的爱和父亲的药都没能救活他。两年后斯洛珀夫人生了第二个孩子，是一个小女孩儿。这让医生很失望，他本来希望再生个儿子来代替长子的位置，不过更糟的事情还在后面。孩子出生一个星期后，年轻的母亲就病倒了，才不到一个星期，她就不治而亡。
对于一个以治病救人为职业的人来说，奥斯汀·斯洛珀在自己家里确实表现得很糟，不过也只有斯洛珀医生会埋怨自己。他觉得自己很失败，而且终其一生他都这么暗暗地谴责自己。
他还有这个小女孩儿，他给她取名凯瑟琳，跟她可怜的母亲的名字一样。她逐渐长成了一个健康结实的孩子，她的父亲知道不会失去她了。
孩子10岁左右的时候，医生邀请他姐姐拉维尼娅·彭尼曼夫人来和他小住一段时间。他有两个姐妹，两人都很早就出嫁了。年纪轻一些的那个，也就是阿尔蒙德夫人，她丈夫是个有钱人，家里有一大群孩子。伊丽莎白·阿尔蒙德的日子过得舒心，人又明白事理，相比他姐姐拉维尼娅，斯洛珀医生更喜欢她。可是，拉维尼娅的丈夫33岁时就过世了，抛下她一个人，既没有孩子，也没有财产，所以斯洛珀医生邀请他姐姐和他们小住一段时间，再一边找房子租住。没人知道彭尼曼夫人有没有找过房子，但可以肯定她从未找到过。
六个月后，医生知道他姐姐永远不会离开了，也就接受了这个现实。除了对她弟弟，彭尼曼夫人逢人便说她是凯瑟琳的老师。斯洛珀医生猜想她是这么向别人解释的，他感到这种想法很可笑，因为他从来都没觉得他姐姐有多聪明。实际上，他对女人根本没什么好感。他惟一崇拜过的女人就是他妻子。
他对拉维尼娅总是彬彬有礼，但对她的想法或她说的话却毫无兴趣。只有在想要告诉她他对凯瑟琳的期望时，他才会跟她说话。
小女孩儿大约12岁的时候，有一次，他对姐姐说：“想办法让她变得聪明点儿，拉维尼娅，我希望她成为一个聪明的女人。”
彭尼曼夫人看着他。“我亲爱的奥斯汀，”她说，“你觉得聪明比善良更重要吗？”“善良有什么用？”医生问道，“人要是不聪明就一点儿用都没有。我当然希望凯瑟琳做个好人，可是当个傻瓜并不会让她成为更好的人。”
彭尼曼夫人是位个头高挑、身材瘦削、面容姣好的女人。她很浪漫，她弟弟知道她喜欢小秘密和神秘的事情。“等到凯瑟琳17岁左右的时候”，他自言自语道，“拉维尼娅就会想法让她相信某个长着小胡子的年轻人爱上她了。这肯定不会是真的。没有哪个男人，不管长没长小胡子，会爱上凯瑟琳。”
凯瑟琳健康结实，可惜她既没有继承母亲的美貌，也没有继承父亲的智慧——实际上，她身上几乎没有什么吸引人的地方。她个头大，发育得很好，长着棕色的头发，圆圆的脸和一双安静的小眼睛。斯洛珀医生那些比较宽厚的朋友们发现她举止得当，待人礼貌；别的人却认为她呆头呆脑。但凯瑟琳并不是人们乐于谈论的对象。
她极爱自己的父亲，但又很害怕他。世界上她最乐意做的事情莫过于讨父亲的欢心了，可是虽然斯洛珀医生对凯瑟琳总的来说不错，心里却对她颇感失望。他想为女儿感到自豪，但可怜的凯瑟琳身上却没有什么值得他自豪的地方。她不像她母亲那样举止优雅，美丽迷人。一直到她18岁，彭尼曼夫人也没把她培养成一个聪明的女人。
不过，随着时光的流逝，斯洛珀医生也习惯了这种失望。“我对她没什么指望，”他对自己说，“如果她能给我带来惊喜，我会高兴。如果不能，那我也没什么损失。”
到了这个时候，凯瑟琳似乎已不大可能给任何人带来惊喜了。她总是安安静静的，话很少，显得有些木讷。她不爱说话是因为害羞，这种羞怯让她感到不自在而且痛苦。实际上，她是个很温柔敏感的女孩儿。
慢慢地，凯瑟琳意识到自己正从一个女孩儿变成一个年轻女子。她开始穿价格昂贵、色彩艳丽的服装——对于斯洛珀医生来说，那些颜色实在太艳了。她20岁的时候，买了一件红色和金色相间的晚装，而且好像完全没觉得这条裙子让她显得比实际年龄大了十岁。斯洛珀医生偏爱简洁雅致的东西，一想到自己的孩子长得丑，衣服穿得也难看，他就觉得生气，不过这些想法他从没表露出来。
必须提到的是，凯瑟琳可能会很有钱。她已经从母亲那里继承了一些钱财，不过医生每年行医的收入有两万美元，其中有一半都攒了下来。这笔不断增长的财富终有一天会传给凯瑟琳。
1835年，斯洛珀医生把家搬到了一个更时尚的地方。他在华盛顿广场靠近第五大道的地方为自己建了一幢气派时髦的房子。从房子里出来，穿过一条大道，走到广场的中间，就是一个漂亮的花园，花园向所有人开放，不过几乎没有人光顾。
阿尔蒙德夫人住在远离城区的一幢房子里，那里几乎是乡下了。她有九个孩子。每周凯瑟琳都会和彭尼曼夫人去看她的堂兄弟姊妹。阿尔蒙德家的孩子现在已经长大了；男孩子们要么去上大学，要么就到办公室上班，而女孩子们则在挑选合适的丈夫。
阿尔蒙德夫人的小女儿玛丽安和一个很有前途的年轻人订婚了，阿尔蒙德夫人为她举办了一个订婚晚会，凯瑟琳自然在受邀之列。当时她已经21岁了，阿尔蒙德夫人的晚会为她揭开了一段重要的人生序幕。
2 A handsome young man
Not long after the dancing had begun at the party, Marian Almond came up to introduce Catherine to a tall young man．She told Catherine that the young man very much wanted to meet her, and that he was a cousin of Arthur Townsend, the man she was engaged to.
