# ■ 7 Christine and Simon

Mary talked to Mr Wilson too，but it was no good． She came out looking tired and very sad．

For many months she argued with David Wilson about the danger of the waste products， but he would not listen to her．And so， eighteen months after John's report， Mary decided to move to another company．she was pleased， because it was a more important job，but that wasn't the reason she was going．She knew that the cleaning machines would never be built．

John was sad to see her go． He had enjoyed working with her， and she had come to his house several times over the last year and a half． His children liked her now．They had never been so friendly with any woman， since their mother had died．

On her last day，Mary and John had lunch in the factory restaurant together．

You don't have to go， you know， Mary，'John said．'This company is very successful， and it's growing all the time．Your new paint has meant four hundred new jobs—all because of your discovery！ This isn't a poor town any more—it's becoming successful，rich！ People will want to move here from other places．'

He talked about the new sports centre at Andrew's school，which was built with money from the paint company．There were two big，new shops in the town as well，and a new the－atre，and a lot of new houses．'And it's all because of you，'he said．'It's wonderful， Mary，don't you think？'He smiled at her across the table，and took her hand in his．

She looked at him quietly．He had changed a lot since he had first started working at the factory．For the first six months after he had got the job，he had been really happy and lively．She had always known where he was in the factory，because he was always laughing，or singing to himself．

But for the last eighteen months he had been much quieter．He was always busy，but he didn't sing or laugh，and he didn't often look Mary in the eyes．And when he was alone，he looked tired and sad．

She took her hand away from his，gently．'You know why I'm going，John，'she said．'I know what's going into the river，and I don't like to think about it．You should leave，too，and get a job in another company．'

I'm too old．'John stared at her angrily．'It isn't easy for me to get a new job．And Mary，the company has been mak-ing the paint for more than two years now，and no one's been hurt，have they？'

Mary didn't answer for a moment．Then she said，'Only you．'

What do you mean，only me？'

She looked at him sadly．His head was bald now， and he was beginning to look like an old man．Once，she had wanted to marry him．Now，she was pleased that he hadn't asked her．

Oh，I just meant your leg，of course．'John still had a painful red place on his leg，and sometimes he walked badly because of it．But that wasn't what Mary meant．

John smiled．'My leg's nearly better．I'd almost forgotten about it．But Mary，before you go…I wonder if you could help me．It's a family matter．'

I see．Well，how can I help？I don't know your children very well，you know．'

No，of course not．But you're a woman，and…well，it's sometimes difficult for me，as a father on my own．Christine's a young woman now，and she hasn't got a mother to discuss things with．I don't always know what to say．'

No．'mary looked at him sadly．She often wondered why he didn't ask her to his house more often．She liked him and his children，and she thought he liked her．'How old is Chris-tine now？'

Eighteem．And she wants to get married．'

Already？She's rather young，isn't she？'

John looked unhappy．'Well，that's what I say．But she gets so angry with me，Mary，really angry．'

Who's the young man？'

He's called Simon MacDonald．He's a journalist—he works for the local newspaper．He's a nice young man，I sup-pose．But every time I speak to him，we argue．And then Christine always agrees with him，and I get angry with her，too．I don't want to，Mary，but I do．I feel I'm losing her，you see．'

What do you argue about？'

Oh，I don't know．Stupid things，really．He belongs to one of these environmental groups—Greenworld，I think—and he's always talking about it．He thinks only young people are right，and everyone over twenty-five is always wrong！'

Mary looked at John thoughtfully．

Well，what do you want me to do，John？I'm not a moth-er and I've never been married．'

No，but…you could talk to Christine，perhaps？If you came to our house for Sunday lunch…？'

So Mary went to John's house．Simon was there too．They had a meal and talked about horses and sailing．Everyone was polite，and there were no arguments．Later，Mary went with Christine to look at her horse，and Simon stayed with John．In the field，Mary began to talk about Simon．

He's fine young man，Christine．He's very clever and kind．He makes me think of your father．'

My father！He's nothing like my father！And Dad hates him！'

I'm sure he doesn't．'

He does！He says he's too old for me，and I mustn't see him！He thinks I'm still a little girl，Mary！But I'm eighteen！I want to get married！'

Tell me more about Simon…'

And so for a long time Mary stood in the quiet，lonely field．She helped Christine give food to her horse，and listened to her talk about Simon．Simon，Christine said，was kind，intelli-gent，very hard-working．He liked sailing and riding，and he wanted to make the world a cleaner，better place．He made her feel important，like an adult，not a child any more．She had met his parents，and they liked her a lot．It was only her father…

