人性的枷鎖(7)

人性的枷鎖OF HUMAN BONDAGE

BY W. SOMERSET MAUGHAM毛姆

1915

中譯Bill Lin

第7章 主日

主日是個忙碌的日子。凱里先生總是號稱：他是教區裡唯一每週工作七天的人。

這天，全家要比平常早半小時起床。瑪麗安八點整來敲房門，凱里先生嘴裡抱怨：命苦的牧師，安息日也不得賴床。凱里太太在穿著上要花多一點的時間，她九點下來用早餐，有點趕，只比她的老公早了一步。凱里先生的靴子擱在火爐前烘暖。禱告都比平日長，早餐也比較豐盛。

早餐後，牧師把麵包切成薄片準備聖餐，菲利浦很榮幸幫著削麵包皮。他被叫去拿大理石鎮紙，牧師用它來壓麵包，壓得薄薄爛爛的，再把它們切成小方塊。數量的多寡隨著天氣而定；壞天氣只有少數人上教堂；特好的天氣雖然來了很多人，但只有少數會留下來用聖餐；只有既不下雨，可以愉快的走去教堂，又沒好到急著出去玩的日子，領聖餐的人最多。接著，凱里太太從茶水間的保險櫃裡取出聖餐盤，牧師用塊羚羊皮將它擦得雪亮。

十點，馬車停在門口，凱里先生穿上靴子。凱里太太花了好幾分鐘才戴好她的帽子，這時候，牧師披著件寬大的斗篷，等在門廳裡，臉上帶那副表情，好像一個古代的基督徒，正等著被領入競技場送死。這是很怪異，結婚三十年了，每到主日的早晨，他的老婆老是拖拖拉拉的。她總算來了，穿著黑緞子衣服；不管什麼場合，牧師平時就不喜歡教士的老婆花枝招展的，何況是主日，他更堅持她一定得穿黑衣服；偶而，她夥同格雷夫斯小姐，鼓起勇氣的在帽子上插根羽毛、或一朵粉紅玫瑰，但牧師執意要弄掉它們；說他不伙同蕩婦一起上教堂；凱里太太像個女人般的嘆氣，但是還得像個妻子般的順服。

他們正要上車的時候，牧師記起今天還沒給他吃雞蛋。她們知道他必須吃個雞蛋保養喉嚨，家裡有兩個女人，卻沒人關心他的福祉。凱里太太責怪瑪麗安，瑪麗安卻回嘴說：她沒法樣樣事都管。瑪麗安趕緊去拿個雞蛋；凱里太太把蛋打散在一杯雪利酒sherry裡。牧師一口吞下去。聖餐盤擺進了馬車，他們上路了。

這輛馬車是屬於“紅獅”車行的，車上有發霉稻草的怪味。一路上，兩邊窗子都關著，生怕牧師著涼。守候在教堂門廊處的教堂長工，拿了聖餐盤，牧師走去更衣室，凱里太太和菲利浦坐到牧師家族席。凱里太太在自己面前放了一枚六便士的錢幣，準備放到奉獻盤，還給了菲利浦一枚三便士，準備奉獻。教堂裡漸漸坐滿人，敬拜開始。

牧師講道時，菲利浦逐漸無聊起來，只要他一坐立不安，凱里太太就伸手將他胳臂輕輕按住，用責備的目光盯他一眼。等唱完最後一支聖詩，格雷夫斯先生傳遞奉獻盤的時候，菲利浦的興致又來了。

等所有的人都走了，凱里太太走到格雷夫斯小姐的席前，趁等男士們的當兒，同格雷夫斯小姐閒聊，菲利浦也溜進了更衣室。他的伯父、副牧師和格雷夫斯先生，還都穿著聖袍。凱里先生將剩下的聖餐給他，叫他吃了。過去一向是牧師自己吃掉的，因為扔掉了似乎是有點褻瀆神；菲利浦的好胃口，正好代勞。然後他們點算錢幣，裡面有一便士的，有六便士的，也有三便士的。每回都有兩枚一先令的錢幣。一枚是牧師放進去的，另一枚是格雷夫斯先生放的；有時還會有一枚弗洛林florin(兩先令)。格雷夫斯先生告訴牧師是誰放的。經常不是來自布萊克斯泰勃的當地人。凱里先生不知道那是什麼樣的人。不過格雷夫斯小姐早已看到這種輕率的舉動，而且可以告訴凱里太太：這陌生人是從倫敦來的，結了婚，而且有孩子。在回家的車上，凱里太太轉告這個消息，於是牧師決定去探訪他，請他加入“額外副牧師協會”。凱里先生問到菲利浦是否守規矩；凱里太太卻談到威格廉太太有件新披風，考克斯Cox先生沒來教堂，以及有人認為菲利浦斯小姐已經訂婚了。一回到牧師樓，他們都覺得應當享受一頓豐盛的午餐。

飯後，凱里太太回自己房裡休息，凱里先生躺在客廳的長沙發上打個盹。

五點用茶點，牧師吃了個蛋來支撐他的晚禱。凱里太太留在家裡好讓瑪麗安去教堂參加敬拜，不過她也唸了禱文，唱聖詩。晚上，凱里先生走路去教堂，菲利浦一瘸一拐地跟在身邊。黑暗裡在鄉村小路行走，給他一種奇怪的印象，遠處燈火通明的教堂，慢慢地靠過來，顯得很友善。起初，他跟伯父一起時有點怯生，後來慢慢相處慣了，他會把手伸進伯父的手裡，因為有了安全感，走起路來也比較自在。

他們一回家，就開始吃晚餐。凱里先生的拖鞋已經擺在火爐前的腳凳上等著他；旁邊是菲利浦的拖鞋，一隻是小男孩的鞋，另一隻卻畸形怪樣。他上去睡覺時已經累壞了，毫不反抗的讓瑪麗安幫他脫衣服。她給他蓋好被子，親了他一下；他開始喜歡上她了。

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Sunday was a day crowded with incident. Mr. Carey was accustomed to say that he was the only man in his parish who worked seven days a week.

