Dinner at the An House (Part 2)
An invitation to the grand An house reveals a troubled host, a red-eyed maid, and a secret only the doctor may hear.
第二天下午，安老爷派人送来一封信，请我去安家大宅吃晚饭。The next afternoon, Master An sent a letter inviting me to dinner at the An house.安家大宅在城外的小山上，是这一带最大的房子。The An house stands on a small hill outside town — the largest house in these parts.我到的时候，天已经快黑了。By the time I arrived, it was almost dark.开门的是老康，安家的老管家，他走路很慢，头发全白了。The door was opened by Old Kang, the An family's old butler; he walks slowly, and his hair is completely white.
安老爷在客厅里等我。Master An was waiting for me in the sitting room.他是城里最有钱的人，也是范太太最好的朋友。He is the richest man in town, and he was Mrs. Fan's closest friend.他看起来一下子老了很多，好像很多天没有睡好。He seemed to have aged all at once, as if he had not slept well for days.“谢医生，你来了，太好了。”他拉住我的手说。"Dr. Xie, you've come — thank goodness," he said, gripping my hand.
晚饭以前，安小姐陪我在花园里走了走。Before dinner, Miss An walked with me in the garden.安小姐是安老爷哥哥的女儿，年轻漂亮，平时最爱笑。Miss An is the daughter of Master An's brother — young, pretty, and usually full of laughter.可是那天晚上，她的笑有点不自然。But that evening, her smile was a little forced.“阿龙呢？”我问，“怎么没看见他？”"Where is Ah Long?" I asked. "Why haven't I seen him?"阿龙是安老爷的养子，大家都说他以后要和安小姐结婚。Ah Long is Master An's adopted son; everyone says he is to marry Miss An one day.“他进城了。”安小姐很快地说，把头转开了。"He has gone to the city," Miss An said quickly, turning her head away.我听人说过，阿龙喜欢赌钱，在城里欠了很多债。I had heard people say that Ah Long likes to gamble, and owes a great deal of money in the city.
吃晚饭的时候，秦先生也在，他是安老爷的秘书。Mr. Qin was at dinner too — he is Master An's secretary.他年轻，说话不多，做事又快又好。He is young, says little, and does his work quickly and well.上菜的是小梅，安家的女仆。The dishes were served by Xiao Mei, the An family's maid.我注意到她的眼睛红红的，好像刚哭过。I noticed that her eyes were red, as if she had just been crying.老康小声告诉我，那天下午，老爷让小梅走，可是没有说为什么。Old Kang told me quietly that the master had dismissed Xiao Mei that afternoon — but no one said why.
晚饭桌上，大家说的都是范太太的事。At the dinner table, everyone talked about Mrs. Fan.“可怜的女人，”安老爷小声说，“她比你们知道的更可怜。”"Poor woman," Master An said in a low voice. "She was more to be pitied than any of you know."他说完这句话，就再也没有说话。After saying that, he did not speak again.安小姐讲了两个城里的笑话，可是没有人真的笑。Miss An told a couple of jokes from town, but nobody really laughed.
晚饭以后，大家准备去客厅喝茶。After dinner, everyone got ready to take tea in the sitting room.安老爷把我留下来，轻轻关上了门。Master An kept me back, and softly closed the door.他的声音很低：“谢医生，我有一件事，只能告诉你。”His voice was very low: "Dr. Xie, there is something I can tell only to you."“九点，你到我的书房来，别让任何人知道。”"At nine o'clock, come to my study. Don't let anyone know."我说好。窗外，天完全黑了，风里有雨的味道。I said I would. Outside the window, the sky was fully dark, and the wind carried the smell of rain.
Want to read along with audio? Every story in the Literate Chinese app is narrated by a native speaker — in Mainland or Taiwan Mandarin — so you can listen while you read, and tap any word to save it as a flashcard. See what's in the app.
