Aunt Jane’s Nieces by L. Frank Baum, CHAPTER IV. LOUISE MAKES A DISCOVERY.

CHAPTER IV. LOUISE MAKES A DISCOVERY.

"How did you enjoy the reception, Louise?" "Very well, mamma. But I made the discovery that my escort. Harry Wyndham, is only a poor cousin of the rich Wyndham family, and will never have a penny he doesn't earn himself." "I knew that," said Mrs. Merrick. "But Harry has the entree into some very exclusive social circles. I hope you treated him nicely, Louise. He can be of use to us." "Oh, yes, I think I interested him; but he's a very stupid boy. By the way, mamma, I had an adventure last evening, which I have had no time to tell you of before." "Yes?" "It has given me quite a shock. You noticed the maid you ordered to come from Madam Borne to dress my hair for the reception?" "I merely saw her. Was she unsatisfactory?" "She was very clever. I never looked prettier, I am sure. The maid is a little, demure thing, very young for such a position, and positively homely and common in appearance. But I hardly noticed her until she dropped a letter from her clothing. It fell just beside me, and I saw that it was addressed to no less a personage than my rich aunt, Miss Jane Merrick, at Elmhurst. Curious to know why a hair-dresser should be in correspondence with Aunt Jane, I managed to conceal the letter under my skirts until the maid was gone. Then I put it away until after the reception. It was sealed and stamped, all ready for the post, but I moistened the flap and easily opened it. Guess what I read?" "I've no idea," replied Mrs. Merrick. "Here it is," continued Louise, producing a letter and carefully unfolding it. "Listen to this, if you please: 'Aunt Jane.' She doesn't even say 'dear' or 'respected,' you observe." 'Your letter to me, asking me to visit you, is almost an insult after your years of silence and neglect and your refusals to assist my poor mother when she was in need. Thank God we can do without your friendship and assistance now, for my honored father, Major Gregory Doyle, is very prosperous and earns all we need. I return your check with my compliments. If you are really ill, I am sorry for you, and would go to nurse you were you not able to hire twenty nurses, each of whom would have fully as much love and far more respect for you than could ever

'Your indignant niece, 'Patricia Doyle.' "What do you think of that, mamma?'" "It's very strange, Louise. This hair-dresser is your own cousin." "So it seems. And she must be poor, or she wouldn't go out as a sort of lady's maid. I remember scolding her severely for pulling my hair at one time, and she was as meek as Moses, and never answered a word." "She has a temper though, as this letter proves," said Mrs. Merrick; "and I admire her for the stand she has taken." "So do I," rejoined Louise with a laugh, "for it removes a rival from my path. You will notice that Aunt Jane has sent her a check for the same amount she sent me. Here it is, folded in the letter. Probably my other cousin, the De Graf girl, is likewise invited to Elmhurst? Aunt Jane wanted us all, to see what we were like, and perhaps to choose between us." "Quite likely," said Mrs. Merrick, uneasily watching her daughter's face. "That being the case," continued Louise, "I intend to enter the competition. With this child Patricia out of the way, it will be a simple duel with my unknown De Graf cousin for my aunt's favor, and the excitement will be agreeable even if I am worsted." "There's no danger of that," said her mother, calmly. "And the stakes are high, Louise. I've learned that your Aunt Jane is rated as worth a half million dollars." "They shall be mine," said the daughter, with assurance. "Unless, indeed, the De Graf girl is most wonderfully clever. What is her name?" "Elizabeth, if I remember rightly. But I am not sure she is yet alive, my dear. I haven't heard of the De Grafs for a dozen years.'" "Anyway I shall accept my Aunt Jane's invitation, and make the acceptance as sweet as Patricia Doyle's refusal is sour. Aunt Jane will be simply furious when she gets the little hair-dresser's note." "Will you send it on?" "Why not? It's only a question of resealing the envelope and mailing it. And it will be sure to settle Miss Doyle's chances of sharing the inheritance, for good and all." "And the check?" "Oh, I shall leave the check inside the envelope. It wouldn't be at all safe to cash it, you know." "But if you took it out Jane would think the girl had kept tit money, after all, and would be even more incensed against her." "No," said Louise, after a moment's thought, "I'll not do a single act of dishonesty that could ever by any chance be traced to my door. To be cunning, to be diplomatic, to play the game of life with the best cards we can draw, is every woman's privilege. But if I can't win honestly, mater dear, I'll quit the game, for even money can't compensate a girl for the loss of her self-respect." Mrs. Merrick cast a fleeting glance at her daughter and smiled. Perhaps the heroics of Louise did not greatly impress her.

