Introduction：The story is told in the third person perspective，Mr。Waythorn，who newly marries Alice，a woman who has divorced twice before her union with him。He doesn’t mind her past，because he believes that in both her divorce suits，she has been the wronged party，that she has good causes to leave each of her marriages。However，his fantasy about Alice bursts into bubbles when he finds out that she is not a perfect woman。
Ⅰ
1 Waythorn，on the drawing-room hearth，waited for his wife to comedown to dinner。
2 It was their first night under his own roof，and he was surprised at his thrill of boyish agitation。He was not so old，to be sure—his glassgave him little more than the five-and-thirty years to which his wife confessed—but he hadfancied himself already in the temperate zoneyet here he was listening for her step with a tender sense of all it symbolized，with some old trail of verse about the garlanded nuptial door-posts floating through his enjoyment of the pleasant room and the good dinner just beyond it。
3 They had been hastily recalled from their honeymoon by the illnessof Lily Haskett，the child of Mrs。Waythorn’s first marriage。The little girl，at Waythorn’s desire，had been transferred to his house on the day of her mother’s wedding，and the doctor，on their arrival，broke the news that she was ill with typhoid，but declared that all the symptoms were favorable。Lily could show twelve yearsof unblemished health，and the case promised to be a light one。The nurse spokeas reassuringly，and after a moment of alarm Mrs。Waythorn had adjusted herselfto the situation。She was very fond of Lily—her affection for the child had perhaps been her decisive charm in Waythorn’s eyes—but she had the perfectly balanced nerves which her little girl had inherited，and no woman ever wasted less tissue in unproductive worry。Waythorn was therefore quite prepared to see her come in presently，a little late because of a last look at Lily，but as sereneand well-appointed as if her good-night kiss had been laid on the brow of health。Her composure was restful to himit acted as ballast to his somewhat unstable sensibilities。As he pictured her bending over the child’s bed he thought howsoothing her presence must be in illness：her very step would prognosticate recovery。
评注：在魏充看来，他的新娘艾丽斯正是他所期盼的好女人。她温柔、体贴、关爱自己的孩子，能给自己一个平静、稳定的家庭。值得注意，魏充对“好妻子”的定义体现了十九世纪男人对女人的评价标准，即女人应该是“屋子里的天使”，一个“贤妻良母”。
4 His own life had been a gray one，from temperament rather than circumstance，and he had been drawn to her by the unperturbed gayety which kept her fresh andelastic at an age when most women’s activities are growing either slack or febrile。He knew what was said about herfor，popular as she was，there had always been a faint undercurrent of detraction。When she had appeared in New York，nineor ten years earlier，as the pretty Mrs。Haskett whom Gus Varick had unearthed somewhere—was it in Pittsburgh or Utica？—society，while promptly acceptingher，had reserved the right to cast a doubt on its own discrimination。Inquiry，however，established her undoubted connection with a socially reigning family，and explained her recent divorce as the natural result of a runaway match at seventeenand as nothing was known of Mr。Haskett it was easy to believe the worstof him。
5 Alice Haskett’s remarriage with Gus Varick was a passport to the set whose recognition she coveted，and for a few years the Varicks were themost popular couple in town。Unfortunately the alliance was brief and stormy，and this time thehusband had his champions。Still，even Varick’s stanchest supporters admitted that he was not meant for matrimony，and Mrs。Varick’s grievances were of a nature to bear the inspection of the New York courts。A New York divorce is in itselfa diploma of virtue，and in the semiwidowhood of this second separation Mrs。Varick took on an air of sanctity，and was allowed to confide her wrongs to some of the most scrupulous ears in town。But when it was known that she was to marry Waythorn there was a momentary reaction。Her best friends would have preferred to see her remain in the role of the injured wife，which was as becoming to her as crape to a rosy complexion。True，a decent time had elapsed，and it was not even suggested that Waythorn had supplanted his predecessor。Still，people shook their heads over him，and one grudging friend，to whom he affirmed that he took the step with his eyes open，replied oracularly：“Yes—and with your ears shut。”
agitation：n。激动不安
temperate zone：温带（这里指人到中年）
garland：v。戴花环
nuptial：adj。婚姻的，婚礼的
transfer：v。转移
typhoid：n。[医]伤寒症
unblemished：adj。无疵的
inherit：v。遗传
serene：adj。平静的
composure：n。镇静
ballast：n。镇定丸
soothing：adj。抚慰的
prognosticate：v。预言
temperament：n。性情
unperturbed：adj。泰然自若的
gayety：n。愉快
elastic：adj。（心情）易轻快的
slack：adj。懒散的
febrile：adj。发热的（文中指昏庸的）
undercurrent：n。潜流
detraction：n。诽谤
unearth：v。掘出
discrimination：n。歧视
covet：v。垂涎
alliance：n。联盟
stanch：adj。忠实的
matrimony：n。结婚
grievance：n。委屈
sanctity：n。尊严
confide：v。倾诉
scrupulous：adj。小心谨慎的
crape：n。黑绉绸
elapse：v。（时间）过去
supplant：v。代替，取代
grudging：adj。勉强的
oracularly：adv。意义含混地
6 Waythorn could afford to smile at these innuendoes。In the Wall Street phrase，he had“discounted”them。He knew that society has not yet adapted itself to the consequences of divorce，and that till the adaptation takes place every woman who uses the freedom the law accords her must be her own social justification。Waythorn had an amused confidence in his wife’s ability to justify herself。His expectations were fulfilled，and before the wedding took place Alice Varick’sgroup had rallied openly to her support。She took it all imperturbably：she had a way of surmounting obstacles without seeming to be aware of them，and Waythornlooked back with wonder at the trivialities over which he had worn his nerves thin。He had the sense of having found refuge in a richer，warmer nature than hisown，and his satisfaction，at the moment，was humorously summed up in the thought that his wife，when she had done all she could for Lily，would not be ashamedto come down and enjoy a good dinner。
