# ■ 8 The wedding day

The disease among the seals got worse．Three more baby seals died，and one was born without a tall．Scientists came from London to look at them，and there were long arti-cles in the newspapers，but no one was sure what the reasons were．Some people said that it was a disease that was always in the water；some people said the seals were eating diseased fish；and some people said that it was the paint factory near the river．

There was a sewage works near the river too．The sewage from another small town came to it．One day，in the factory，John Duncan found two young chemists testing samples of wa-ter from the river．The water came from two kilometres up-stream，near the sewage works．

Why are you doing that？'he asked，surprised．

It's a special experiment，'one of them answered．'David Wilson asked us to do it himself．Didn't he tell you，sir？'

John didn't answer．He watched them quietly for several minutes．'What are the results？'he asked．

They're bad，sir，'said the young man．But he didn't look worried；he looked pleased，proud of himself．'That sewage works is putting a lot of nasty things into the river，you know．I think the newspapers will be very interested．'

The newspapers？'John asked．The young man smiled．

Yes，Mr Duncan，of course．Our company cares about the environment，doesn't it？That's why we're doing this．We want to help those poor seals，if we can．'

As John walked away，he listened for the sound of quiet laughter behind him．But he heard nothing．Perhaps the young man really believed what he said．

Christine and Simon were married on a fine day in June．When they came back from the church，they had a party in the gar-den at John's house．Everyone seemed very happy．John liked Simon's parents，and talked to them a lot．

You're very lucky，Mr Duncan，'simon's father said．'You have a beautiful house with a lovely river at the end of the garden．'

I haven't always been lucky，'John answered．'People used to say I was a very unlucky man．'He stood still，think-ing．He remembered how unhappy he had been in the little flat in the middle of the town．He had been unemployed then，with no money to buy good things for his children．But he had always been able to talk to them．Now he was a rich man，a success，and his children didn't want to talk to him．

He smiled at Mr and Mrs MacDonald．'Yes，'he said．'I'm a very lucky man．I have Simon for my son-in-law．I'm very pleased for my daughter．'

Mrs MacDonald was pleased．'We're very pleased to have Christine for our daughter-in-law，too，'she said．'And I'm sure Simon will help you with this river，Mr Duncan．I under-stand there's a disease in it，which is making the seals ill．Simon told me he's going to work very hard to find the reason for that，and clean up the river．I'm sure you're pleased about that，Mr Duncan．'

Yes，of course．'John had seen Simon's article in the newspaper last night，about the diseases that came from the sewage works．David Wilson had shown it to him．John didn't want to talk about it．

He saw his daughter laughing with Simon，Andrew and some friends．He had never seen her look so happy．He re-membered his own wedding，and the hopes he and Rachel had had．

Let me get you another drink，Mrs MacDonald，'he said．'We must drink to our children's future，and wish them luck．'

At the bar in the house he met Mary．She came back to the town sometimes，and twice he had visited her in Scotland．

This day's been a great success，John，'she said．'You must be a happy man．'

He touched her arm thoughtfully．'I'd like to be，Mary，'he said．'I've tried，you know．I've done my best．But it's their world now．They must do what they can with it． '

■ 8 婚禮

海豹的疾病日趨嚴重。又有3只幼豹死亡，有一隻生出來就沒有尾巴。從倫敦來的科學家們察看了它們，報紙上也登載了長篇文章，但是沒有人能肯定是什麼原因。有些人說水中本來就有這種疾病。有些人說海豹是吃了有病的魚。還有些人說是河附近的油漆廠。

河附近還有一個汙水處理廠。汙水來自另一個小鎮。一天，在工廠裡，約翰·鄧肯發現兩名年青的化學師在測試從河裡提取的水樣。水來自兩公里以外的上游，靠近汙水處理廠。

“你們為什麼做這事？”他驚奇地問。

“這是一項特殊實驗。”其中一個答道。“是大衛·威爾遜親自讓我們做的，他沒告訴你嗎，先生？”

約翰沒有回答。他靜靜地望著他們有幾分鐘。“結果怎樣？”他問。

“非常糟糕，先生，”年青人說。但他看上去並不擔憂。他顯得很高興，很自豪。

“那個汙水處理廠正在往河裡放一些髒東西，你知道。我想報紙對此會非常感興趣。”

“報紙嗎？”約翰問。年青人笑了。

“是的，鄧肯先生，當然。我們公司關心環境，是吧？這就是我們為什麼要做實驗。如果能夠的話，我們想幫助那些可憐的海豹。”

當約翰走開時，他等著聽背後輕輕的笑聲。但是他什麼也沒聽到。也許年青人真的相信他所說的。

克里斯汀和西蒙在6月一個明媚的日子裡結了婚。當他們從教堂回來後，在約翰家的花園裡舉行了宴會。每個人好像都很快樂。約翰喜歡西蒙的父母，跟他們聊了很多。

“你很幸運，鄧肯先生，”西蒙的父親說，“你有一座漂亮的房子，花園盡頭是可愛的河。”

“我不總是幸運，”約翰回答道。“人們曾經說我是一個很不幸的人。”他站在那兒不動，思考著。他記得他曾多麼不幸福，住在小鎮中部的一所小公寓裡。然後他失業了，沒錢給他的孩子們買好東西。但是他總能夠跟他們交談。現在他是一個富人、一個成功者，可他的孩子不願跟他交談。

他衝著麥克唐納夫婦笑著說：“是的，我是一個非常幸運的人，我有西蒙做我的女婿。我為我女兒感到非常高興。”

麥克唐納太太很滿意。“能有克里斯汀做我們的兒媳，我們也非常高興，”她說。“我相信西蒙會幫助你解決河的問題，鄧肯先生。我知道河裡有病菌使海豹得病。西蒙告訴我他將努力去查找原因，清理河流。我相信你會對此滿意的，鄧肯先生。”

“這當然。”約翰昨晚已經看到報紙上西蒙寫的關於疾病來自汙水處理廠的文章。是大衛·威爾遜拿給他看的。約翰不想說什麼。

他看到他女兒與酉蒙、安德魯和一些朋友在一起歡笑。他從沒看到過她有這麼高興。他想起了自己的婚禮，以及他和雷切爾曾有過的願望。

“我再給你斟一杯，麥克唐納太太，”他說。“我們要為我們孩子的將來乾杯，祝他們好運。”

在屋中的酒吧前他遇見了瑪麗。她有時回到鎮上，他也曾兩次去蘇格蘭拜訪她。

“這一天很成功，約翰，”她說。“你一定是個幸福的人。”

他深思地摸著她的胳臂。“我很想成為一個幸福的人，瑪麗，”他說，“我努力過，你知道，我盡力了。但現在是他們的世界，他們應該為之努力。”