Catherine always felt uncomfortable when meeting new people．The young man, Mr Morris Townsend, was very handsome, and when Marian went away, Catherine stood in front of him, not knowing what to say．But before she could get embarrassed, Mr Townsend began to talk to her with an easy smile.
'What a delightful party！What a charming house！What an interesting family！What a pretty girl your cousin is！'
Mr Townsend looked straight into Catherine's eyes．She answered nothing; she only listened, and looked at him．He went on to say many other things in the same comfortable and natural way．Catherine, though silent, was not embarrassed; it seemed right that such a handsome man should talk, and that she should simply look at him.
The music, which had been silent for a while, suddenly began again．He smiled and asked her to dance．Catherine gave no answer, she simply let him put his arm around her, and in a moment they were dancing around the room．When they paused, she felt that she was red, and then, for some moments, she stopped looking at him.
'Does dancing make you dizzy?' he asked, in a kind voice.
Catherine looked up at him．'Yes,' she murmured, though she did not know why; dancing had never made her dizzy.
'Then we will sit and talk,' said Mr Townsend．'I will find a good place to sit.'
He found a good place—a charming place; a little sofa in a corner that seemed meant for two persons.
' We will talk,' the young man had said; but he still did all the talking．Catherine sat with her eyes fixed on him, smiling, and thinking him very clever．She had never seen anyone so handsome before.
He told her that he was a distant cousin of Arthur Townsend, and Arthur had brought him to introduce him to the family．In fact, he was a stranger in New York—he had not been there for many years．He had been travelling around the world, living in many strange places, and had only come back a month or two before．New York was very pleasant, but he felt lonely.
'People forget you,' he said, smiling at Catherine.
It seemed to Catherine that no one who had seen him would ever forget him, but she kept this thought to herself.
They sat there for some time．He was very amusing, and Catherine had never heard anyone speak as well as he did—not even an actor in a theatre．And Mr Townsend was not like an actor; he seemed so sincere, so natural.
Then Marian Almond came pushing through the crowd of dancers．She gave a little cry, which made Catherine blush, when she saw the young people still together．She told Mr Townsend that her mother had been waiting for half an hour to introduce him to somebody.
'We shall meet again,' he said to Catherine, as he left her.
Her cousin took Catherine by the arm．'And what do you think of Morris?' she asked.
'Oh, nothing particular,' Catherine answered, hiding what she really felt for the first time in her life.
'Oh, I must tell him that！' cried Marian．'It will do him good．He's so terribly conceited.'
'Conceited?' said Catherine, staring at her cousin.
'So Arthur says, and Arthur knows about him.'
'Oh, don't tell him！' said Catherine.
'Don't tell him！I have told him that many times.'
Half an hour later Catherine saw her Aunt Penniman sitting by a window, with Morris Townsend—she already knew the name very well—standing in front of her．He was saying clever things, and Mrs Penniman was smiling.
Catherine moved away quickly; she did not want him to turn round and see her．But she was glad he was talking to Mrs Penniman because it seemed to keep him near to her.
In the carriage, as they drove home, Catherine was very quiet, and Doctor Sloper talked with his sister.
'Who was that young man you spent so much time with?' he asked．'He seemed very interested in you.'
'He was not interested in me,' said Mrs Penniman．'He talked to me about Catherine.'
'Oh, Aunt Penniman！' Catherine murmured.
'He is very handsome and very clever,' her aunt went on．'He spoke in a—in a very charming way.'
The Doctor smiled．'He is in love with Catherine, then?'
'Oh, father！' murmured the girl, thankful that it was dark in the carriage.
'I don't know that; but he admired her dress.'
Admiring just the dress, instead of the person, might not seem very enthusiastic, but Catherine did not think this．She was deeply pleased.
Her father looked, with a cool little smile, at her expensive red and gold dress．'You see,' he said, 'he thinks you have eighty thousand dollars a year.'
'I don't believe he thinks of that,' said Mrs Penniman; 'he is too fine a gentleman.'
'He must be extremely fine not to think of that！'
'Well, he is！' Catherine cried, before she knew it.
'I thought you had gone to sleep,' her father answered．'The hour has come！' he added to himself．'Lavinia is going to arrange a romance for Catherine.'
A few days after Mrs Almond's party, Morris Townsend and his cousin called at Washington Square．Catherine and her aunt were sitting together by the fire in the parlour.
Arthur Townsend sat and talked to Catherine, while his companion sat next to Mrs Penniman．Catherine, usually so easy to please, tonight found Arthur rather uninteresting．She kept looking over at the other side of the room, where Morris Townsend was deep in conversation with her aunt．Every few minutes he looked over at Catherine and smiled, and she wished that she was sitting nearer to him.
Arthur seemed to notice that Catherine was interested in his companion．'My cousin asked me to bring him,' he explained．'He seemed to want very much to come．I told him I wanted to ask you first, but he said that Mrs Penniman had invited him.'
