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He went down to the kitchen. His mother was in the morning room polishing silver. He took the kettle and the flex upstairs. Except for the dipping and scratching of his Aunt's pen the room was silent. It was at the back of the house overlooking the orchard and the sound of traffic from the main road was distant and muted. A tiny rattle began as the kettle warmed up, then it bubbled and steam gushed quietly from its spout. The cards began to curl slightly in the jet of steam but she didn't seem to be watching. The stamps peeled off and he put them in a saucer of water to flatten them.
他下楼去了厨房。他的妈妈正在晨间起居室里擦拭银器。他拿着水壶和皮线上了楼。房间内很安静，只有叔祖母钢笔的蘸墨声和刷刷声。叔祖母的房间位于整个房子的深处，从这里可以眺望果园，听见远处车辆往来细微的声音。随着水温的升高，水壶发出微弱的咔嗒声，然后开始沸腾，蒸汽从壶嘴静静地冒出。明信片随着蒸汽的喷出开始微微卷起，然而她似乎并没 有在注意这一切。邮票脱落下来，他把它们放在一个盛着水的小碟子中，把它们展平。
"Who is Brother Benignus?" he asked. She seemed not to hear. He asked again and she looked over her glasses.
“贝尼格纳斯兄弟是谁？”他问道。她似乎没听到他的话。他又问了一次，她透过眼镜看着他。
"He was a friend."
“他是一个朋友。”
His flourishing signature appeared again and again. Sometimes Bro Benignus, sometimes Benignus and once Iggy.
他那花体的签名一次又一次地出现。有时候签的是贝尼格纳斯兄弟，有时候是贝尼格纳斯，还有一次是伊吉。
"Is he alive?"
“他还活着吗？”
"No, he's dead now. Watch the kettle doesn't run dry."
“没有，他现在去世了。看着点水壶，别烧干了。”
