03-02-08-化学秘密 [8]
，don't you think？'He smiled at her across the table，and took her hand in his．
She looked at him quietly．He had changed a lot since he had first started working at the factory．For the first six months after he had got the job，he had been really happy and lively．She had always known where he was in the factory，because he was always laughing，or singing to himself．
But for the last eighteen months he had been much quieter．He was always busy，but he didn't sing or laugh，and he didn't often look Mary in the eyes．And when he was alone，he looked tired and sad．
She took her hand away from his，gently．'You know why I'm going，John，'she said．'I know what's going into the river，and I don't like to think about it．You should leave，too，and get a job in another company．'
'I'm too old．'John stared at her angrily．'It isn't easy for me to get a new job．And Mary，the company has been mak-ing the paint for more than two years now，and no one's been hurt，have they？'
Mary didn't answer for a moment．Then she said，'Only you．'
'What do you mean，only me？'
She looked at him sadly．His head was bald now， and he was beginning to look like an old man．Once，she had wanted to marry him．Now，she was pleased that he hadn't asked her．
'Oh，I just meant your leg，of course．'John still had a painful red place on his leg，and sometimes he walked badly because of it．But that wasn't what Mary meant．
John smiled．'My leg's nearly better．I'd almost forgotten about it．But Mary，before you go…I wonder if you could help me．It's a family matter．'
'I see．Well，how can I help？I don't know your children very well，you know．'
'No，of course not．But you're a woman，and…well，it's sometimes difficult for me，as a father on my own．Christine's a young woman now，and she hasn't got a mother to discuss things with．I don't always know what to say．'
'No．'mary looked at him sadly．She often wondered why he didn't ask her to his house more often．She liked him and his children，and she thought he liked her．'How old is Chris-tine now？'
'Eighteem．And she wants to get married．'
'Already？She's rather young，isn't she？'
John looked unhappy．'Well，that's what I say．But she gets so angry with me，Mary，really angry．'
'Who's the young man？'
'He's called Simon MacDonald．He's a journalist—he works for the local newspaper．He's a nice young man，I sup-pose．But every time I speak to him，we argue．And then Christine always agrees with him，and I get angry with her，too．I don't want to，Mary，but I do．I feel I'm losing her，you see．'
'What do you argue about？'
'Oh，I don't know．Stupid things，really．He belongs to one of these environmental groups—Greenworld，I think—and he's always talking about it．He thinks only young people are right，and everyone over twenty-five is always wrong！'
Mary looked at John thoughtfully．
'Well，what do you want me to do，John？I'm not a moth-er and I've never been married．'
'No，but…you could talk to Christine，perhaps？If you came to our house for Sunday lunch…？'
So Mary went to John's house．Simon was there too．They had a meal and talked about horses and sailing．Everyone was polite，and there were no arguments．Later，Mary went with Christine to look at her horse，and Simon stayed with John．In the field，Mary began to talk about Simon．
'He's fine young man，Christine．He's very clever and kind．He makes me think of your father．'
'My father！He's nothing like my father！And Dad hates him！'
'I'm sure he doesn't．'
'He does！He says he's too old for me，and I mustn't see him！He thinks I'm still a little girl，Mary！But I'm eighteen！I want to get married！'
'Tell me more about Simon…'
And so for a long time Mary stood in the quiet，lonely field．She helped Christine give food to her horse，and listened to her talk about Simon．Simon，Christine said，was kind，intelli-gent，very hard-working．He liked sailing and riding，and he wanted to make the world a cleaner，better place．He made her feel important，like an adult，not a child any more．She had met his parents，and they liked her a lot．It was only her father…
'So what should I do，Mary？'Christineasked．
She looked at him quietly．He had changed a lot since he had first started working at the factory．For the first six months after he had got the job，he had been really happy and lively．She had always known where he was in the factory，because he was always laughing，or singing to himself．
But for the last eighteen months he had been much quieter．He was always busy，but he didn't sing or laugh，and he didn't often look Mary in the eyes．And when he was alone，he looked tired and sad．
She took her hand away from his，gently．'You know why I'm going，John，'she said．'I know what's going into the river，and I don't like to think about it．You should leave，too，and get a job in another company．'
'I'm too old．'John stared at her angrily．'It isn't easy for me to get a new job．And Mary，the company has been mak-ing the paint for more than two years now，and no one's been hurt，have they？'
Mary didn't answer for a moment．Then she said，'Only you．'
'What do you mean，only me？'
She looked at him sadly．His head was bald now， and he was beginning to look like an old man．Once，she had wanted to marry him．Now，she was pleased that he hadn't asked her．
'Oh，I just meant your leg，of course．'John still had a painful red place on his leg，and sometimes he walked badly because of it．But that wasn't what Mary meant．
John smiled．'My leg's nearly better．I'd almost forgotten about it．But Mary，before you go…I wonder if you could help me．It's a family matter．'
'I see．Well，how can I help？I don't know your children very well，you know．'
'No，of course not．But you're a woman，and…well，it's sometimes difficult for me，as a father on my own．Christine's a young woman now，and she hasn't got a mother to discuss things with．I don't always know what to say．'
'No．'mary looked at him sadly．She often wondered why he didn't ask her to his house more often．She liked him and his children，and she thought he liked her．'How old is Chris-tine now？'
'Eighteem．And she wants to get married．'
'Already？She's rather young，isn't she？'
John looked unhappy．'Well，that's what I say．But she gets so angry with me，Mary，really angry．'
'Who's the young man？'
'He's called Simon MacDonald．He's a journalist—he works for the local newspaper．He's a nice young man，I sup-pose．But every time I speak to him，we argue．And then Christine always agrees with him，and I get angry with her，too．I don't want to，Mary，but I do．I feel I'm losing her，you see．'
'What do you argue about？'
'Oh，I don't know．Stupid things，really．He belongs to one of these environmental groups—Greenworld，I think—and he's always talking about it．He thinks only young people are right，and everyone over twenty-five is always wrong！'
Mary looked at John thoughtfully．
'Well，what do you want me to do，John？I'm not a moth-er and I've never been married．'
'No，but…you could talk to Christine，perhaps？If you came to our house for Sunday lunch…？'
So Mary went to John's house．Simon was there too．They had a meal and talked about horses and sailing．Everyone was polite，and there were no arguments．Later，Mary went with Christine to look at her horse，and Simon stayed with John．In the field，Mary began to talk about Simon．
'He's fine young man，Christine．He's very clever and kind．He makes me think of your father．'
'My father！He's nothing like my father！And Dad hates him！'
'I'm sure he doesn't．'
'He does！He says he's too old for me，and I mustn't see him！He thinks I'm still a little girl，Mary！But I'm eighteen！I want to get married！'
'Tell me more about Simon…'
And so for a long time Mary stood in the quiet，lonely field．She helped Christine give food to her horse，and listened to her talk about Simon．Simon，Christine said，was kind，intelli-gent，very hard-working．He liked sailing and riding，and he wanted to make the world a cleaner，better place．He made her feel important，like an adult，not a child any more．She had met his parents，and they liked her a lot．It was only her father…
'So what should I do，Mary？'Christineasked．