'We are very glad to see him,' said Catherine．She wished to talk more about him, but she did not know what to say．'I never saw him before,' she went on.
Arthur Townsend stared．'But he told me he talked with you for over half an hour the other night.'
'I mean before the other night．That was the first time.'
'Oh, he has been away from New York—he has been all round the world.'
'My aunt likes him very much,' said Catherine.
'Most people like him—he's so brilliant—though I know some people who say my cousin is too clever.'
Catherine listened with extreme interest．If Morris Townsend had a fault, it would naturally be that one, she thought．After a moment she asked, 'Now that he has come back, will he stay here always?'
'If he can find something to do,' said Arthur．'He's looking around for some kind of employment or business, but he can't find anything.'
'I am very sorry,' said Catherine.
'Oh, he doesn't mind,' Arthur said．'He isn't in a hurry.'
Catherine thought about this, then asked, 'Won't his father take him into his business—his office?'
'He hasn't got a father—he has only got a sister,' said Arthur Townsend．And he looked across at his cousin and began to laugh．'Morris, we're talking about you.'
Morris Townsend paused in his conversation with Mrs Penniman, and stared, with a little smile．Then he stood up.
'I'm afraid I was not talking about you,' he said to Catherine's companion．'Though I can't pretend that Miss Sloper's name did not enter our conversation.'
Catherine thought that this was a wonderfully clever thing to say, but she was embarrassed by it, and she also got up．Morris Townsend stood looking at her and smiling; he put out his hand to say goodbye．He was going, and though he had not said anything to Catherine, she was still glad that she had seen him.
'I will tell her what you have said—when you go！' said Mrs Penniman with a little laugh.
Catherine blushed—she felt they were almost laughing at her．What in the world had this beautiful young man said? She saw that he was looking at her kindly.
'I have not talked with you,' he said, 'and that was what I came for．But it will be a good reason for coming another time．I am not afraid of what your aunt will say when I go.'
After the two young men had left, Catherine, who was still blushing, gave Mrs Penniman a serious look.
'What did you say you would tell me?' she asked.
Mrs Penniman smiled and nodded a little．'It's a great secret, my dear child, but he is coming here to court you！'
Catherine was serious still．'Is that what he told you?'
'He didn't say so exactly, but he left me to guess it．I'm good at guessing.' Mrs Penniman gave her niece a soft little kiss．'You must be very nice to him.'
Catherine stared—she was amazed．'I don't understand you,' she said．'He doesn't know me.'
'Oh yes, he does．He knows you more than you think．I have told him all about you.'
'Oh, Aunt Penniman！' said Catherine in a frightened voice．'He is a stranger—we don't know him.'
'My dear Catherine, you know very well that you admire him.'
'Oh, Aunt Penniman！' said Catherine again．Perhaps she did admire him—though this did not seem to her a thing to talk about．But she could not believe that this brilliant stranger wished to court her; only a romantic woman like her aunt would believe that.
embarrassed adj．feeling self-conscious awkward or ashamed. 不自然的，扭捏的，尴尬的，害羞的。
easy adj．(attrib.) not stiff or embarrassed.（作定语）自如的；不拘束的。
fix one's eyes on sb./sth. look at someone or sth．carefully. 凝视着（某人或某物）。
keep sth．to oneself not tell other people about sth. 不把某事告诉别人。
blush v．become red in the face (because of sth.).（因某事物）脸红。
