A DILL PICKLE by Katherine Mansfield

AND then, after six years, she saw him again. He was seated at one of those little bamboo tables decorated with a Japanese vase of paper daffodils. There was a tall plate of fruit in front of him, and very carefully, in a way she recognized immediately as his "special" way, he was peeling an orange.

He must have felt that shock of recognition in her for he looked up and met her eyes. Incredible! He didn't know her! She smiled; he frowned. She came towards him. He closed his eyes an instant, but opening them his face lit up as though he had struck a match in a dark room. He laid down the orange and pushed back his chair, and she took her little warm hand out of her muff and gave it to him. "Vera!" he exclaimed. "How strange. Really, for a moment I didn't know you. Won't you sit down? You've had lunch? Won't you have some coffee?"

She hesitated, but of course she meant to. "Yes, I'd like some coffee." And she sat down opposite him.

"You've changed. You've changed very much," he said, staring at her with that eager, lighted look. [Page 229] "You look so well. I've never seen you look so well before."

"Really?" She raised her veil and unbuttoned her high fur collar. "I don't feel very well. I can't bear this weather, you know." "Ah, no. You hate the cold. . . . "

"Loathe it." She shuddered. "And the worst of it is that the older one grows . . . "

He interrupted her. "Excuse me," and tapped on the table for the waitress. "Please bring some coffee and cream." To her: "You are sure you won't eat anything? Some fruit, perhaps. The fruit here is very good." "No, thanks. Nothing."

"Then that's settled." And smiling just a hint too broadly he took up the orange again. "You were saying–the older one grows–"

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莳萝泡菜

凯瑟琳_曼斯菲尔德

打这以后,过了六年,她又遇到了他,他坐在一张小竹桌旁,桌子上摆着盛满纸水仙的花瓶.他正在那里剥着橙子.

既然他抬起了头,与她的视线相遇,他肯定感到了她那种认出他的惊讶.真是莫明其妙!他不认识她.她微笑着,他皱着眉头.她向他走过去,他马上闭上了眼睛,但又睁开了,脸上放出光芒,仿佛在漆黑的屋里点燃了一根火柴.

“维拉!”他叫喊到,真是没想到,真的,我刚才没认出你来.坐下,喝杯咖啡好吗?” ”好吧,来杯咖啡.”她在他的对面坐下. “你变了,变了许多.”他说道,并用渴望、闪亮的目光注视着她。“你看上去很好，我以前从来没有见过你如此容光焕发。”

“真的？”她撩起面纱，解开她那毛茸茸的高皮领。“其实我并不感到很舒服，这你是知道的，我受不了这里的天气。 “对了，你讨厌寒冷

“对，我是讨厌寒冷。”她打了个寒颤。“我最讨厌的是这里滋生着冷酷的人 ”

“对不起，”他打断了她，接着他敲着桌子招呼侍者。“请来些咖啡和奶油。” 又对她说：“你真的不吃点东西吗？”

“不吃，谢谢，什么都不吃。”

“那么就要这些吧。”他面带笑容，又继续剥橙子。“你刚才说——滋生着冷酷的人——”