"Mama," he said.
“妈妈,”他说。
"Yes?"
“嗯?”
"Did Aunt Mary say anything about me—before she died?"
“玛丽叔祖母提到过我吗——在她死前?”
"Not that I know of—the poor thing was too far gone to speak, God rest her."
“据我所知没有——那件不幸的事已经过去太久了,不会被提起了。上帝保佑她安息。”
When he felt a hardness in his throat he put his head down on his books. Tears came into the crook of his arm for the woman who had been his maiden aunt, his teller of tales, that she might forgive him.
他感觉到自己如鲠在喉,他把自己的头埋进书中。眼泪流到了他的臂弯里,为这位曾是他叔祖母的未婚女人,为这位曾为他讲故事的女人,也许她已经原谅了他。