particular adj．(attrib.) more than usual, special, exceptional.（作定语）特殊的；特别的。
conceited adj．full of conceit. 极其自负的。
admire v．regard sb./sth．with respect, pleasure, satisfaction, etc. 钦佩；赞赏；羡慕。
enthusiastic adj．full of enthusiasm. 热情的；热心的。
parlour n．(formerly) sitting-room in a private house, esp．one where people may receive visitors or talk privately.（旧时）起居室，客厅，会客室。
companion n．person or animal that goes with, or spends much time with another.（相伴的）人或动物；同伴；伙伴。
in a hurry eager; impatient. 急切；赶紧。
court v．(dated) (of a man) try to win the affections of (a woman), with a view to marriage.（旧）（指男子）向（女子）献殷勤；向（女子）求爱或求婚。
frightened adj．in a state of fear; afraid; scared. 恐惧的；害怕的；受惊的。
2．一个英俊的年轻人
晚会上的舞会开始后没多久，玛丽安·阿尔蒙德就把凯瑟琳介绍给了一位高个子年轻人。她告诉凯瑟琳这个年轻人很想见她，他是她未婚夫阿瑟·汤森的表兄。
凯瑟琳遇到生人的时候总是觉得不自在。这个叫莫里斯·汤森的年轻人长得很英俊，玛丽安走开后，凯瑟琳站在他面前，不知道该说些什么好。不过还没等她感到尴尬，汤森先生就已经带着轻松的笑容和她聊起天来了。“这个晚会真令人高兴！这房子真漂亮！这一家人真有趣！你表妹长得真美！”
汤森先生直视着凯瑟琳的眼睛。她什么也没说；她只是听着，并望着他。他继续以同样轻松自如的方式讲了很多其他的事情。凯瑟琳尽管很沉默，却没有感到不自在；似乎这样英俊的人就应该讲话，而她就应该只看着他。
音乐停了一会儿之后又突然响了起来。他微笑着请她跳舞。凯瑟琳没回答，只是任由他用胳膊搂住自己，不一会儿他们就在房中翩翩起舞了。他们休息的时候，她感到脸都红了，后来有一段时间，她不再看他。“跳舞让你觉得头晕吗？”他问道，声音很亲切。
凯瑟琳抬起头看着他。“是啊。”她低声说道，虽然她不知道为什么；跳舞从没让她觉得头晕过。“那我们就坐下来说会儿话吧，”汤森先生说道，“我来找个好座位。”
他找到了一个好地方——一个很吸引人的地方；角落里有一个好像专供两人坐的小沙发。“我们聊聊。”年轻人说；不过仍然是他一个人在说话。凯瑟琳坐在那里，目不转睛地看着他，微笑着，觉得他真聪明。她从未见过这么英俊的人。
他告诉她自己是阿瑟·汤森的远房表兄，阿瑟带他过来，把他介绍给这家人。实际上，他对纽约还很陌生一一他有好多年没来过这里了。他一直在世界各地旅行，在很多陌生的地方生活过，直到一两个月前才回来。纽约是一个很快乐的地方，但他却感到孤独。“人家都把你忘了。”他微笑着对凯瑟琳说。
凯瑟琳觉得任何见过他的人都不会忘记他，但她没有把这想法说出来。
他们在那里坐了一会儿。他很风趣，凯瑟琳从未听到过谁说话像他那么动听——连剧场的演员也比不上他。而且汤森先生并不像个演员；他看起来如此真诚自然。
后来玛丽安·阿尔蒙德穿过跳舞的人群走了过来。当她看见这两个年轻人仍在一起时，不由得轻轻地惊呼了一声，凯瑟琳羞得脸都红了。她告诉汤森先生她母亲想把他引见给别人，已经等他半个小时了。“我们以后再见。”他离开的时候对凯瑟琳说道。
表妹拉着凯瑟琳的胳膊。“你觉得莫里斯怎么样？”她问道。“哦，一般吧。”凯瑟琳回答道，没有暴露内心第一次感受到的真实情感。“哦，我一定要把这话讲给他听！”玛丽安大声说道，“这对他有好处。他太自负了。”“自负？”凯瑟琳盯着表妹说道。“阿瑟是这么说的，阿瑟了解他。”“哦，别跟他说！”凯瑟琳说。“别跟他说！我已经跟他说过好多回了。”
半小时之后凯瑟琳看见彭尼曼姑姑坐在窗边，莫里斯·汤森——她已经很熟悉这个名字了——站在她面前。他正在讲一些机智的话，而彭尼曼夫人则在微笑。
凯瑟琳迅速走开了；她不希望他转过身看到她。但她很高兴他在和彭尼曼夫人谈话，因为这样似乎把他和她拉近了。
在回家的马车上，凯瑟琳很安静，而斯洛珀医生则在和他姐姐说话。“和你在一起待了那么长时间的年轻人是谁啊？”他问，“他好像对你挺感兴趣的。”“他对我不感兴趣，”彭尼曼夫人说，“他在跟我讲凯瑟琳。”“哦，彭尼曼姑姑！”凯瑟琳低声叫道。“他很英俊，也很聪明，”她姑姑继续说道，“他说话很——很吸引人。”
医生笑了：“那么他是爱上凯瑟琳了？”“哦，爸爸！”女孩儿低声说道，幸好车厢里比较黑。“我不知道；不过他夸奖她的裙子。”
夸奖她的裙子，而不是欣赏她本人，这似乎显得并不怎么热情，不过凯瑟琳不这么认为。她感到非常开心。
她父亲冷笑着看着她那条价格不菲的红色和金色相间的裙子。“你看到了，”他说道，“他以为你一年有8万美元的收入呢。”“我不相信他会这么想，”彭尼曼夫人说，“他可是个挺不错的绅士。”“他一定要顶好才不会那么想！”“嗯，他就是！”凯瑟琳想也没想就脱口而出。“我还以为你已经睡着了。”她父亲回答道。“已经是时候了！”他自己又想，“拉维尼娅要为凯瑟琳安排一段罗曼史。”
阿尔蒙德夫人的晚会之后几天，莫里斯·汤森和他表弟一起去造访华盛顿广场。凯瑟琳和她的姑姑当时正坐在客厅的壁炉边。
阿瑟·汤森坐下来和凯瑟琳说话，而他的同伴则坐在彭尼曼夫人旁边。通常凯瑟琳是很容易被人逗乐的，可是这天晚上她却觉得阿瑟很令人厌烦。她不停地朝屋子的另一边望去，莫里斯·汤森和她姑姑正在那里谈得起劲。每隔几分钟，他就朝凯瑟琳看一眼，对她笑笑，而她希望自己坐得离他更近点儿。
阿瑟好像注意到凯瑟琳对他的同伴很感兴趣。“我表哥让我带他来，”他解释道，“他好像很想来。我告诉他我想先问问你，但他说彭尼曼夫人已经邀请他了。”“我们很高兴见到他。”凯瑟琳说。她希望能多谈谈他，但又不知道说什么。“我以前从没见过他。”她继续说。
阿瑟·汤森瞧着她：“可他告诉我那天晚上他和你聊了半个多小时呢。”“我的意思是那晚之前。那次是第一次。”“哦，他一直不在纽约——他在世界各地跑。”“我姑姑很喜欢他。”凯瑟琳说。“大多数人都喜欢他——他很聪明——虽然我也知道有些人说我表哥聪明过头了。”
凯瑟琳怀着极大的兴趣听着。如果莫里斯·汤森有什么缺点的话，那自然是这一点了，她想。过了一会儿，她问道：“那他现在回来了，他会长住在这里吗？”“如果他能找到事做的话。”阿瑟说，“他正在四处找工作或看有没有生意可做，不过什么也没找到。”“真遗憾。”凯瑟琳说。“哦，他不在乎，”阿瑟说，“他不着急。”
凯瑟琳想了想，然后问道：“他父亲难道不让他一起做生意——在他的办公室里工作吗？”“他没有父亲——只有一个姐姐。”阿瑟·汤森说。接着他朝表哥望去，笑了起来：“莫里斯，我们正在说你呐。”
莫里斯·汤森暂时中断了和彭尼曼夫人的谈话，瞧着他们，脸上带着微笑。然后他站了起来。“恐怕我刚才可没在说你，”他对凯瑟琳的同伴说道，“但是我不能假装我们的谈话中没有提到斯洛珀小姐的名字。”
凯瑟琳认为这么说实在是太机智了，但她又为这种说法感到局促不安，所以她也站了起来。莫里斯·汤森站在那里，微笑着看着她；他伸出手说再见。他要走了，虽然他一句话也没和凯瑟琳说，她仍然很高兴能见到他。“我会告诉她你说的话——在你走之后！”彭尼曼夫人笑了一笑说道。
凯瑟琳羞红了脸——她觉得他们好像是在嘲笑她。这个漂亮的小伙子到底说了些什么呢？她发现他正和善地看着她。“我们还没说过话，”他说，“我来就是想和你谈谈的。不过这样就有很好的理由再来了。我不担心我走后你姑姑会说些什么。”
两个年轻人离去之后，凯瑟琳的脸上仍带着红晕，她严肃地看了彭尼曼夫人一眼。“你说要告诉我什么？”她问。
彭尼曼夫人微笑着点了点头。“这是个大秘密，我亲爱的孩子，不过他要来追求你呢！”
凯瑟琳仍然一脸严肃：“他是这么跟您说的吗？”“他没确切地这么说，不过我猜是这样。我不会猜错的。”彭尼曼夫人轻轻地吻了一下她的侄女，“你对他一定很好。”
