Derossi smiled, and said:--

代洛西微笑着：

"No, thanks: I don't want anything; I shall always do all that I can for Crossi, but I cannot accept anything. I thank you all the same."

“不，谢谢！我什么都不要。我愿尽力替克洛西帮忙，但是什么都不受。谢谢！”

"But you are not at all offended?" asked the woman, anxiously.

那妇人很惭愧地问：“你可是动气了吗？”

Derossi said "No, no!" smiled, and went off, while she exclaimed, in great delight:--

“不，不。”代洛西说了笑着就走。那妇人欢喜得了不得，独语说：

"Oh, what a good boy! I have never seen so fine and handsome a boy as he!"

“渐呀！从没见过有这样漂亮的好哥儿哩！”

And that appeared to be the end of it. But in the afternoon, at four o'clock, instead of Crossi's mother, his father approached, with that gaunt and melancholy face of his. He stopped Derossi, and from the way in which he looked at the latter I instantly understood that he suspected Derossi of knowing his secret. He looked at him intently, and said in his sorrowful, affectionate voice:--

总以为这事就这样完了，不料午后四时光景，做母亲的不来，他那瘦弱而脸上有悲容的父亲来了。他叫住了代洛西，好像觉到代洛西已经知道了他的秘密。他只管注视代洛西，悄悄地用温和的声音对代洛西说：

"You are fond of my son. Why do you like him so much?" Derossi's face turned the color of fire. He would have liked to say: "I am fond of him because he has been unfortunate; because you, his father, have been more unfortunate than guilty, and have nobly expiated your crime, and are a man of heart." But he had not the courage to say it, for at bottom he still felt fear and almost loathing in the presence of this man who had shed another's blood, and had been six years in prison. But the latter divined it all, and lowering his voice, he said in Derossi's ear, almost trembling the while:--

“你爱护我的儿子。为什么竟这样地爱护他呢？”代洛西脸红得像火一样，他大概想这样说吧：“我所以爱他，因为他不幸。又因为他父亲是个不幸的人，是忠实地偿了罪的人，是有真心的人。”可是他究竟没有说这话的勇气。大约见了曾杀过人、住过六年监牢的犯人，心里不免恐惧吧。克洛西的父亲似乎觉到了这一层，就附着代洛西的耳朵低声地说，说时他差不多震栗着：

"You love the son; but you do not hate, do not wholly despise the father, do you?"

“你大概爱我的儿子，而不欢喜我这个做父亲的吧？”

"Ah, no, no! Quite the reverse!" exclaimed Derossi, with a soulful impulse. And then the man made an impetuous movement, as though to throw one arm round his neck; but he dared not, and instead he took one of the lad's golden curls between two of his fingers, smoothed it out, and released it; then he placed his hand on his mouth and kissed his palm, gazing at Derossi with moist eyes, as though to say that this kiss was for him. Then he took his son by the hand, and went away at a rapid pace.

“哪里，哪里！没有那样的事。”代洛西从心底里喊出来。克洛西的父亲于是走近去，想用腕勾住代洛西的项颈，但终于不敢这样，只是把手指插入那黄金色的头发里抚摸了一会儿。又眼泪汪汪地对着代洛西，将自己的手放在口上接吻，好像在说，这接吻是给你的。他携了自己的儿子，就急速地走了。