评注：由上文可以看出，魏充毫不犹豫地娶了艾丽斯是因为他相信艾丽斯是一个“好女人”。一些关于艾丽斯前两次婚姻的流言蜚语并没有动摇他，他坚信艾丽斯离婚不是她的错，而是她丈夫的错。
7 The anticipation of such enjoyment was not，however，the sentimentexpressed by Mrs。Waythorn’s charming face when she presently joined him。Though she had put on her most engaging teagown she had neglected to assume the smile that went with it，and Waythorn thought he had never seen her look so nearly worried。
8 “What is it？”he asked。“Is anything wrong with Lily？”
9 “NoI’ve just been in and she’s still sleeping。”Mrs。Waythornhesitated。“But something tiresome has happened。”
10 He had taken her two hands，and now perceived that he was crushing a paper between them。
11 “This letter？”
12 “Yes—Mr。Haskett has written—I mean his lawyer has written。”
13 Waythorn felt himself flush uncomfortably。He dropped his wife’shands。
14 “What about？”
15 “About seeing Lily。You know the courts—”
16 “Yes，yes，”he interrupted nervously。
17 Nothing was known about Haskett in New York。He was vaguely supposed to have remained in the outer darkness from which his wife had been rescued，and Waythorn was one of the few who were aware that he had given up his business in Uticaand followed her to New York in order to be near his little girl。In the days of his wooing，Waythorn had often met Lily on the doorstep，rosy and smiling，on her way“to see papa”。
18 “I am so sorry，”Mrs。Waythorn murmured。
19 He roused himself。“What does he want？”
20 “He wants to see her。You know she goes to him once a week。”
21 “Well—he doesn’t expect her to go to see him now，does he？”
22 “No—he has heard of her illnessbut he expects to come here。”
23 “Here？”
24 Mrs。Waythorn reddened under his gaze。They looked away from each other。
25 “I’m afraid he has the right。。。You’ll see。。。”She madea proffer of the letter。
innuendo：n。讽刺
discount：v。忽视
imperturbably：adv。泰然地
surmount：v。战胜
triviality：n。琐事
rescue：v。援救
woo：v。恳求
proffer：n。提供
26 Waythorn moved away with a gesture of refusal。He stood staring about the softly lighted room，which a moment before had seemed so full of bridal intimacy。
27 “I’m so sorry，”she repeated。“If Lily could have been moved—”
28 “That’s out of the question，”he returned impatiently。
29 “I suppose so。”
30 Her lip was beginning to tremble，and he felt himself a brute。
31 “He must come，of course，”he said。“When is—his day？”
32 “I’m afraid—tomorrow。”
33 “Very well。Send a note in the morning。”
34 The butler entered to announce dinner。
35 Waythorn turned to his wife。“Come—you must be tired。It’s beastly，but try to forget about it，”he said，drawing her hand through his arm。
36 “You’re so good，dear。I’ll try，”she whispered back。
37 Her face cleared at once，and as she looked at him across the flowers，between the rosy candle-shades，he saw her lips waver back into a smile。
38 “How pretty everything is！”she sighed luxuriously。
39 He turned to the butler。“The champagne at once，please。Mrs。Waythorn is tired。”
40 In a moment or two their eyes met above the sparkling glasses。Her own werequite clear and untroubled：he saw that she had obeyed his injunction and forgotten。
butler：n。男管家
beastly：adj。令人不快的
sparkling：adj。闪烁的
injunction：n。命令，指令
Ⅱ
41 Waythorn，the next morning，went down town earlier than usual。Haskett was not likely to come till the afternoon，but the instinct of flight drove him forth。He meant to stay away all day—he had thoughts of dining at his club。As hisdoor closed behind him he reflected that before he opened it again it would have admitted another man who had as much right to enter it as himself，and the thought filled him with a physical repugnance。
42 He caught the“elevated”at the employees’hour，and found himself crushed between two layers of pendulous humanity。At Eighth Street the man facing him wriggled out，and another took his place。Waythorn glanced up and saw that it was Gus Varick。The men were so close together that it was impossible to ignore the smile of recognition on Varick’s handsome overblown face。And after all—why not？They had always been on good terms，and Varick had been divorced before Waythorn’s attentions to his wife began。The two exchanged a word on the perennial grievance of the congested trains，and when a seat at their side wasmiraculously left empty the instinct of self-preservation made Waythorn slip into it after Varick。
43 The latter drew the stout man’s breath of relief。
44 “Lord—I was beginning to feel like a pressed flower。”He leaned back，looking unconcernedly at Waythorn。“Sorry to hear that Sellers is knocked out again。”
45 “Sellers？”echoed Waythorn，starting at his partner’s name。
46 Varick looked surprised。“You didn’t know he was laid up with the gout？”
47 “No。I’ve been away—I only got back last night。”Waythorn felt himself reddening in anticipation of the other’s smile。
48 “Ah—yesto be sure。And Sellers’s attack came on two days ago。I’m afraid he’s pretty bad。Very awkward for me，as it happens，because he was just putting through a rather important thing for me。”
49 “Ah？”Waythorn wondered vaguely since when Varick had been dealing in“important things”。Hitherto he had dabbled only in the shallow pools of speculation，with which Waythorn’s office did not usually concern itself。
repugnance：n。反感
pendulous：adj。摇摆不定的
wriggle：v。宛蜒行进
be on good terms：和睦相处
perennial：adj。长期的
congested：adj。拥挤的
self-preservation：n。自卫本能
be knocked out：病倒
gout：n。痛风
dabble：v。涉足
speculation：n。做投机买卖
50 It occurred to him that Varick might be talking at random，to relieve the strain of their propinquity。That strain was becoming momentarilymore apparent to Waythorn，and when，at Cortlandt Street，he caught sight of an acquaintance，and had a sudden vision of the picture he and Varick must present to an initiatedeye，he jumped up with a muttered excuse。