凯瑟琳瞪大了眼睛——她感到很惊奇。“我不明白您的意思，”她说，“他并不了解我。”“哦不，他了解的。他比你想像的更了解你。我把你的事情都跟他说了。”“哦，彭尼曼姑姑！”凯瑟琳吃惊地说，“他是个生人——我们不了解他。”“我亲爱的凯瑟琳，你很清楚你喜欢他。”“哦，彭尼曼姑姑！”凯瑟琳又说道。也许她确实喜欢他——尽管这件事对于她来说似乎不适宜讨论。不过她无法相信这样一个出众的陌生人想要追求她；只有她姑姑那样浪漫的女人才会这么想。
3 Who is Morris Townsend?
Half an hour after the two young men had left, Doctor Sloper came into the parlour.
'Mr Morris Townsend has just been here, Austin,' Mrs Penniman told her brother．'What a pity you missed him.'
'Who in the world is Mr Morris Townsend?'
'The gentleman at Elizabeth's party who liked Catherine so much,' said Mrs Penniman.
'Oh, his name is Morris Townsend, is it?' the Doctor said．He looked at Catherine．'And did he come here to ask you to marry him?'
'Oh, father！' murmured Catherine, turning away.
'I hope he won't do that without your permission,' said Mrs Penniman.
'My dear, he seems to have yours,' her brother answered．'The next time he comes, you should call me．He might like to see me.'
Morris Townsend came again five days later, but Doctor Sloper was not at home at the time．Catherine was with her aunt when a servant announced the young man's name．Mrs Penniman sent her niece into the parlour alone.
'This time it's for you—for you only,' she said.
So Catherine saw Mr Townsend alone, sitting with him in the front parlour, for more than an hour．He seemed more at home this time—making himself very comfortable and looking around with interest at the room and the furniture．His talk was light, easy and friendly．'Tell me about yourself,' he said to her, with his charming smile.
Catherine had very little to tell, but she told him of her love of music and the theatre, and how she did not really enjoy reading．Morris Townsend agreed with her that books were boring—he had been to places that people had written about, and they were not at all as they had been described．He had also seen all the famous actors in London and Paris, but the actors were always like the writers they were never true to real life．He liked everything to be natural．Suddenly he stopped, looking at Catherine with his smile.
'That's what I like you for; you are so natural,' he said．'You see I am natural myself.'
He went on to talk about his great love of music and singing．'I sing a little myself,' he added; 'some day I will show you．Not today, but some other time.'
And then he got up to go．He had perhaps talked more about himself than about Catherine, but the truth was that Catherine had not noticed．She was thinking only that 'some other time' had a delightful sound．It seemed to suggest many more meetings in the future.
Catherine felt it was her duty to tell her father that Mr Morris Townsend had called again—though it made her feel ashamed and uncomfortable．She announced the fact very suddenly, as soon as the Doctor came into the house, and then immediately tried to leave the room．Her father stopped her just as she reached the door.
'Well, my dear, did he ask you to marry him today?' the Doctor said.
Catherine had no answer ready．She wanted to be amused, as her father was amused, but she also wanted to be a little sharp, so that he would not ask the question again．She did not like it—it made her unhappy.
'Perhaps he will do it next time,' she said, with a little laugh; and she quickly got out of the room.
The Doctor stood staring．He wondered whether his daughter was serious, and decided to find out more about this handsome young man．The next time he saw his sister Elizabeth, he asked her about Morris Townsend.
'Lavinia has already been to ask me about him,' Mrs Almond said.
'What did you tell her?' the Doctor asked.
'What I tell you—that I know very little of him.'
