05-04-远离尘嚣 [49]
is that woman？Bathsheba looked closely into his face.
‘She's not important to either of us，’he replied coldly.
‘I think you know her，’Bathsheba went on.
‘I don't care what you think！’he answered，and they continued their ride in silence.
The two miles to Casterbridge seemed a very long way to the woman，who was tired and ill. Sometimes she walked，sometimes she rested a little，beside the road. All through the night her eyes were fixed on the lights of Casterbridge，the end of her journey. At six o'clock the next morning she finally fell in front of the door of the workhouse，and the people there took her in.
Bathsheba and her husband did not speak much that evening，or the following day. But on Sunday evening Troy said suddenly，‘Bathsheba，could you let me have twenty pounds？I need it. ’
‘Ah！’she said sadly，‘for the races tomorrow. Oh，Frank，only a few weeks ago you said I was far sweeter than all your other pleasures！Now won't you stop risking money on horses，which is more a worry than a pleasure？Say yes to your wife，Frank，say yes！’Her beautiful face would have persuaded most men，including Troy if he had not been married to her，but he no longer loved her enough to agree to anything she wanted.
‘Well，the money isn't for racing anyway，’he said. ‘Don't keep me short of money，Bathsheba，or you'll be sorry. ’
‘I'm sorry already，’she replied，‘sorry that our love has come to an end. ’
‘Love always ends after marriage. I think you hate me. ’
‘No，not you. I only hate your faults. ’
‘Then why not help me to improve？Come，let's be friends. Just give me the twenty pounds. ’
‘Well，here's the money. Take it. ’
‘Thank you. I expect I'll be away before breakfast tomor-row. ’
‘Must you go，Frank？Stay with me！There was a time when you used to call me darling. Now you don't care how I spend my time. ’
‘I must go，’said Troy，taking out his watch. He opened the back of the watch case，and Bathsheba，who happened to be looking，saw that there was a curl of hair hidden inside.
‘Oh Frank！’she gasped. ‘A woman's hair！Whose is it？’
Troy closed the watch immediately and replied carelessly，‘Why，yours of course. I'd quite forgotten I had it. ’
‘You're lying，Frank. It's yellow hair. Mine is darker. ’
‘Well，all right，if I must tell you，it's the hair of a young woman I was going to marry before I met you. ’
‘Tell me her name！Is she married？’
‘I can't tell you her name，but she's single. ’
‘Is she alive？Is she pretty？’
‘Yes to both questions. ’
‘How can she be pretty，poor thing，with hair that colour？’
‘Her hair has been admired by everybody who's seen her. It's beautiful hair！Don't be jealous，Bathsheba！You shouldn't have married me if you didn't trust me！’
‘This is all I get for loving you so much！’cried Bathsheba bitterly. ‘I would have died for you when I married you，and now you laugh at my foolishness in marrying you！But you'll burn that hair，won't you，Frank，to please me？’
Troy only answered，‘I have a duty to someone in my past. Mistakes were made which I must put right. That's more important than my relationship with you. If you're sorry you married me，well，so am I！’
‘Frank，I'm only sorry if you love another woman more than me，’said Bathsheba in a trembling voice. ‘You like the woman with that pretty hair. Yes，it is pretty！Was she the woman we met on the road last night？’
‘Well，yes. Now you know the truth，I hope you're happy. ’
‘You haven't told me everything. Tell me the whole truth，’she said，looking bravely into his face. ‘I never thought I'd beg a man to do anything，but my pride has all gone！’
‘Don't be so desperate！’said Troy crossly.
‘She's not important to either of us，’he replied coldly.
‘I think you know her，’Bathsheba went on.
‘I don't care what you think！’he answered，and they continued their ride in silence.
The two miles to Casterbridge seemed a very long way to the woman，who was tired and ill. Sometimes she walked，sometimes she rested a little，beside the road. All through the night her eyes were fixed on the lights of Casterbridge，the end of her journey. At six o'clock the next morning she finally fell in front of the door of the workhouse，and the people there took her in.
Bathsheba and her husband did not speak much that evening，or the following day. But on Sunday evening Troy said suddenly，‘Bathsheba，could you let me have twenty pounds？I need it. ’
‘Ah！’she said sadly，‘for the races tomorrow. Oh，Frank，only a few weeks ago you said I was far sweeter than all your other pleasures！Now won't you stop risking money on horses，which is more a worry than a pleasure？Say yes to your wife，Frank，say yes！’Her beautiful face would have persuaded most men，including Troy if he had not been married to her，but he no longer loved her enough to agree to anything she wanted.
‘Well，the money isn't for racing anyway，’he said. ‘Don't keep me short of money，Bathsheba，or you'll be sorry. ’
‘I'm sorry already，’she replied，‘sorry that our love has come to an end. ’
‘Love always ends after marriage. I think you hate me. ’
‘No，not you. I only hate your faults. ’
‘Then why not help me to improve？Come，let's be friends. Just give me the twenty pounds. ’
‘Well，here's the money. Take it. ’
‘Thank you. I expect I'll be away before breakfast tomor-row. ’
‘Must you go，Frank？Stay with me！There was a time when you used to call me darling. Now you don't care how I spend my time. ’
‘I must go，’said Troy，taking out his watch. He opened the back of the watch case，and Bathsheba，who happened to be looking，saw that there was a curl of hair hidden inside.
‘Oh Frank！’she gasped. ‘A woman's hair！Whose is it？’
Troy closed the watch immediately and replied carelessly，‘Why，yours of course. I'd quite forgotten I had it. ’
‘You're lying，Frank. It's yellow hair. Mine is darker. ’
‘Well，all right，if I must tell you，it's the hair of a young woman I was going to marry before I met you. ’
‘Tell me her name！Is she married？’
‘I can't tell you her name，but she's single. ’
‘Is she alive？Is she pretty？’
‘Yes to both questions. ’
‘How can she be pretty，poor thing，with hair that colour？’
‘Her hair has been admired by everybody who's seen her. It's beautiful hair！Don't be jealous，Bathsheba！You shouldn't have married me if you didn't trust me！’
‘This is all I get for loving you so much！’cried Bathsheba bitterly. ‘I would have died for you when I married you，and now you laugh at my foolishness in marrying you！But you'll burn that hair，won't you，Frank，to please me？’
Troy only answered，‘I have a duty to someone in my past. Mistakes were made which I must put right. That's more important than my relationship with you. If you're sorry you married me，well，so am I！’
‘Frank，I'm only sorry if you love another woman more than me，’said Bathsheba in a trembling voice. ‘You like the woman with that pretty hair. Yes，it is pretty！Was she the woman we met on the road last night？’
‘Well，yes. Now you know the truth，I hope you're happy. ’
‘You haven't told me everything. Tell me the whole truth，’she said，looking bravely into his face. ‘I never thought I'd beg a man to do anything，but my pride has all gone！’
‘Don't be so desperate！’said Troy crossly.