So what should I do，Mary？'Christineasked．

Mary put her hand on the horse's neck．'I'm not sure，'she said．'I think you should marry him，but you don't want to make your father angry，do you？That's not the best way to start your life with Simon．'

No，but I will if I have to！'

Would you liKe me to talk to him？Perhaps he'll listen to me．It's difficult for him—you're his only daughter，and he's probably very worried about it．'

Oh，would you，Mary？Please．I want Dad to like Simon，really，but he's always nasty to him．'

I'll do my best，my dear，but I don't know if it'll work．'

Mary did try，very hard，before she moved to Scotland for her new job．She spoke to John on the phone，and sometimes they had a cup of coffee together in town．She was surprised how carefully John listened to her，and how grateful he seemed write a full-page article every week on the environment．And this is the first one．Look here！'

He pulled a page of newspaper out of his pocket，and held it up in front of them．There were pictures of water，sandbanks，and some seals．The headline read：

SEALS AT RIVER MOUTH

HAVE STRANGE DISEASE

Four baby seals found dead

■ 7 克里斯汀和西蒙

瑪麗也跟威爾遜先生談了，但是沒有用。她走出來，看上去疲憊憂傷。

她跟大衛·威爾遜爭論廢料的危險性好幾個月，但他就是不聽她的。所以，在約翰提出報告一年半後，瑪麗決定調到其他公司。她很高興，因為那是一份更重要的工作，但這並不是她走的原因。她知道淨化機器永遠不會被建造。

約翰看到她走很憂傷。他喜歡跟她一起工作，在過去的一年半中她多次去過他家。他的孩子們現在喜歡她。他們自從母親死後，還沒跟任何女人這麼友好過。

在她走的前一天，瑪麗和約翰在工廠的餐廳共進午餐。

約翰說：“瑪麗，你知道你不是非走不可。這家公司非常成功，它在不斷擴大。你的新油漆已經意味著400份新工作——全是由於你的發現！這裡不再是貧窮的小鎮——它正變得成功、富有！人們將願意從別處遷到這裡。”

他談到安德魯學校裡新的體育中心，那是用油漆公司的錢修建的。鎮上還有兩座新的大商店、一座新的劇院和許多新房子。“這一切都得歸功於你，”他說。“太棒了，瑪麗，你不這樣認為嗎？”他朝著桌子對面的她微笑著，將她的手放在他的手中。

她靜靜地看著他。他自從開始在工廠工作變了許多。剛得到工作的頭半年他確實很愉快有生氣。她總是知道他在廠裡的哪個地方，因為他總是笑或者自己唱歌。

但是在後來的一年半里他沉默了許多。他總是忙碌，但他不唱也不笑，也不常正視瑪麗的眼睛。當他獨自待著時，他看上去疲倦又憂鬱。

她輕輕地將手抽回去。“你知道我為什麼走，約翰，”她說。“我知道河裡倒入了什麼，我不願去想它。你也應該離開，到另一家公司找工作。”

“我太老了。”約翰氣憤地瞪著她。“我另找工作不容易。瑪麗，公司製造這種油漆到現在已經兩年多了，還沒有一個人遭到傷害，不是嗎？”瑪麗沉默了一會，然後她說，“只有你。”

“你這是什麼意思，只有我？”

她憂慮地望著他。他的頭現在已禿了，49他開始看上去像個老頭。她曾經想跟他結婚。現在她慶幸他沒有向她提出。

“哦，我當然是指你的腿。”約翰腿上仍有一塊疼痛紅腫的地方，有時他由於它走路都困難。但這不是瑪麗所指的。

約翰笑了笑。“我的腿幾乎漸好，我都快忘了。但是，瑪麗，你走以前……我想你是否能夠幫助我。這是一件家事。”

“我明白。那麼，我怎麼幫你？我不十分了解你的孩子們，這你知道。”

“是的，你當然不太瞭解。但你是一個女人，並且……唉，有時候作為一個父親單靠我是困難的。克里斯汀現在已長大了，她有事沒有母親可以商談。我不總是知道該怎麼說。”

“是的。”瑪麗悲傷地看著他。她經常想為什麼他沒更常請她去他家。她喜歡他及他的孩子們，並且她想他也喜歡她。“克里斯汀現在多大了？”

“18歲，並且她打算結婚。”

“已經想結婚啦？她還很年輕啊？”

約翰看上去不高興的樣子。“是呀，我也這麼說。但她很生我的氣，瑪麗，真的很生氣。”

“那男孩是誰？”