CHAPTER IV. LOUISE MAKES A DISCOVERY. |||||ВІДКРИТТЯ CAPITOLO IV. LOUISE FA UNA SCOPERTA. CAPÍTULO IV. LUÍSA FAZ UMA DESCOBERTA. ГЛАВА IV. ЛУИЗА ДЕЛАЕТ ОТКРЫТИЕ. РОЗДІЛ IV. ЛУЇЗА РОБИТЬ ВІДКРИТТЯ. 第四章。路易丝有了一个发现。

"How did you enjoy the reception, Louise?" |||||招待会| |||||прийом| "Very well, mamma. But I made the discovery that my escort. |||||||陪伴 |||||||супутник Harry Wyndham, is only a poor cousin of the rich Wyndham family, and will never have a penny he doesn't earn himself." Гаррі|Віндам|||||кузен|||||||||||гроші|||| "I knew that," said Mrs. Merrick. "But Harry has the entree into some very exclusive social circles. ||||进入权||||排外的|社交| ||||вхід||||ексклюзивні||кола I hope you treated him nicely, Louise. |||поставилася||| He can be of use to us." "Oh, yes, I think I interested him; but he's a very stupid boy. By the way, mamma, I had an adventure last evening, which I have had no time to tell you of before." "Yes?" "It has given me quite a shock. ||||досить великий||шок "Cela m'a fait un choc. You noticed the maid you ordered to come from Madam Borne to dress my hair for the reception?" |||служниця|||||||||||||| Vous avez remarqué la femme de chambre que vous avez fait venir de Madame Borne pour me coiffer pour la réception ?" "I merely saw her. |лише||її Was she unsatisfactory?" ||незадовільна Était-elle insatisfaisante ?" "She was very clever. I never looked prettier, I am sure. |||красивіше||| Je n'ai jamais été aussi belle, j'en suis sûre. The maid is a little, demure thing, very young for such a position, and positively homely and common in appearance. |||||скромна|||||||посаду|||домашній||||зовнішність La femme de chambre est une petite chose modeste, très jeune pour un tel poste, et d'apparence tout à fait banale et familiale. But I hardly noticed her until she dropped a letter from her clothing. ||||||||||||одягу It fell just beside me, and I saw that it was addressed to no less a personage than my rich aunt, Miss Jane Merrick, at Elmhurst. ||||||||||||||||人物||||||||| Curious to know why a hair-dresser should be in correspondence with Aunt Jane, I managed to conceal the letter under my skirts until the maid was gone. ||||||перукар||||переписка|||||||сховати|||||||||| Then I put it away until after the reception. ||||||||прийом Je l'ai ensuite rangé jusqu'à la fin de la réception. It was sealed and stamped, all ready for the post, but I moistened the flap and easily opened it. ||||||||||||||翻盖|||| ||запечатаний||печатаний||||||||зволожений|||||| Il était scellé et timbré, prêt à être envoyé par la poste, mais j'ai humidifié le rabat et je l'ai facilement ouvert. Guess what I read?" "I've no idea," replied Mrs. Merrick. "Here it is," continued Louise, producing a letter and carefully unfolding it. |||||виробляючи|||||розгортання| "Listen to this, if you please: 'Aunt Jane.' She doesn't even say 'dear' or 'respected,' you observe." ||||||||注意 ||||||шановний|| 你注意到，她连‘亲爱的’或‘尊敬的’都不说。 'Your letter to me, asking me to visit you, is almost an insult after your years of silence and neglect and your refusals to assist my poor mother when she was in need. |||||||||||||||||||忽视|||拒绝||帮助|||||||| ||||||||||||||||||||||||допомогти|||||||| ‘你写给我的信，请求我去拜访你，在你多年沉默和忽视之后，几乎是一种侮辱，而且在我可怜的母亲需要帮助时，你拒绝了帮助。 Thank God we can do without your friendship and assistance now, for my honored father, Major Gregory Doyle, is very prosperous and earns all we need. |||||||||||||尊敬的|||格雷戈里||||富裕||赚||| |||||||||допомога||||шанований|||Грегорі||||багатий||заробляє||| Dieu merci, nous pouvons nous passer de votre amitié et de votre aide maintenant, car mon honorable père, le major Gregory Doyle, est très prospère et gagne tout ce dont nous avons besoin. 感谢上帝，我们现在可以不依赖你的友谊和帮助，因为我尊敬的父亲，格雷戈里·多伊尔少校，非常繁荣，赚取了我们所需要的一切。 I return your check with my compliments. ||||||问候 |||чек|||з повагою 我将您的支票退回，献上我的祝福。 