'How disappointing for Lavinia,' said the Doctor．'She would like him to have some romantic secret in his past．I hear that he is a distant cousin of Arthur Townsend.'
'Yes, though it seems that there are Townsends and Townsends—some rather better than others．Arthur's mother knows very little about him; only some story that he has been 'wild' in the past．I know his sister a little．Her name is Mrs Montgomery; she is a widow, with five children and not much money.'
'What is his profession?' asked the Doctor.
'He hasn't got any; he is looking for something．I believe he was once in the Navy.'
'Once? What is his age?'
'More than thirty, I think．Arthur told me that he inherited a little money—which is perhaps why he left the Navy—and that he spent it all in a few years．He travelled all over the world, lived in foreign countries, amused himself．He has recently come back to America, and he told Arthur that he now wants to start his life seriously.'
'Is he serious about Catherine, then?'
'I don't see why you are surprised,' said Mrs Almond．'It seems to me that you have never been fair to Catherine．You must remember that she will one day have thirty thousand dollars a year.'
The Doctor looked at his sister for a moment．'I see that you remember it.'
Mrs Almond blushed．'I don't mean that is the only good thing about her; I simply mean that it is important．You seem to think that nobody will ever want to marry her.'
'Why should I think differently, Elizabeth?' the Doctor said．'How many young men have come courting Catherine, even with her expected fortune? None—which is why Lavinia is so charmed that there is now a lover in the house．It is the first time.'
'I think young men are rather afraid of Catherine,' said the Doctor's wiser sister．'She seems older than they are—she is so large, and she dresses so richly．An older, more experienced man would recognize all the good things in her character, and would find her delightful.'
'And Mr Townsend? What are his reasons for courting Catherine? Is he sincere in liking her?'
'It is very possible that he is sincere．Lavinia is sure of it.'
Doctor Sloper thought for a moment．'If he does not work, what are his means?'
'I have no idea．He lives with his sister and her children on Second Avenue.'
'A widow, with five children? Do you mean he lives upon her?'
Mrs Almond looked at her brother a little impatiently．'Why not ask Mrs Montgomery yourself?' she said.
'Perhaps I will,' said the Doctor.* * *
Doctor Sloper was more amused than annoyed by the idea of Mr Townsend courting his daughter．He was quite willing to believe the best of the young man．And if he was a sincere, honest man, it did not matter if he was poor, since Catherine had no need of a rich husband.
'The next time he comes,' he told Mrs Penniman, 'you must invite him to dinner.'
Mrs Penniman was happy to pass on her brother's invitation, which Morris Townsend accepted, and the dinner was arranged．Two or three other people were invited as well, and although Doctor Sloper talked very little to the young man during the meal, he watched him carefully．At the end of the meal, when the ladies had gone up to the parlour, leaving the men to their drinking, the Doctor gave him some wine and asked him several questions．Morris Townsend was happy to talk, and the Doctor sat quietly, watching his bright, handsome face.
'He is clever, a good talker, and very self-confident,' Catherine's father thought．'And he dresses very well．But I don't think I like him.'
The Doctor, however, kept his thoughts to himself.
Later, when the men joined the ladies in the parlour, Morris Townsend went over to Catherine, who was standing before the fire in her red evening dress.
'Your father doesn't like me,' said the young man.
'I don't see how you know,' said Catherine, blushing.
'I can feel these things．You ask him and you will see.'
'I would rather not ask him, if there is any danger of his saying what you think.'
Morris gave her a sad little smile．'So you will allow him to say things against me, and not tell him he is wrong?'
'I never argue with him,' said Catherine．'And he won't say anything against you．He doesn't know you enough.'
Morris Townsend gave a loud laugh, and Catherine began to blush again.
'I shall never talk about you,' she said.
'That is very well; but I would prefer you to say that it doesn't matter what your father thinks.'
'But it would matter！I couldn't say that！' the girl cried.
He stared at her, smiling a little, and just for a moment there was an impatient look in those fine eyes．But he spoke softly and sadly．'Then I must try to make him like me.'* * *
The next time the Doctor visited Mrs Almond, he told her that he had now met Morris Townsend.
'He is certainly a fine-looking young man,' he said.
'But what do you think of him, as a father?' Mrs Almond asked．'Lavinia tells me that Catherine is in love.'
'Well, she must stop being in love．He is not a gentleman．He is extremely charming, and completely insincere.'
'You have decided very quickly,' said Mrs Almond.
'Not at all．I have been studying people for a lifetime, and am now quite able to make a judgement in a single evening.'
'Very possibly you are right．But the thing is for Catherine to see it.'
'I will give her a pair of glasses！' said the Doctor.