51 “I hope you’ll find Sellers better，”said Varick civilly，and hestammered back：“If I can be of any use to you—”and let the departing crowd sweep him to the platform。
52 At his office he heard that Sellers was in fact ill with the gout，and would probably not be able to leave the house for some weeks。
53 “I’m sorry it should have happened so，Mr。Waythorn，”the seniorclerk saidwith affable significance。“Mr。Sellers was very much upset atthe idea of giving you such a lot of extra work just now。”
54 “Oh，that’s no matter，”said Waythorn hastily。He secretly welcomed the pressure of additional business，and was glad to think that，when the day’s work was over，he would have to call at his partner’s on the way home。
55 He was late for luncheon，and turned in at the nearest restaurant instead of going to his club。The place was full，and the waiter hurried him to the back of the room to capture the only vacant table。In the cloud of cigar-smoke Waythorn did not at once distinguish his neighborsbut presently，looking about him，he saw Varick seated a few feet off。This time，luckily，they were too far apartfor conversation，and Varick，who faced another way，had probably not even seenhimbut there was an irony in their renewed nearness。
56 Varick was said to be fond of good living，and as Waythorn sat despatching his hurried luncheon he looked across half enviously at the other’s leisurely degustation of his meal。When Waythorn first saw him he had been helping himself with critical deliberation to a bit of Camembert at the ideal point of liquefaction，and now，the cheese removed，he was just pouring his cafe double from its little two-storied earthen pot。He poured slowly，his ruddy profile bent above thetask，and one beringed white hand steadying the lid of the coffee-potthen hestretched his other hand to the decanter of cognac at his elbow，filled a liqueur-glass，took a tentative sip，and poured the brandy into his coffee-cup。
at random：漫无目标
propinquity：n。接近
civilly：adv。谦恭地
affable：adj。和蔼可亲的
despatch：v。吃完
degustation：n。品尝
deliberation：n。评论
liquefaction：n。液化
ruddy：adj。红润的
profile：n。侧面轮廓
decanter：n。酒瓶
cognac：n。白兰地酒的一种（产于法国的Cognac）
tentative：adj。试探的
57 Waythorn watched him in a kind of fascination。What was he thinking of—only of the flavor of the coffee and the liqueur？Had the morning’s meeting left no more trace in his thoughts than on his face？Had his wife so completely passed out of his life that even this odd encounter with her present husband，within a week after her remarriage，was no more than an incident in his day？And as Waythorn mused，another idea struck him：had Haskett ever met Varick as Varick and he had just met？The recollection of Haskett perturbed him，and he rose and left the restaurant，taking a circuitous way out to escape the placid irony of Varick’s nod。
评注：在与艾丽斯前夫凡吕克的几次机缘巧合的相遇后，魏充意识到他与艾丽斯的婚姻将他卷进了一个尴尬的人际网里，他不可避免地要面对她的前夫，凡吕克和亥斯克得。
58 It was after seven when Waythorn reached home。He thought the footman who opened the door looked at him oddly。
59 “How is Miss Lily？”he asked in haste。
60 “Doing very well，sir。A gentleman—”
61 “Tell Barlow to put off dinner for half an hour，”Waythorn cut him off，hurrying upstairs。
62 He went straight to his room and dressed without seeing his wife。When he reached the drawing-room she was there，fresh and radiant。Lily’s day had been goodthe doctor was not coming back that evening。
63 At dinner Waythorn told her of Sellers’s illness and of the resulting complications。She listened sympathetically，adjuring him not to let himself be overworked，and asking vague feminine questions about the routine of the office。Thenshe gave him the chronicle of Lily’s dayquoted the nurse anddoctor，and toldhim who had called to inquire。He had never seen her more serene and unruffled。It struck him，with a curious pang，that she was very happy in being with him，so happy that she found a childish pleasure in rehearsing the trivial incidents of her day。
64 After dinner they went to the library，and the servant put the coffee and liqueurs on a low table before her and left the room。She looked singularly soft and girlish in her rosy pale dress，against the dark leather of one of his bachelor armchairs。A day earlier the contrast would have charmed him。
65 He turned away now，choosing a cigar with affected deliberation。
66 “Did Haskett come？”he asked，with his back to her。
67 “Oh，yes—he came。”
68 “You didn’t see him，of course？”
69 She hesitated a moment。“I let the nurse see him。”
70 That was all。There was nothing more to ask。He swung round toward her，applying a match to his cigar。Well，the thing was over for a week，at any rate。Hewould try not to think of it。She looked up at him，a trifle rosier than usual，with a smile in her eyes。
71 “Ready for your coffee，dear？”
72 He leaned against the mantelpiece，watching her as she lifted the coffee-pot。The lamplight struck a gleam from her bracelets and tipped her soft hair withbrightness。How light and slender she was，and how each gesture flowed into thenext！She seemed a creature all compact of harmonies。As the thought of Haskettreceded，Waythorn felt himself yielding again to the joy of possessorship。Theywere his，those white hands with their flitting motions，her light haze of hair，the lips and eyes。。。
评注：第72段中，魏充对艾丽斯的审视是典型的“男性凝视”（male gaze），即女人作为客体成为男人凝视的对象。“细小”，“柔美”，“柔发”正是男人对女人的“情色”（erotic）幻想。女人是男人的艺术品，是男人的财产。
muse：v。沉思
perturb：v。感到不安
circuitous：adj。迂回线路的
placid：adj。温和的
complication：n。并发症
adjure：v。恳请
chronicle：n。记录
serene：adj。平静的
unruffled：adj。安静的
affected：adj。假装的
bracelet：n。手镯
recede：v。变得模糊，减退
possessorship：n。拥有
73 She set down the coffee-pot，and reaching for the decanter of cognac，measured off a liqueur-glass and poured it into his cup。
74 Waythorn uttered a sudden exclamation。
75 “What is the matter？”she said，startled。
76 “Nothingonly—I don’t take cognac in my coffee。”
77 “Oh，how stupid of me，”she cried。
