第一章

天亮了，天色阴沉沉的。彤云低垂，寒风刺骨，眼看要飞雪花了。屋里睡着个孩子，一名女仆走了进来，拉开窗帘。她朝对面的房子，一幢正门前筑有柱廊的灰泥房子，无意识地望了一眼，然后走到孩子床边。

"醒醒，菲利普，"她说。

她掀开被子，抱起孩子，带他下了楼。孩子迷迷糊糊的，还未醒透。

"你妈妈要你去哩，"她说。

她来到下面一层楼，推开一间屋子的房门，将小孩抱到床前。床上躺着一位妇人，是孩子的母亲。她张开双臂，让孩子依偎在自己身边。孩子没问为什么要在这时候将他唤醒。妇人吻吻孩子的眼睛，并用那双纤弱的小手，隔着孩子的白法兰绒睡衣，抚摩他温暖的身子。她让孩子贴紧自己的身子。

"还困吗，宝贝？"她说。

她的声音轻轻悠悠，仿佛是从远处飘来。孩子没有应声，只是惬意地微微一笑，躺在这张暖和的大床上，又被温柔的双臂搂着，感到有种说不出的快意。孩子紧偎着母亲，蜷起身子，想让自己缩得更小些；他睡意矇眬地吻着母亲。不一会，他阖上眼皮，酣然入梦了。医生走过来，站在床前。

"噢，别现在就把他抱走，"妇人悲戚地说。

医生神情严肃地望着她，没有答话。妇人心里明白医生不会让孩子在她身边呆多久的，她又一次亲亲孩子；她抚摸着孩子的身体，手指轻轻下持，最后触到孩子的下肢；她把右脚捏在手里，抚弄着那五个小脚趾。接着又慢慢地把手伸到左脚上。她抽搭了一声。

"怎么啦？"医生说，"你累了。"

她摇摇头，哽咽着说不出话来，眼泪沿着双颊扑籁而下。医生弯下身子。

"让我来抱他。"

她心力交瘁，无力违拗医生的意愿，只得任他抱走了孩子。医生把孩子交还给保姆。

"最好还是把孩子送回自己的床上去。"

"好的，先生。"

仍在呼呼熟睡的孩子被抱开了。做母亲的这时万箭钻心，低声呜咽起来。

"可怜的孩子，不知他将来会怎么样呢？"

侍候产妇的看护在一旁好言劝慰，想让她平静下来。隔了一会，她由于精疲力竭而停止了哭泣。医生走到房间另一侧的一张桌子跟前，桌上有具死婴，用毛巾蒙着。他揭开毛巾看了看。虽然医生的身子被屏风遮住，但床上的产妇还是猜着了他在干什么。

"是女的还是男的？"她低声问看护。

"又是个男孩。"

妇人没有再吭声。不一会，孩子的保姆回来了。她走到床头前。

"菲利普少爷睡得很香，"她说。

一阵沉默。医生又给病人搭脉。

"我想这会儿没我的事了，"他说。"早饭后我再来。"

"让我领您出去，"孩子的保姆说。

他们默然不语地步下楼梯。到了门厅，医生收住脚步。

"你们派人去请凯里太太的大伯了，是吗？"

"是的，先生。"

"你知道他什么时候能到这儿？"

"不知道，先生，我正在等电报。"

"那小孩怎么办？我觉得最好把他领开去。"

"沃特金小姐说她愿意照看孩子，先生。"

"这位小姐是谁？"

"是孩子的教母，先生。您认为凯里太太的病还能好吗，先生？"

医生摇摇头。

chapter 1

the day broke gray and dull. the clouds hung heavily, and there was a rawness in the air that suggested snow. a woman servant came into a room in which a child was sleeping and drew the curtains. she glanced mechanically at the house opposite, a stucco house with a portico, and went to the child’s bed.

‘wake up, philip,’ she said.

she pulled down the bed-clothes, took him in her arms, and carried him downstairs. he was only half awake.

‘your mother wants you,’ she said.

she opened the door of a room on the floor below and took the child over to a bed in which a woman was lying. it was his mother. she stretched out her arms, and the child nestled by her side. he did not ask why he had been awakened. the woman kissed his eyes, and with thin, small hands felt the warm body through his white flannel nightgown. she pressed him closer to herself.

‘are you sleepy, darling?’ she said.

her voice was so weak that it seemed to come already from a great distance. the child did not answer, but smiled comfortably. he was very happy in the large, warm bed, with those soft arms about him. he tried to make himself smaller still as he cuddled up against his mother, and he kissed her sleepily. in a moment he closed his eyes and was fast asleep. the doctor came forwards and stood by the bed-side.

‘oh, don’t take him away yet,’ she moaned.

the doctor, without answering, looked at her gravely. knowing she would not be allowed to keep the child much longer, the woman kissed him again; and she passed her hand down his body till she came to his feet; she held the right foot in her hand and felt the five small toes; and then slowly passed her hand over the left one. she gave a sob.

‘what’s the matter?’ said the doctor. ‘you’re tired.’

she shook her head, unable to speak, and the tears rolled down her cheeks. the doctor bent down.

‘let me take him.’

she was too weak to resist his wish, and she gave the child up. the doctor handed him back to his nurse.

‘you’d better put him back in his own bed.’

‘very well, sir.’ the little boy, still sleeping, was taken away. his mother sobbed now broken-heartedly.

‘what will happen to him, poor child?’

the monthly nurse tried to quiet her, and presently, from exhaustion, the crying ceased. the doctor walked to a table on the other side of the room, upon which, under a towel, lay the body of a still-born child. he lifted the towel and looked. he was hidden from the bed by a screen, but the woman guessed what he was doing.

‘was it a girl or a boy?’ she whispered to the nurse.

‘another boy.’

the woman did not answer. in a moment the child’s nurse came back. she approached the bed.

‘master philip never woke up,’ she said. there was a pause. then the doctor felt his patient’s pulse once more.

‘i don’t think there’s anything i can do just now,’ he said. ‘i’ll call again after breakfast.’

‘i’ll show you out, sir,’ said the child’s nurse.

they walked downstairs in silence. in the hall the doctor stopped.

‘you’ve sent for mrs. carey’s brother-in-law, haven’t you?’

‘yes, sir.’

‘d’you know at what time he’ll be here?’

‘no, sir, i’m expecting a telegram.’

‘what about the little boy? i should think he’d be better out of the way.’

‘miss watkin said she’d take him, sir.’

‘who’s she?’

‘she’s his godmother, sir. d’you think mrs. carey will get over it, sir?’

the doctor shook his head.