what a pity (that)…… 真遗憾。
turn away leave; go away. 离开，走开。
at home at one's ease, as if in one's own home.（像在自己家里一样）自在，无拘束。
true to sth. being or acting as one would expect from sth. 符合某事物的；忠实地反映某事物的。
sharp adj．(derog.) intended or intending to criticize, injure, etc.; harsh; severe.（贬）蓄意批评、中伤等的；尖刻的；严厉的。
wild adj．out of control, undisciplined. 不守规矩的；失去控制的。
the Navy warships of a specific country with their crews and the organization that administers them. 海军部队。
be sure of not doubt or seem to doubt what one believes, knows, etc. 无疑；确信；自信；有把握。
means n．money; wealth; resources. 金钱；财富；财源。
live upon depend on sth./sb．for a financial source. 靠某种经济来源生活。
pass sth．on (to sb.) hand or give sth．(to sb．else), esp．after receiving or using it oneself. 将某物传、交、给（某人）（尤指自己收到或用过之后）。
would rather…… (than) (usu．shortened to 'd rather) prefer to.（通常略作'd rather）宁愿；宁可；较喜欢。
against prep．in opposition to (sb./sth.). 反对；违反；与……相反。
argue with sb．(about/over sth.) express an opposite opinion; exchange angry words; quarrel. 争论；争辩；争吵。
3．莫里斯·汤森是谁？
两个年轻人走后半个小时，斯洛珀医生进了客厅。“莫里斯·汤森先生刚来过，奥斯汀，”彭尼曼夫人对弟弟说，“可惜你没见到。”“莫里斯·汤森先生到底是谁？”“伊丽莎白晚会上的那个年轻人，他很喜欢凯瑟琳。”彭尼曼夫人说。“哦，他叫莫里斯·汤森，对吧？”医生说。他看着凯瑟琳，“他来这里是向你求婚吗？”“哦，爸爸！”凯瑟琳低声埋怨着，转身走开了。“我希望没有你的同意他不会那么做。”彭尼曼夫人说。“亲爱的，他好像已经得到你的同意了。”她弟弟回答道，“下次他来的时候，你应该叫上我。他也许乐意见我。”
五天后莫里斯·汤森再次来访，不过当时斯洛珀医生刚好不在家。仆人通报来客姓名的时候，凯瑟琳正和她姑姑在一起。彭尼曼夫人让侄女独自到客厅里去。“这次是为你而来——只为你一个人。”她说。
所以凯瑟琳独自一人和汤森先生相见，他们在前厅坐了一个多小时。他这次似乎更随意——他很放松，饶有兴致地打量着房间和家具。他的谈话也轻松、随意而且友好。“跟我说说你自己吧。”他对她说，露出了迷人的笑容。
凯瑟琳没多少可说的，不过她还是告诉他自己对音乐和戏剧的热爱，以及她不那么喜欢读书。莫里斯·汤森同意她的看法，认为书很枯燥——他去过书里提到的那些地方，跟书中描写的一点儿都不一样。伦敦和巴黎所有的著名演员他也都见过，这些演员和那些作家都一个样——都不忠实于真实的生活。他喜欢一切自然的东西。突然，他停了下来，面带微笑地看着凯瑟琳。“这就是我喜欢你的地方；你这么淳朴。”他说，“你看，我本人并不矫揉造作。”
他继续讲他有多么喜爱音乐和歌唱。“我自己也唱唱歌，”他加了一句，“改天我唱给你听。今天不行了，改天。”
然后他就站起来走了。也许他谈论自己比谈论凯瑟琳还多，不过实际上凯瑟琳根本没注意到。她只是在想“改天”会听到令人愉快的歌声。这似乎意味着以后他们还会见很多次。
凯瑟琳觉得自己有责任把莫里斯·汤森先生再次造访的事情告诉父亲——尽管这使她感到害臊和不安。医生一进屋，她就突然宣布了这件事，然后就想立刻离开房间。她刚走到门口就被她父亲拦住了。“嗯，亲爱的，他今天向你求婚了吗？”医生说。
凯瑟琳对这个问题毫无准备。她想愉快点儿，像她父亲那样，但她还想尖刻点儿，这样他就不会再问这个问题了。她不喜欢这个问题——这令她不愉快。“也许下次他会这么做。”她轻轻一笑，说道；然后迅速离开了房间。
医生站在那里愣了半天。他不知道女儿是不是认真的，后来他决定去了解更多有关这个英俊青年的情况。他再次看到妹妹伊丽莎白的时候，就向她问起了莫里斯·汤森。“拉维尼娅已经向我问过他的情况了。”阿尔蒙德夫人说道。“你告诉她什么了？”医生问。“就是我跟你说的——我对他不太了解。”“拉维尼娅该有多失望啊，”医生说，“她希望他过去的人生经历中会有一些浪漫的秘密。我听说他是阿瑟·汤森的远房表兄。”“是啊，不过好像到处都是姓汤森的人——有一些比另一些要好多了。阿瑟的母亲对他也不太了解；只有一些传闻说他以前曾经‘野’过一阵。他姐姐的情况我也知道一点儿。她叫蒙哥马利夫人；是个寡妇，带着五个孩子，没什么钱。”“他是干什么的？”医生问道。“他没工作；正在找事做。我想他以前在海军服过役。”“以前？他多大了？”“30多岁吧，我想。阿瑟告诉我他继承了一点儿钱——也许就是因为这个他才离开海军的——没出几年他就把这笔钱花光了。他周游世界，住在国外，活得挺快活。他最近才回美国，他告诉阿瑟现在他想认认真真地过日子了。”“那么他对凯瑟琳是认真的喽？”“我不明白你为什么感到惊讶，”阿尔蒙德夫人说，“我觉得你从来没有公平地对待过凯瑟琳。你应该记住将来有一天凯瑟琳会有一年3万美元的进项。”
医生看了他妹妹一会儿：“我知道你是记得的。”
阿尔蒙德夫人的脸一下子红了：“我不是说她只有那一样好处；我只是想说那很重要。你好像觉得没人愿意娶她似的。”“为什么我会和你想的不同呢，伊丽莎白？”医生说，“就算凯瑟琳将来会有这么一笔财富，又有多少年轻人来追求她呢？一个也没有——所以拉维尼娅才会这么热衷，家里现在来了个情人。这可是头一次。”“我觉得小伙子们都很害怕凯瑟琳，”医生的这位更聪明的妹妹说，“她看起来比他们大——她个头这么大，穿得又华丽。只有年龄大一点儿、经验更丰富的男人才会发现她性格中所有那些美好的东西，也才会发现她是个惹人喜爱的姑娘。”“那么汤森先生呢？他为什么会追求凯瑟琳？他真的喜欢她吗？”“他很有可能是认真的。拉维尼娅确信是这样的。”
斯洛珀医生想了一会儿：“他要是不工作，靠什么生活？”“我不知道。他和他姐姐还有她的孩子们一起住在第二大道。”“一个寡妇，带着五个孩子？你的意思是他靠她养活？”
阿尔蒙德夫人有点儿不耐烦地看着她哥哥。“你为什么不自己去问问蒙哥马利夫人呢？”她说。“也许我会去的。”医生说。* * *
想到汤森先生追求他的女儿，斯洛珀医生与其说是生气倒不如说是感到有趣。他很愿意往最好的地方去想这个年轻人。如果他真心实意，为人又诚实，那么他穷点儿也没关系，反正凯瑟琳并不需要一个有钱的丈夫。“下次他来，”他告诉彭尼曼夫人，“你一定要请他来吃晚饭。”