78 Their eyes met，and she blushed a sudden agonized red。
Ⅲ
79 Ten days later，Mr。Sellers，still house-bound，asked Waythorn to call on his way downtown。
80 The senior partner，with his swaddled foot propped up by the fire，greeted his associate with an air of embarrassment。
81 “I’m sorry，my dear fellowI’ve got to ask you to do an awkward thing for me。”
82 Waythorn waited，and the other went on，after a pause apparentlygiven to the arrangement of his phrases：“The fact is，when I was knocked out I had just gone into a rather complicated piece of business for—Gus Varick。”
83 “Well？”said Waythorn，with an attempt to put him at his ease。
84 “Well—it’s this way：Varick came to me the day before my attack。He had evidently had an inside tip from somebody，and had made about a hundred thousand。He came to me for advice，and I suggested his going in with Vanderlyn。”
85 “Oh，the deuce！”Waythorn exclaimed。He saw in a flash what had happened。The investment was an alluring one，but required negotiation。He listened intently while Sellers put the case before him，and，the statement ended，he said：“Youthink I ought to see Varick？”
86 “I’m afraid I can’t as yet。The doctor is obdurate。Andthis thing can’t wait。I hate to ask you，but no one else in the office knows the ins and outs of it。”
87 Waythorn stood silent。He did not care a farthing for the success of Varick’s venture，but the honor of the office was to be considered，and he could hardly refuse to oblige his partner。
88 “Very well，”he said，“I’ll do it。”
89 That afternoon，apprised by telephone，Varick called at the office。Waythorn，waiting in his private room，wondered what the others thought of it。The newspapers，at the time of Mrs。Waythorn’s marriage，had acquainted their readers with every detail of her previous matrimonial ventures，and Waythorn could fancy the clerks smiling behind Varick’s back as he was ushered in。
90 Varick bore himself admirably。He was easy without being undignified，and Waythorn was conscious of cutting a much less impressive figure。Varick had no head for business，and the talk prolonged itself for nearly an hour while Waythornset forth with scrupulous precision the details of the proposedtransaction。
91 “I’m awfully obliged to you，”Varick said as he rose。“The fact is I’m not used to having much money to look after，and I don’t want to make an ass of myself—”He smiled，and Waythorn could not help noticing that there was somethingpleasant about his smile。“It feels uncommonly queer to have enough cash to payone’s bills。I’d have sold my soul for it a few years ago！”
deuce：n。魔鬼（用于较温和的咒语）
alluring：adj。诱人的
obdurate：adj。执拗的
ins and outs：n。细节
farthing：n。一点儿
apprise：v。（apprize）（正式）通知
usher：v。引导
scrupulous：adj。细心的
transaction：n。交易
make an ass of oneself：[口]做蠢事
92 Waythorn winced at the allusion。He had heard it rumored that a lack of funds had been one of the determining causes of the Varick separation，but it did not occur to him that Varick’s words were intentional。It seemed more likely thatthe desire to keep clear of embarrassing topics had fatally drawn him into one。Waythorn did not wish to be outdone in civility。
评注：当凡吕克提到自己曾经经济窘迫时，魏充突然想到有谣言说艾丽斯是因为凡吕克穷才跟他离婚的。两件事的不谋而合，让魏充开始怀疑艾丽斯是否真是一个好女人。
93 “We’ll do the best we can for you，”he said。“I think this is a good thing you’re in。”
94 “Oh，I’m sure it’s immense。It’s awfully good of you—”Varickbroke off，embarrassed。“I suppose the thing’s settled now—but if—”
95 “If anything happens before Sellers is about，I’ll see you again，”said Waythorn quietly。He was glad，in the end，to appear the more self-possessed of the two。
96 The course of Lily’s illness ran smooth，and as the days passed Waythorn grew used to the idea of Haskett’s weekly visit。The first time the day came round，he stayed out late，and questioned his wife as to the visit on his return。Shereplied at once that Haskett had merely seen the nurse downstairs，as the doctor did not wish any one in the child’s sick-room till after the crisis。
97 The following week Waythorn was again conscious of the recurrence of the day，but had forgotten it by the time he came home to dinner。The crisis of the disease came a few days later，with a rapid decline of fever，and the little girl was pronounced out of danger。In the rejoicing which ensued the thought of Haskett passed out of Waythorn’s mind and one afternoon，letting himself into the house with a latchkey，he went straight to his library without noticing a shabby hat and umbrella in the hall。
98 In the library he found a small effaced-looking man with a thinnish gray beard sitting on the edge of a chair。The stranger might have been a piano-tuner，or one of those mysteriously efficient persons who are summoned in emergencies to adjust some detail of the domestic machinery。He blinked at Waythorn through apair of gold-rimmed spectacles and said mildly：“Mr。Waythorn，I presume？I amLily’s father。”
99 Waythorn flushed。“Oh—”he stammered uncomfortably。He broke off，disliking to appear rude。Inwardly he was trying to adjust the actual Haskett to the image of him projected by his wife’s reminiscences。Waythorn hadbeen allowed toinfer that Alice’s first husband was a brute。
100 “I am sorry to intrude，”said Haskett，with his over-the-counterpoliteness。
101 “Don’t mention it，”returned Waythorn，collecting himself。“I suppose the nurse has been told？”
102 “I presume so。I can wait，”said Haskett。He had a resigned wayof speaking，as though life had worn down his natural powers of resistance。
wince：v。因惊愕而退缩
allusion：n。暗示
immense：adj。[口]非常好的
inwardly：adv。在内部地
reminiscence：n。回忆，记忆
over-the-counter：adj。坦率的
resigned：adj。听由天命的
103 Waythorn stood on the threshold，nervously pulling off his gloves。
104 “I’m sorry you’ve been detained。I will send for the nurse，”he saidand as he opened the door he added with an effort：“I’m glad we can give you a goodreport of Lily。”He winced as we slipped out，but Haskett seemed not to notice it。