If you are really ill, I am sorry for you, and would go to nurse you were you not able to hire twenty nurses, each of whom would have fully as much love and far more respect for you than could ever |||||||||||||||||||||||медсестри|||||||||||||||||| Si vous êtes vraiment malade, j'en suis désolé pour vous et j'irais vous soigner si vous n'étiez pas en mesure d'engager vingt infirmières, dont chacune aurait pour vous autant d'amour et de respect que vous ne pourriez jamais en avoir. 如果您真的生病了，我为您感到遗憾，如果您不能雇用二十个护士，我会去照顾您，每个护士对您的爱和尊重都不会比得上这些。

'Your indignant niece, |生气的| |обурена| Votre nièce indignée, 您的愤怒侄女， 'Patricia Doyle.' |Дойл '帕特里夏·多伊尔。' "What do you think of that, mamma?'" "你怎么看这个，妈妈？" "It's very strange, Louise. "这很奇怪，路易丝。" This hair-dresser is your own cousin." 这个理发师是你自己的表妹。 "So it seems. 看来是这样的。 And she must be poor, or she wouldn't go out as a sort of lady's maid. |||||||||||||||служниця 她一定很穷，否则她不会出去做那种女仆。 I remember scolding her severely for pulling my hair at one time, and she was as meek as Moses, and never answered a word." ||||||||||||||||温顺||||||| ||попередження||||тягнучи||||||||||покірна||||||| Je me souviens l'avoir sévèrement réprimandée parce qu'elle me tirait les cheveux, et elle était aussi docile que Moïse, sans jamais répondre un mot". 我记得有一次因为她拉我的头发，我严厉地训斥了她，她温顺得像摩西，连一句话都没回答。 "She has a temper though, as this letter proves," said Mrs. Merrick; "and I admire her for the stand she has taken." ||||||||证明||||||欣赏||||||| |||характер|хоча||||доказує||||||підтримую||||||| "Elle a cependant du tempérament, comme le prouve cette lettre, dit Mme Merrick, et je l'admire pour la position qu'elle a prise. “不过她确实有脾气，就像这封信所证明的，”梅里克夫人说；“我很欣赏她所采取的立场。” "So do I," rejoined Louise with a laugh, "for it removes a rival from my path. ||||||||||去掉||对手||| |||відповіла||||сміх|||усуває||суперник||| "Moi aussi, répondit Louise en riant, car cela m'enlève un rival. “我也一样，”路易丝笑着回答，“因为这让一个竞争者从我的道路上消失了。” You will notice that Aunt Jane has sent her a check for the same amount she sent me. ||||||||||чек||||||| Here it is, folded in the letter. |||складений||| Probably my other cousin, the De Graf girl, is likewise invited to Elmhurst? |||||||||也||| |||||||||також||| Mon autre cousine, la fille De Graf, est probablement invitée elle aussi à Elmhurst ? 可能我另一个表姐，德·格拉夫的女孩，也被邀请到艾尔姆赫斯特？ Aunt Jane wanted us all, to see what we were like, and perhaps to choose between us." 简姨妈想让我们所有人见见，看看我们是什么样子，也许还想在我们之间做个选择。 "Quite likely," said Mrs. Merrick, uneasily watching her daughter's face. ||||||||女儿的| |||||незручно|||| "C'est fort probable", dit Mme Merrick, en observant avec inquiétude le visage de sa fille. “很可能，”梅里克夫人说，心神不宁地注视着女儿的脸。 "That being the case," continued Louise, "I intend to enter the competition. |||||||打算||||比赛 |||||||маю намір|||| With this child Patricia out of the way, it will be a simple duel with my unknown De Graf cousin for my aunt's favor, and the excitement will be agreeable even if I am worsted." |||||||||||||决斗||||||||||宠爱||||||愉快|||||失败 |||||||||||||поєдинок||||||кузен||||підтримка тітки|||захоплення|||приємний|||||переможений Une fois cette enfant Patricia écartée, ce sera un simple duel avec mon cousin inconnu De Graf pour obtenir les faveurs de ma tante, et l'excitation sera agréable même si je suis battu." 有了这个小孩帕特里夏不在了，和我不知名的德·格拉夫表亲的决斗将会简单，为了我阿姨的青睐，即使我落败，这种刺激也会令人愉快。 "There's no danger of that," said her mother, calmly. ||||||||平静地那没有危险的，"她的母亲冷静地说道。 "And the stakes are high, Louise. ||вимоги||| 而且赌注很高，路易丝。 I've learned that your Aunt Jane is rated as worth a half million dollars." |||||||评估|||||| |||||||оцінюється|||||| 我了解到你的简阿姨的身价为五十万美元。 "They shall be mine," said the daughter, with assurance. ||||||||自信 ||||||||з упевненістю "Ils seront à moi", dit la fille avec assurance. “它们将是我的，”女儿自信地说道。 "Unless, indeed, the De Graf girl is most wonderfully clever. ||||||||чудово| “除非，德·格拉夫的女孩聪明绝伦。” What is her name?" "Elizabeth, if I remember rightly. ||||правильно But I am not sure she is yet alive, my dear. ||||||||живий|| I haven't heard of the De Grafs for a dozen years.'" "Anyway I shall accept my Aunt Jane's invitation, and make the acceptance as sweet as Patricia Doyle's refusal is sour. ||||||||||||||||道尔||| |||||||||||прийняття|||||Дойл|відмова||кислий "Quoi qu'il en soit, j'accepterai l'invitation de ma tante Jane, et je ferai en sorte que cette acceptation soit aussi douce que le refus de Patricia Doyle est aigre. "无论如何，我将接受简姨妈的邀请，并且让我对邀请的接受尽可能令人愉快，就像帕特里夏·道尔的拒绝那么让人感到酸楚。" Aunt Jane will be simply furious when she gets the little hair-dresser's note." ||||||||||||理发师| |||||люта|||||||перукарні| "当简姨妈收到小理发师的便条时，她一定会非常生气。" "Will you send it on?" "你能把它转发吗？" "Why not? It's only a question of resealing the envelope and mailing it. |||||||||寄送| |||||перепечатування||||відправка пошти| Il suffit de refermer l'enveloppe et de l'envoyer par la poste. 这只是重新封好信封并邮寄的问题。 And it will be sure to settle Miss Doyle's chances of sharing the inheritance, for good and all." |||||||||||分享|||||| ||||||встановити|||||спадок ділити||спадщина|||| Et cela ne manquera pas de compromettre les chances de Miss Doyle de partager l'héritage, pour de bon". 这肯定会彻底决定道伊小姐分享遗产的机会。 "And the check?" ||рахунок 那么支票呢？ "Oh, I shall leave the check inside the envelope. "Oh, je laisserai le chèque dans l'enveloppe. 哦，我会把支票放在信封里。 It wouldn't be at all safe to cash it, you know." |||||||兑现||| Il ne serait pas du tout sûr de l'encaisser, vous savez." 你知道现金兑现它根本不安全。 "But if you took it out Jane would think the girl had kept tit money, after all, and would be even more incensed against her." ||||||||||||||||||||||生气|| |||||||||||||гроші на чай|||||||||обурений|| "Mais si vous l'enleviez, Jane penserait que la fille a gardé l'argent de la mamelle, après tout, et elle serait encore plus furieuse contre elle. 但是如果你把它拿出来，简会认为那个女孩依然保留着小费，结果会更加愤怒。 "No," said Louise, after a moment's thought, "I'll not do a single act of dishonesty that could ever by any chance be traced to my door. |||||||||||||||||曾经|||||追溯||| ||||||||||||||нечесність||||||||простежений||| "Non, dit Louise, après un moment de réflexion, je ne ferai pas un seul acte de malhonnêteté qui puisse, par hasard, remonter jusqu'à ma porte. 不，路易丝在沉思片刻后说道，我不想做任何可能被追溯到我身上的不诚实行为。 To be cunning, to be diplomatic, to play the game of life with the best cards we can draw, is every woman's privilege. ||狡猾|||外交的|||||||||||||||||特权 ||хитрий|||дипломатичний|||||||||||||витягнути||||привілей Être rusé, diplomate, jouer le jeu de la vie avec les meilleures cartes possibles, c'est le privilège de chaque femme. 机智、主动、以我们能抽到的好牌玩生活的游戏，是每个女人的特权。 But if I can't win honestly, mater dear, I'll quit the game, for even money can't compensate a girl for the loss of her self-respect." ||||||||||||||||补偿||||||||| |||||чесно||||покину|||||||компенсувати|||||втрат|||| Mais si je ne peux pas gagner honnêtement, ma chère, j'abandonnerai le jeu, car même l'argent ne peut pas compenser une fille pour la perte de son amour-propre." Но если я не смогу выиграть честно, дорогая, я выйду из игры, потому что даже деньги не могут компенсировать девушке потерю самоуважения". 但是，亲爱的母亲，如果我不能诚实地赢得胜利，我就会退出游戏，因为即使是金钱也无法弥补一个女孩失去自尊的代价。 Mrs. Merrick cast a fleeting glance at her daughter and smiled. ||给||匆匆的|||||| ||кинула||мимолітний|||||| Миссис Меррик бросила мимолетный взгляд на свою дочь и улыбнулась. 梅里克夫人扫了一眼女儿，露出了微笑。 Perhaps the heroics of Louise did not greatly impress her. |||||||非常|打动| ||героїзм||||||вразити| Peut-être que l'héroïsme de Louise ne l'a pas beaucoup impressionnée. Возможно, геройство Луизы не произвело на нее особого впечатления. 也许路易丝的英雄事迹并没有给她留下深刻印象。