《the diary of a goose girl(牧鹅女日记)》

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the diary of a goose girl(牧鹅女日记)- 第15部分


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                                    The Diary of a Goose Girl 



     Bailiff's Daughter (politely)。〃I shouldn't think of suggesting anything 

so extreme。〃 

     True Love (quoting)。〃'Mrs。 Hauksbee proceeded to take the conceit 

out of Pluffles as you remove the ribs of an umbrella before re… covering。' 

However; you couldn't ask me anything seriously that I wouldn't do; dear 

Mistress Perversity。〃 

     Bailiff's Daughter (yielding a point)。〃I'll put that boldly to the proof。 

Say you don't love me!〃 

     True    Love     (seizing   his   advantage)。〃I     don't!    It's   imbecile     and 

besotted devotion!        Tell me; when may I come to take you away?〃 

     Bailiff's Daughter (sighing)。〃It's like asking me to leave Heaven。〃 

     True Love。〃I know it; she told me where to find you;Thornycroft is 

the seventh poultry…farm I've visited;but you could never leave Heaven; 

you   can't   be   happy   without   poultry;   why   that   is   a   wish   easily   gratified。 

I'll get you a farm to…morrow; no; it's Saturday; and the real estate offices 

close    at  noon;   but   on   Monday;     without    fail。  Your     ducks   and   geese; 

always carrying it along with you。            All you would have to do is to admit 

me; Heaven is full of twos。          If you shall swim on a crystal lakePhoebe 

told me what a genius you have for getting them out of the muddy pond; 

she   was    sitting  beside    it   when  I  called;  her   hand   in  that  of   a  straw… 

coloured      person    named      Gladwish;     and    the   ground     in   her   vicinity 

completely strewn with votive offerings。             You shall splash your silver sea 

with an ivory wand; your hens shall have suburban cottages; each with its 

garden;   their   perches   shall   be   of   satin…   wood   and   their   water   dishes   of 

mother…of…pearl。        You   shall   be   the   Goose   Girl   and   I   will   be   the   Swan 

Herdsimply to be near youfor I hate live poultry。              Dost like the picture? 

It's a little like Claude Melnotte's; I confess。           The fact is I am not quite 

sane; talking with you after a fortnight of the tabbies at the Hydro is like 

quaffing inebriating vodka after Miffin's Food!              May I come to…morrow?〃 

     Bailiffs    Daughter     (hedging)。〃I    shall   be   rather  busy;    the  Crossed 

Minorca hen comes off to…morrow。〃 

     True Love。〃Oh; never mind!            I'll take her off to…night when I escort 

you to the farm; then she'll get a day's advantage。〃 

     Bailiff's Daughter。〃And rob fourteen prospective chicks of a mother; 



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                                     The Diary of a Goose Girl 



nay; lose the chicks themselves?           Never!〃 

     True   Love。〃So   long   as   you   are   a   Goose   Girl;   does   it   make    any 

difference whose you are?           Is it any more agreeable to be Mrs。 Heaven's 

Goose Girl than mine?〃 

     Bailiff's Daughter。〃Ah! but in one case the term of service is limited; 

in the other; permanent。〃 

     True Love。〃But in the one case you are the slave of the employer; in 

the other the employer of the slave。           Why did you run away?〃 

     Bailiff's    Daughter。〃A      man's    mind    is  too   dull   an   instrument     to 

measure a woman's reason; even my own fails sometimes to deal with all 

its delicate shades; but I think I must have run away chiefly to taste the 

pleasure   of   being   pursued   and   brought   back。      If   it   is   necessary   to   your 

happiness that you should explore all the Bluebeard chambers of my being; 

I   will   confess    further   that   it  has   taken   you    nearly   three    weeks    to 

accomplish what I supposed you would do in three days!〃 

     True   Love   (after   a   well…spent   interval)。〃To…morrow;   then;   shall   we 

say    before   breakfast?     All;    do!   Why      not?   Well;     then;  immediately 

after breakfast; and I breakfast at seven nowadays; and sometimes earlier。 

Do take off those ugly cotton gloves; dear; they are five sizes too large for 

you; and so rough and baggy to the touch!〃 



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