105 “Thank you，Mr。Waythorn。It’s been an anxious time for me。”
106 “Ah，well，that’s past。Soon she’ll be able to go to you。”Waythorn nodded and passed out。
107 In his own room，he flung himself down with a groan。He hated the womanishsensibility which made him suffer so acutely from the grotesque chances of life。He had known when he married that his wife’s former husbands were both living，and that amid the multiplied contacts of modern existence there were a thousandchances to one that he would run against one or the other，yet he found himselfas much disturbed by his brief encounter with Haskett as though the law had notobligingly removed all difficulties in the way of their meeting。
108 Waythorn sprang up and began to pace the room nervously。He hadnot suffered half as much from his two meetings with Varick。It was Haskett’s presence inhis own house that made the situation so intolerable。He stood still，hearing steps in the passage。
109 “This way，please，”he heard the nurse say。Haskett was being taken upstairs，then not a corner of the house but was open to him。Waythorn dropped into another chair，staring vaguely ahead of him。On his dressing-table stood a photograph of Alice，taken when he had first known her。She was Alice Varick then—how fine and exquisite he had thought her！Those were Varick’s pearls about her neck。At Waythorn’s instance they had been returned before her marriage。Had Haskett ever given her any trinkets—and what had become of them，Waythorn wondered？He realized suddenly that he knew very little of Haskett’s past or present situationbut from the man’s appearance and manner of speech he could reconstructwith curious precision the surroundings of Alice’s first marriage。And it startled him to think that she had，in the background of her life，a phase of existence so different from anything with which he had connected her。
Varick，whatever his faults，was a gentleman，in the conventional，traditional sense of the term：the sense which at that moment seemed，oddly enough，to have most meaning to Waythorn。He and Varick had the same social habits，spoke the same language，understood the same allusions。But this other man。。。it was grotesquely uppermost in Waythorn’s mind that Haskett had worn a made-up tie attached with an elastic。Why should that ridiculous detail symbolize the whole man？Waythorn was exasperated by his own paltriness，but the fact of the tie expanded，forced itself on him，became as it were the key to Alice’s past。He could see her，as Mrs。Haskett，sitting in a“front parlor”furnished in plush，with a pianola，and a copy of“Ben Hur”on the centre-table。He could see her going to the theatre with Haskett—or perhaps even to a“Church Sociable”—she in a“picture hat”and Haskett in a black frock-coat，a little creased，with the made-up tie on an elastic。On the way home they would stop and look at the illuminated shop-windows，lingering over the photographs of New York actresses。On Sunday afternoons Haskett would take her for a walk，pushing Lily ahead of them in a white enameled perambulator，and Waythorn had a vision of the people they would stop and talk to。He could fancy how pretty Alice must have looked，in a dress adroitly constructed from the hints of a New York fashion-paperhow she must have looked down on the other women，chafing at her life，and secretly feeling that she belonged in a biggerplace。
评注：亥斯克得脖子上的假领带让魏充陷入了痛苦的幻想。他的印象是妻子的第一个丈夫是一个粗暴的人，因为家庭暴力艾丽斯才与之离婚，但是事实恰恰相反。亥斯克得有着文雅举止和绅士风度，而且具有让人钦佩的父爱。这让魏充更加怀疑艾丽斯离婚的动机和品质。
110 For the moment his foremost thought was one of wonder at the way in which she had shed the phase of existence which her marriage with Haskett implied。It was as if her whole aspect，every gesture，every inflection，every allusion，were a studied negation of that period of her life。If she had denied being marriedto Haskett she could hardly have stood more convicted of duplicity than in thisobliteration of the self which had been his wife。
111 Waythorn started up，checking himself in the analysis of her motives。What right had he to create a fantastic effigy of her and then pass judgment on it？She had spoken vaguely of her first marriage as unhappy，had hinted，with becoming reticence，that Haskett had wrought havoc among her young illusions。。。It was a pity for Waythorn’s peace of mind that Haskett’s very inoffensiveness sheda new light on the nature of those illusions。A man would rather think that his wife has been brutalized by her first husband than that the process has been reversed。
obligingly：adv。亲切地
exquisite：adj。高雅的
trinket：n。小装饰品
exasperate：v。激怒
paltriness：n。卑鄙
parlor：n。客厅
plush：n。长毛绒
pianola：n。自动钢琴
illuminated：adj。被照亮的
perambulator：n。婴儿摇篮车
adroitly：adv。巧妙地
chafe at：v。发怒
inflection：n。变化
duplicity：n。口是心非
obliteration：n。涂去，删去
effigy：n。（被憎恨或蔑视的人的）肖像
reticence：n。沉默寡言
havoc：n。大破坏
shed a light on：对……做出解释
reverse：v。颠倒
Ⅳ
112 “Mr。Waythorn，I don’t like that French governess of Lily’s。”
113 Haskett，subdued and apologetic，stood before Waythorn in the library，revolving his shabby hat in his hand。
114 Waythorn，surprised in his armchair over the evening paper，stared back perplexedly at his visitor。
115 “You’ll excuse my asking to see you，”Haskett continued。“But this is my last visit，and I thought if I could have a word with you it would be a better way than writing to Mrs。Waythorn’s lawyer。”
116 Waythorn rose uneasily。He did not like the French governess eitherbut that was irrelevant。
117 “I am not so sure of that，”he returned stiffly“but since youwish it I will give your message to—my wife。”He always hesitated over the possessive pronoun in addressing Haskett。
118 The latter sighed。“I don’t know as that will help much。She didn’t like it when I spoke to her。”
119 Waythorn turned red。“When did you see her？”he asked。
120 “Not since the first day I came to see Lily—right after she wastaken sick。I remarked to her then that I didn’t like the governess。”