“他叫西蒙·麥克唐納。他是一個記者——他替當地報紙工作。我想，他是一個好青年。但是每次我跟他交談，我們都爭論。克里斯汀總是贊同他，於是我也生她的氣。我不想如此，瑪麗，但我真生氣。你瞧，我感到我正在失去她。”

“你們爭論些什麼？”

“哦，我不知道。都是一些無聊的事情，真的。他屬於那些環境組織之中的一個——我想叫綠色世界——他經常談論它。他認為只有年青人是對的，每個過了25歲的人總是錯的！”

瑪麗帶著思考的神情望著他。

“那你想讓我做什麼，約翰？我不是一個母親，也從沒結過婚。”

“是的，但是……你也許可以跟克里斯汀談談？如果你星期日可以來我家吃午飯……？”

就這樣瑪麗去了約翰的家。西蒙也在那兒。他們吃了飯並且談論了馬匹和划船。每個人都很客氣，沒有爭論。隨後，瑪麗跟克里斯汀去看她的馬，而西蒙則跟約翰待在一起。在田野裡瑪麗開始談論西蒙。

“他是一個好青年，克里斯汀，他非常聰明善良。他使我想起你的父親。”

“我父親！他一點也不像我父親！並且爸爸恨他。”

“我相信你爸爸不恨他。”

“他恨！他說西蒙年齡比我大得多，我不應該再見他！他認為我還是個小女孩，瑪麗！但我已18歲了！我想要結婚！”

“跟我多談談西蒙……”

就這樣瑪麗在寂靜空曠的田野裡站了很久。她幫助克里斯汀餵馬，聽她講西蒙。克里斯汀說西蒙善良、聰慧、非常刻苦。他喜歡划船和騎馬，並且他想使世界變成一個更清潔更美好的地方。他使她感到重要，如同成人，不再是孩子。她已見過他的父母，他們非常喜歡她。只有她的父親……

“所以，我該怎麼辦？瑪麗？”克里斯汀問道。

瑪麗把手放在馬脖子上。“我也不太清楚，”她說。“我想你應該嫁給他，但你不想使你父親生氣，是吧？那不是你與西蒙開始生活的最好方法。”

“對，但如果不得已，我也許會的。”

“你想讓我跟他談談嗎？也許他會聽我的。這對他來講很困難——你是他唯一的女兒，他也許對此非常焦慮。”

“哦，你肯幫我嗎？瑪麗？求你了。我想讓爸爸喜歡西蒙，真的，但他總是對他發火。”

“親愛的，我一定盡力，但我不知道是否有效。”

瑪麗在去蘇格蘭就任新工作之前確實努力試過。她給約翰打電話，有時他們在鎮上一起喝咖啡。她驚奇地發現約翰非常細心地聽她講，並且好像十分感激她的幫助。她想他的確是一個非常孤獨的人，帶著兩個孩子，沒有妻子，生活對他來說一定很艱難。他曾經經常跟他的孩子們交談，但是現在不是這樣了。

最後約翰同意了婚事。由於這個好消息，瑪麗被邀請參加了一個特殊的晚餐。克里斯汀非常高興。當瑪麗到達時，她親吻了瑪麗並給了她一件小巧祕密的禮物以表示感謝。它是一對漂亮的耳環。用餐時，約翰有點兒不自然，但也很高興。他努力使自己笑出來，並感謝瑪麗，雖然他沒想到送她一件禮物。整個晚餐他都在觀察克里斯汀。他好像害怕他再也見不到她了，當她衝他笑時，他感到很幸福。

然後西蒙站起來講話。

“鄧肯先生，”他說，“我將永遠記住這個夜晚。我知道你是多麼愛你女兒，請相信我，先生，我也愛她。你一直擔心我，是因為你想讓她儘可能嫁一個最好的丈夫，而我——當然我無法許諾什麼，但我將努力去成為那樣一個人。你是一個富有的人，鄧肯先生。當然克里斯汀和我一開始不會有很多錢，但我希望我們能應付。”他對克里斯汀笑了笑。“鄧肯先生，昨天，我跟我的老闆談了，他將付給我比以前多一點的工資！”

約翰看上去很驚訝。“噢，真的嗎？為什麼？”

“因為他給了我一項新任務。他讓我替我們的報紙寫關於環境的文章。每週我得寫一整版關於環境的文章。這是第一篇，請看。”

他從口袋裡抽出一頁報紙，舉在他們面前，上面有江河、沙灘和一些海豹的圖片，標題是：

河口的海豹已染上怪病

發現4只幼豹死亡