Tiare sighed.

"Ah, Iwish I were fifteen again. "

Then she caughtsight of a cat trying to get at a dish of prawns on the kitchen table, and witha dexterous gesture and a lively volley of abuse flung a book at its scamperingtail.

"I askedhim if he was happy with Ata.

"`Sheleaves me alone, ' he said. 'She cooks my food and looks after her babies. Shedoes what I tell her. She gives me what I want from a woman. '

"`And doyou never regret Europe? Do you not yearn sometimes for the light of thestreets in Paris or London, the companionship of your friends, and equals, quesais-je? for theatres and newspapers, and the rumble of omnibuses on thecobbled pavements?'

"For along time he was silent. Then he said:

"`I shallstay here till I die. '

"`But areyou never bored or lonely?' I asked.

"Hechuckled.

"` Monpauvre ami, ' he said. `It is evident that you do not know what it is to be anartist. '"

蒂阿瑞叹了口气。

“啊，我真希望我再回到十五岁的年纪。”

这时，她忽然看见一只猫正在厨房桌上偷对虾吃，随着连珠炮似的一串咒骂，她又麻利又准确地把一本书扔在仓皇逃跑的猫尾巴上。

“我问他同爱塔一起生活幸福不幸福。”

“‘她不打扰我，’他说。‘她给我做饭，照管孩子。我叫她做什么她就做什么。凡是我要求一个女人的，她都给我了。’”

“‘你离开欧洲从来也没有后悔过吗？有的时候你是不是也怀念巴黎或伦敦街头的灯火？怀念你的朋友、伙伴？还有我不知道的一些东西，剧院呀、报纸呀、公共马车隆隆走过鹅卵石路的声响？’”

很久，很久，他一句话也没有说。最后他开口道：

“‘我愿意待在这里，一直到我死。’”

“‘但是你就从来也不感到厌烦，不感到寂寞？’”我问道。

他咯咯地笑了几声。

“‘我可怜的朋友①，’他说，‘很清楚，你不懂作一个艺术家是怎么回事。’”

①   原文为法语。