121 Waythorn made no answer。He remembered distinctly that，after that first visit，he had asked his wife if she had seen Haskett。She had lied to him then，but she had respected his wishes sinceand the incident cast a curious light on her character。He was sure she would not have seen Haskett that first day if shehad divined that Waythorn would object，and the fact that she did not divine itwas almost as disagreeable to the latter as the discovery that she had lied to him。
122 “I don’t like the woman，”Haskett was repeating with mild persistency。“Sheain’t straight，Mr。Waythorn—she’ll teach the child to be underhand。I’ve noticed a change in Lily—she’s too anxious to please—and she don’t always tellthe truth。She used to be the straightest child，Mr。Waythorn—”He broke off，his voice a little thick。“Not but what I want her to have a stylish education，”he ended。
123 Waythorn was touched。“I’m sorry，Mr。Haskettbut frankly，I don’t quite see what I can do。”Haskett hesitated。Then he laid his hat on the table，and advanced to the hearth-rug，on which Waythorn was standing。There was nothing aggressive in his mannerbut he had the solemnity of a timid man resolved on a decisive measure。
124 “There’s just one thing you can do，Mr。Waythorn，”he said。“You can remind Mrs。Waythorn that，by the decree of the courts，I am entitledto have a voicein Lily’s bringing up。”He paused，and went on more deprecatingly：“I’m not thekind to talk about enforcing my rights，Mr。Waythorn。I don’t know as I think aman is entitled to rights he hasn’t known how to hold on tobut this businessof the child is different。I’ve never let go there—and I never mean to。”
125 The scene left Waythorn deeply shaken。Shamefacedly，in indirect ways，he had been finding out about Haskettand all that he had learned was favorable。The little man，in order to be near his daughter，had sold out his share in a profitable business in Utica，and accepted a modest clerkship in a New York manufacturing house。He boarded in a shabby street and had few acquaintances。His passion for Lily filled his life。Waythorn felt that this exploration of Haskett was like groping about with a dark-lantern in his wife’s pastbuthe saw now thatthere were recesses his lantern had not explored。He had never inquired into the exact circumstances of his wife’s first matrimonial rupture。Onthe surface allhad been fair。It was she who had obtained the divorce，and the court had given her the child。But Waythorn knew how many ambiguities such a verdict might cover。The mere fact that Haskett retained a right over his daughter implied an unsuspected compromise。Waythorn was an idealist。He always refused to recognize unpleasant contingencies till he found himself confronted with them，and then he sawthem followed by a special train of consequences。His next days were thus haunted，and he determined to try to lay the ghosts by conjuring them up in his wife’s presence。
persistency：n。固执
underhand：adj。欺瞒的，阴险的
aggressive：adj。（行为）过分的
solemnity：n。庄严
decree：n。判决
deprecatingly：adv。恳求地
enforce：v。坚持执行
shamefacedly：adv。羞耻地
grope：v。摸索
recess：n。深处，幽深处
rupture：n。破裂
ambiguity：n。含糊
verdict：n。裁决
contingency：n。偶然
haunted：adj。不安的
conjure sb。up：用魔法
126 When he repeated Haskett’s request a flame of anger passed overher facebut she subdued it instantly and spoke with a slight quiver of outraged motherhood。
127 “It is very ungentlemanly of him，”she said。
128 The word grated on Waythorn。“That is neither here nor there。It’s a bare question of rights。”
129 She murmured：“It’s not as if he could ever be a help to Lily—”
130 Waythorn flushed。This was even less to his taste。“The question is，”he repeated，“what authority has he over her？”
131 She looked downward，twisting herself a little in her seat。“I am willing to see him—I thought you objected，”she faltered。
132 In a flash he understood that she knew the extent of Haskett’s claims。Perhaps it was not the first time she had resisted them。
133 “My objecting has nothing to do with it，”he said coldly，“if Haskett has a right to be consulted you must consult him。”
134 She burst into tears，and he saw that she expected him to regard her as a victim。
评注：在解雇保姆这件事情上，魏充与亥斯克得站到了一起，因为他不能容忍自己的妻子是抵抗男人的权利的人，即使是她前夫的权利。
135 Haskett did not abuse his rights。Waythorn had felt miserably sure that hewould not。But the governess was dismissed，and from time to time the little man demanded an interview with Alice。After the first outburst she accepted the situation with her usual adaptability。Haskett had once reminded Waythorn of the piano-tuner，and Mrs。Waythorn，after a month or two，appeared to class him withthat domestic familiar。Waythorn could not but respect the father’s tenacity。Atfirst he had tried to cultivate the suspicion that Haskett might be“up to”something，that he had an object in securing a foothold in the house。But in his heart Waythorn was sure of Haskett’s single-mindednesshe even guessed in the latter a mild contempt for such advantages as his relation with theWaythorns mightoffer。Haskett’s sincerity of purpose made him invulnerable，and his successorhad to accept him as a lien on the property。
subdue：v。抑制，压制
quiver：n。颤动
grate on sb。：（对某人）起刺激作用
falter：v。支吾地说
victim：n。受害人
tenacity：n。坚韧
foothold：n。立足处
single-mindedness：n。意志专一
contempt：n。轻视
invulnerable：adj。无懈可击的
successor：n。接任者，因为魏充娶了亥斯克得的前妻，所以他自喻自己是继任者
lien：n。留置权
136 Mr。Sellers was sent to Europe to recover from his gout，and Varick’s affairs hung on Waythorn’s hands。The negotiations were prolonged and complicatedthey necessitated frequent conferences between the two men，and the interests of the firm forbade Waythorn’s suggesting that his client should transfer his business to another office。