彭尼曼夫人很高兴地转达了弟弟的邀请，莫里斯·汤森接受了邀请，晚宴也安排下了。还邀请了两三个其他的人，虽然斯洛珀医生在进餐时没跟这个年轻人说什么话，他还是仔细地观察了他。晚餐到了最后，女士们都到客厅里去了，留下男人们继续喝酒，医生给他倒了一些葡萄酒，又问了他几个问题。莫里斯·汤森喜欢说话，医生静静地坐在那里，看着他那快乐英俊的脸。“他是个聪明人，会说话，也很自信。”凯瑟琳的父亲想，“他穿得也很好。可是我想我不喜欢他。”
不过，医生只是心里这么想而已。
后来，当男人们加入到客厅的女士们中时，莫里斯·汤森走到身穿红色晚装、站在壁炉前的凯瑟琳那里。“你父亲不喜欢我。”年轻人说。“我不明白你是怎么知道的。”凯瑟琳涨红了脸说。“我可以感觉到。你问问他就知道了。”“要是他说的真的和你想的一样，我宁愿不去问他。”
莫里斯有些悲伤地朝她笑了笑：“那你就听凭他说不利于我的话，而不指出他的错误吗？”“我从不和他争论，”凯瑟琳说，“他不会说不利于你的话。他对你还不够了解。”
莫里斯·汤森大笑了起来，凯瑟琳的脸又红了。“我不会谈论你的。”她说。“那很好，不过我更愿意你说你父亲怎么想都没关系。”“当然有关系！我不能那么说！”女孩儿叫道。
他凝视着她，微微一笑，那双好看的眼睛里闪过一丝不耐烦的神情。不过他说话时声音温柔而悲伤：“那我只好想法让他喜欢我了。”* * *
医生再次拜访阿尔蒙德夫人的时候，他告诉她说他已经见过莫里斯·汤森了。“他的确是个相貌堂堂的年轻人。”他说。“但作为父亲，你觉得他怎么样？”阿尔蒙德夫人问道，“拉维尼娅告诉我凯瑟琳坠入情网了。”“嗯，她必须结束这场恋爱。他不是个绅士。他很有吸引力，但一点儿也不真诚。”“你的决定作得太快了。”阿尔蒙德夫人说。“一点儿也不快。我一生都在研究人，现在只要一个晚上我就能作出判断。”“很有可能你是正确的。但这样的事情得由凯瑟琳自己去看明白。”“我会给她一副眼镜的！”医生说。
4 Morris Townsend looks for a position
If it were true that Catherine was in love, she was certainly very quiet about it．She had told Morris Townsend that she would not mention him to her father, and so she said nothing about Morris's continued visits．It was only polite, of course, for Morris to visit after the dinner at Washington Square, and only natural for him to continue visiting.
These visits had quickly become the most important thing in Catherine's life．She was very happy．She did not yet know what the future would bring, and she was too modest to expect anything．She was just grateful for the present—the sound of his voice, the words he spoke to her, the expression of his face.
Doctor Sloper suspected Morris Townsend's visits, and noticed how quiet Catherine had become.
'What is going on in this house?' he asked his sister.
'Going on, Austin?' said Mrs Penniman.
'Why haven't you told me that Mr Morris Townsend is coming to the house four or five times a week? I am away all day, and I see nothing.'
Mrs Penniman thought for a moment．'Dear Austin,' she said at last, 'I cannot tell a secret.'
'Whose secret? Catherine's? Mr Townsend's? If it is his, I think it is extremely foolish of you to have secrets with young men．You don't know where they will lead you.'
'I don't know what you mean,' said Mrs Penniman．'I take a great interest in Mr Townsend; I don't hide that．But that is all.'
'It is quite enough．And what do you find so interesting about Mr Townsend? His good looks?'
'His misfortunes, Austin．I cannot tell you his story, but he would tell it to you himself, if he thought you would listen to him kindly.'
The Doctor gave a laugh．'I shall ask him very kindly to leave Catherine alone.'
'Catherine probably says kinder things to him than that！'
'Has she said that she loved him?—do you mean that?'
Mrs Penniman stared at the floor．'She doesn't talk to me about him．I think she is very happy; that is all I can say.'
'Townsend wants to marry her—is that what you mean?'
'He admires Catherine greatly,' said Mrs Penniman．'And he says the most charming things about her.'
'And these misfortunes that you refuse to tell me about—did they make him poor?'
'It is a long story,' said Mrs Penniman, 'and all I can say is that he has been wild in the past．But he has paid for it.'
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