The household got up half an hour earlier than usual. No lying abed for a poor parson on the day of rest, Mr. Carey remarked as Mary Ann knocked at the door punctually at eight. It took Mrs. Carey longer to dress, and she got down to breakfast at nine, a little breathless, only just before her husband. Mr. Carey's boots stood in front of the fire to warm. Prayers were longer than usual, and the breakfast more substantial. After breakfast the Vicar cut thin slices of bread for the communion, and Philip was privileged to cut off the crust. He was sent to the study to fetch a marble paperweight, with which Mr. Carey pressed the bread till it was thin and pulpy, and then it was cut into small squares. The amount was regulated by the weather. On a very bad day few people came to church, and on a very fine one, though many came, few stayed for communion. There were most when it was dry enough to make the walk to church pleasant, but not so fine that people wanted to hurry away.

Then Mrs. Carey brought the communion plate out of the safe, which stood in the pantry, and the Vicar polished it with a chamois leather. At ten the fly drove up, and Mr. Carey got into his boots. Mrs. Carey took several minutes to put on her bonnet, during which the Vicar, in a voluminous cloak, stood in the hall with just such an expression on his face as would have become an early Christian about to be led into the arena. It was extraordinary that after thirty years of marriage his wife could not be ready in time on Sunday morning. At last she came, in black satin; the Vicar did not like colours in a clergyman's wife at any time, but on Sundays he was determined that she should wear black; now and then, in conspiracy with Miss Graves, she ventured a white feather or a pink rose in her bonnet, but the Vicar insisted that it should disappear; he said he would not go to church with the scarlet woman: Mrs. Carey sighed as a woman but obeyed as a wife. They were about to step into the carriage when the Vicar remembered that no one had given him his egg. They knew that he must have an egg for his voice, there were two women in the house, and no one had the least regard for his comfort. Mrs. Carey scolded Mary Ann, and Mary Ann answered that she could not think of everything. She hurried away to fetch an egg, and Mrs. Carey beat it up in a glass of sherry. The Vicar swallowed it at a gulp. The communion plate was stowed in the carriage, and they set off.

The fly came from The Red Lion and had a peculiar smell of stale straw. They drove with both windows closed so that the Vicar should not catch cold. The sexton was waiting at the porch to take the communion plate, and while the Vicar went to the vestry Mrs. Carey and Philip settled themselves in the vicarage pew. Mrs. Carey placed in front of her the sixpenny bit she was accustomed to put in the plate, and gave Philip threepence for the same purpose. The church filled up gradually and the service began.

Philip grew bored during the sermon, but if he fidgetted Mrs. Carey put a gentle hand on his arm and looked at him reproachfully. He regained interest when the final hymn was sung and Mr. Graves passed round with the plate.

When everyone had gone Mrs. Carey went into Miss Graves' pew to have a few words with her while they were waiting for the gentlemen, and Philip went to the vestry. His uncle, the curate, and Mr. Graves were still in their surplices. Mr. Carey gave him the remains of the consecrated bread and told him he might eat it. He had been accustomed to eat it himself, as it seemed blasphemous to throw it away, but Philip's keen appetite relieved him from the duty. Then they counted the money. It consisted of pennies, sixpences and threepenny bits. There were always two single shillings, one put in the plate by the Vicar and the other by Mr. Graves; and sometimes there was a florin. Mr. Graves told the Vicar who had given this. It was always a stranger to Blackstable, and Mr. Carey wondered who he was. But Miss Graves had observed the rash act and was able to tell Mrs. Carey that the stranger came from London, was married and had children. During the drive home Mrs. Carey passed the information on, and the Vicar made up his mind to call on him and ask for a subscription to the Additional Curates Society. Mr. Carey asked if Philip had behaved properly; and Mrs. Carey remarked that Mrs. Wigram had a new mantle, Mr. Cox was not in church, and somebody thought that Miss Phillips was engaged. When they reached the vicarage they all felt that they deserved a substantial dinner.

When this was over Mrs. Carey went to her room to rest, and Mr. Carey lay down on the sofa in the drawing-room for forty winks.

They had tea at five, and the Vicar ate an egg to support himself for evensong. Mrs. Carey did not go to this so that Mary Ann might, but she read the service through and the hymns. Mr. Carey walked to church in the evening, and Philip limped along by his side. The walk through the darkness along the country road strangely impressed him, and the church with all its lights in the distance, coming gradually nearer, seemed very friendly. At first he was shy with his uncle, but little by little grew used to him, and he would slip his hand in his uncle's and walk more easily for the feeling of protection.

They had supper when they got home. Mr. Carey's slippers were waiting for him on a footstool in front of the fire and by their side Philip's, one the shoe of a small boy, the other misshapen and odd. He was dreadfully tired when he went up to bed, and he did not resist when Mary Ann undressed him. She kissed him after she tucked him up, and he began to love her.