137 Varick appeared well in the transaction。In moments of relaxation his coarse streak appeared，and Waythorn dreaded his genialitybut in the office he wasconcise and clear-headed，with a flattering deference to Waythorn’s judgment。Their business relations being so affably established，it would have been absurd for the two men to ignore each other in society。The first time they met in a drawing-room，Varick took up their intercourse in the same easy key，and his hostess’s grateful glance obliged Waythorn to respond to it。After that they ran across each other frequently，and one evening at a ball Waythorn，wandering through the remoter rooms，came upon Varick seated beside his wife。She colored a little，and faltered in what she was sayingbut Varick nodded to Waythorn without rising，and the latter strolled on。
138 In the carriage，on the way home，he broke out nervously：“I didn’t know you spoke to Varick。”
139 Her voice trembled a little。“It’s the first time—he happened to be standing near meI didn’t know what to do。It’s so awkward，meeting everywhere—and he said you had been very kind about some business。”
140 “That’s different，”said Waythorn。
141 She paused a moment。“I’ll do just as you wish，”she returned pliantly。“I thought it would be less awkward to speak to him when we meet。”
142 Her pliancy was beginning to sickenhim。Had she really no willof her own—no theory about her relation to these men？She had accepted Haskett—did she mean to accept Varick？It was“less awkward，”as she had said，and her instinct was to evade difficulties or to circumvent them。With sudden vividness Waythorn saw how the instinct had developed。She was“as easy as an old shoe”—a shoe that too many feet had worn。Her elasticity was the result of tension in too many different directions。Alice Haskett—Alice Varick—Alice Waythorn—shehad been each in turn，and had left hanging to each name a little of her privacy，a little of her personality，a little of the inmost self where the unknown god abides。
coarse：adj。粗陋的
streak：n。特征
dread：v。不喜欢
geniality：n。亲切
oblige：v。迫使
stroll：v。闲逛
pliantly：adv。顺从地
pliancy：n。顺从
sicken：v。使嫌恶
evade：v。逃避
circumvent：v。绕过
elasticity：n。弹力
inmost：adj。秘密的
abide：v。居住，停留评注：由第142段可以看出，魏充逐渐改变了对艾丽斯的看法。在他的心目中，艾丽斯不仅失去了“好妻子”的形象，而且成了一双被人穿过的“旧鞋”。他本引以为豪的对离婚的开明态度实质上是不堪一击的。
143 “Yes—it’s better to speak to Varick，”said Waythorn wearily。
Ⅴ
144 The winter wore on，and society took advantage of the Waythorns’acceptance of Varick。Harassed hostesses were grateful to them for bridging over a socialdifficulty，and Mrs。Waythorn was held up as a miracle of good taste。Some experimental spirits could not resist the diversion of throwing Varick and his former wife together，and there were those who thought he found a zest in the propinquity。But Mrs。Waythorn’s conduct remained irreproachable。She neither avoided Varick nor sought him out。Even Waythorn could not but admit that she had discovered the solution of the newest social problem。
145 He had married her without giving much thought to that problem。He had fancied that a woman can shed her past like a man。But now he saw that Alice was bound to hers both by the circumstances which forced her into continued relation with it，and by the traces it had left on her nature。With grim irony Waythorn compared himself to a member of a syndicate。He held so many shares in his wife’spersonality and his predecessors were his partners in the business。If there had been any element of passion in the transaction he would have felt less deteriorated by it。The fact that Alice took her change of husbands like a change of weather reduced the situation to mediocrity。He could have forgiven her for blunders，for excessesfor resisting Haskett，for yielding to Varickfor anything but her acquiescence and her tact。She reminded him of a juggler tossing knivesbut the knives were blunt and she knew they would never cut her。
harassed：adj。烦恼的
bridge over：渡过
diversion：n。好奇
zest：n。兴趣
propinquity：n。亲近关系
irreproachable：adj。无可挑剔的
shed：v。摆脱
grim：adj。严酷的，残酷的
syndicate：n。辛迪加，财团
predecessor：n。前任
deteriorate：v。（使）恶化
mediocrity：n。庸俗
blunder：n。失误
acquiescence：n。默许
tact：n。机智
juggler：n。变戏法者
146 And then，gradually，habit formed a protecting surface for his sensibilities。If he paid for each day’s comfort with the small change of his illusions，he grew daily to value the comfort more and set less store upon the coin。He had drifted into a dulling propinquity with Haskett and Varick and he took refuge in the cheap revenge of satirizing the situation。He even began to reckon up the advantages which accrued from it，to ask himself if it were not better to own a third of a wife who knew how to make a man happy than a whole one who had lacked opportunity to acquire the art。For it was an art，and made up，like all others，of concessions，eliminations and embellishmentsof lights judiciously thrown and shadows skillfully softened。His wife knew exactly how to manage the lights，and he knew exactlyto what training she owed her skill。He even tried to trace the source of his obligations，to discriminate between the influences which had combined to producehis domestic happiness：he perceived that Haskett’s commonness had made Alice worship good breeding，while Varick’s liberal construction of the marriage bond had taught her to value the conjugal virtuesso that he was directly indebted tohis predecessors for the devotion which made his life easy if not inspiring。
147 From this phase he passed into that of complete acceptance。He ceased to satirize himself because time dulled the irony of the situation and the joke lostits humor with its sting。Even the sight of Haskett’s hat on the hall table hadceased to touch the springs of epigram。The hatwas often seen there now，for it had been decided that it was better for Lily’s father to visit her than for the little girl to go to his boarding-house。Waythorn，having acquiesced in this arrangement，had been surprised to find how little difference it made。Haskett was never obtrusive，and the few visitors who met him on the stairs were unaware of his identity。Waythorn did not know how often he saw Alice，but with himself Haskett was seldom in contact。
revenge：n。报仇
reckon up：承认
accrue：v。产生
concession：n。让步
elimination：n。淘汰
embellishment：n。装饰
judiciously：adv。明智地
conjugal：adj。夫妇间的
satirize：v。讽刺
sting：n。刺
spring：n。灵感
epigram：n。讽刺短诗
obtrusive：adj。引人注意的148 One afternoon，however，he learned on entering that Lily’s father was waiting to see him。In the library he found Haskett occupying a chair in his usual provisional way。Waythorn always felt grateful to him for not leaning back。
149 “I hope you’ll excuse me，Mr。Waythorn，”he said rising。“I wanted to seeMrs。Waythorn about Lily，and your man asked me to wait here till she came in。”
150 “Of course，”said Waythorn，remembering that a sudden leak had that morning given over the drawing-room to the plumbers。
151 He opened his cigar-case and held it out to his visitor，and Haskett’s acceptance seemed to mark a fresh stage in their intercourse。The spring evening was chilly，and Waythorn invited his guest to draw up his chair to the fire。He meant to find an excuse to leave Haskett in a momentbut he was tired and cold，and after all the little man no longer jarred on him。
152 The two were inclosed in the intimacy of their blended cigar-smoke when the door opened and Varick walked into the room。Waythorn rose abruptly。It was the first time that Varick had come to the house，and the surprise of seeing him，combined with the singular inopportuneness of his arrival，gave a new edge to Waythorn’s blunted sensibilities。He stared at his visitor without speaking。
153 Varick seemed too preoccupied to notice his host’s embarrassment。
154 “My dear fellow，”he exclaimed in his most expansive tone，“I must apologize for tumbling in on you in this way，but I was too late to catch you down town，and so I thought—”He stopped short，catching sight of Haskett，and his sanguine color deepened to a flush which spread vividly under his scant blond hair。But in a moment he recovered himself and nodded slightly。Haskett returned the bow in silence，and Waythorn was still groping for speech when the footman came in carrying a tea-table。
155 The intrusion offered a welcome vent to Waythorn’s nerves。“What the deuce are you bringing this here for？”he said sharply。
156 “I beg your pardon，sir，but the plumbers are still in the drawing-room，and Mrs。Waythorn said she would have tea in the library。”The footman’s perfectly respectful tone implied a reflection on Waythorn’s reasonableness。
157 “Oh，very well，”said the latter resignedly，and the footman proceeded to open the folding tea-table and set out its complicated appointments。While thisinterminable process continued the three men stood motionless，watching it with a fascinated stare，till Waythorn，to break the silence，said to Varick：“Won’tyou have a cigar？”
158 He held out the case he had just tendered to Haskett，and Varick helped himself with a smile。Waythorn looked about for a match，and finding none，proffered a light from his own cigar。Haskett，in the background，held his ground mildly，examining his cigar-tip now and then，and stepping forward at the right moment to knock its ashes into the fire。
159 The footman at last withdrew，and Varick immediately began：“IfI could just say half a word to you about this business—”
160 “Certainly，”stammered Waythorn“in the dining-room—”
161 But as he placed his hand on the door it opened from without，and his wife appeared on the threshold。
162 She came in fresh and smiling，in her street dress and hat，shedding a fragrance from the boa which she loosened in advancing。
163 “Shall we have tea in here，dear？”she beganand then she caught sight ofVarick。Her smile deepened，veiling a slight tremor of surprise。“Why，how do you do？”she said with a distinct note of pleasure。
164 As she shook hands with Varick she saw Haskett standing behind him。Her smile faded for a moment，but she recalled it quickly，with a scarcely perceptibleside-glance at Waythorn。
165 “How do you do，Mr。Haskett？”she said，and shook hands with him a shade less cordially。
166 The three men stood awkwardly before her，till Varick，always the most self-possessed，dashed into an explanatory phrase。
167 “We—I had to see Waythorn a moment on business，”he stammered，brick-red from chin to nape。
168 Haskett stepped forward with his air of mild obstinacy。“I am sorry to intrudebut you appointed five o’clock—”he directed his resigned glance to thetime-piece on the mantel。
169 She swept aside their embarrassment with a charming gesture of hospitality。
170 “I’m so sorry—I’m always latebut the afternoon was so lovely。”Shestood drawing her gloves off，propitiatory and graceful，diffusing about her a sense of ease and familiarity in which the situation lost its grotesqueness。“But before talking business，”she added brightly，“I’m sure every one wants a cup of tea。”
provisional：adj。临时的
jar on sb。：v。刺激某人
expansive：adj。豪爽的
tumble in on sb。：鲁莽地来找某人
sanguine：adj。面色红润的
scant：adj。不多的，少的
resignedly：adv。服从地
boa：n。围巾
perceptible：adj。可察觉的
self-possessed：adj。镇静的
dash into：进入……阶段
nape：n。项，颈背
obstinacy：n。固执
propitiatory：adj。安抚的
diffuse：v。散播，传播
grotesqueness：n。怪诞
171 She dropped into her low chair by the tea-table，and the two visitors，as if drawn by her smile，advanced to receive the cups she held out。
172 She glanced about for Waythorn，and he took the third cup with a laugh。
评注：该小说有力地抨击了十九世纪男人对“女人”的幻想。艾丽斯到底是不是“屋子里的天使”并不重要，重要的是魏充对好妻子的幻想本身就是没有道理的。此外，魏充的多疑也说明了他内心深处还是对离婚的女人存有偏见。
Comprehension Exercises：
1.What is the point of view of the story？
2.What makes Waythorn change his attitudes towards his wife？
3.Do you think Alice is a good wife？Why or why not？
伊迪斯·华顿（1862—1937）：美国著名女作家。由于她作品繁多，风格各异，曾被冠以不同的称号：社会风俗小说家、心理现实主义作家或自然主义作家。她擅长刻画老纽约社会的家庭婚姻关系，代表作品是《纯真年代》。《另外那两位》是她最优秀的短篇小说之一，涉及离婚和再婚等当时比较敏感的问题。主人公魏充娶了离过两次婚的艾丽斯。他本以为艾丽斯是两次失败婚姻的受害者，离婚之错不在于艾丽斯而是她的前夫，但是在与艾丽斯的前夫接触的过程中，他开始怀疑艾丽斯是否真是个好女人。