The girl in grey came again to that quiet corner of that quiet small park at the beginning of twilight1. She sat down upon a bench and began to read a book. Her dress was grey and very simple. Her face was very beautiful. She had come there at the same hour on the previous day, and on the day before that, and there was a young man who knew it.
The young man came near. At that moment her book slipped from her fingers and fell on the ground. The young man picked up the book, returned it to the girl politely, saying a few words about the weather, and stood waiting.
The girl looked at his simple coat and his common face.
“You may sit down, if you like,” she said in a contralto2. “The light is too bad for reading. I should like to talk.”
“Do you know,” he said, “that you are the finest girl I have seen. I saw you yesterday.”
“Whoever you are,” said the girl in an icy tone, “you must remember that I am a lady.”
“I beg your pardon,” said the young man. “It was my fault, you know—I mean, there are girls in parks, you know—of course, you don’t know, but...”
“Let’s change the subject. Of course, I know. Now tell me about these passing people. Where are they going? Why do they hurry so? Are they happy?” The young man could not understand the role he was to play.
“I come here to sit because it is only here that I can be near the mass of the people. I speak to you because I want to talk to a natural man, unspoiled3 by money. Oh! You don’t know how tired I am of it—money, money, money! And of the men who surround me. I am tired of pleasure, of jewels, of travel!”
“I always had an idea,” said the young man, “that money must be a very good thing.”
“When you have so many millions! Drives, dinners, theaters, balls, suppers! I am tired of it!” said the young girl.
The young man looked at her with interest.
“I have always liked,” he said, “to read and to hear about the life of rich people.”
“Sometimes,” continued the girl, “I think if I ever loved a man I should love a simple man. —What is your profession4?”
“I am a very simple man. But I hope to rise in the world. Did you really mean it when you said that you could love a simple man?”
“I really did,” she said.
“I work at a restaurant,” said he. The girl drew back. “Not as a waiter?” she asked.
“I am a cashier5 in that restaurant you see there with that brilliant electric sign: ‘Restaurant’.”
The girl looked at her watch and rose. “Why are you not at work?” she asked.
“I am on the night turn,” said the young man, “it is an hour yet till my work begins. May I hope to see you again?”
“I don’t know, perhaps. I must go quickly now. Oh, there is a dinner and a concert tonight. Perhaps you noticed a white automobile at the corner of the park when you came?”
“Yes, I did,” said the young man.
“I always come in it. The driver waits for me there. Good night.”
“But it is dark now,” said the young man, “and the park is full of rude6 men. May I accompany you to the car?”
“You will remain on this bench for ten minutes after I have left.” And she went away.
The young man looked at her elegant7 figure while she was going to the entrance of the park. Then he rose and followed her. When she reached the park gate, she turned her head to look at the car, then passed it, crossed the street and entered the restaurant with the brilliant electric sign: “Restaurant”. A red-haired girl left the cashier’s desk, and the girl in grey took her place.
The young man put his hands into his pockets and walked slowly down the street. Then he stepped into the white automobile and said to the driver, “Club, Henry.”
黄昏时分，一位灰衣姑娘又来到这座僻静的小公园，找了个宁静的角落。她坐在凳子上，开始看起书来。她的衣服是灰色的，显得非常朴素，不过人长得很漂亮。前天和大前天，这姑娘都在同一时候来到这里。有个小伙子对此摸得清清楚楚。
小伙子走上前来，就在同时，姑娘手中的书掉了下来，落在地上。小伙子拾起书，彬彬有礼地递给姑娘，说了几句有关天气的话后，就站在一旁等着。
姑娘打量了小伙子一眼，见他衣着朴素，相貌平平。
“如果你愿意的话，就坐下吧，”她低声说，“光线太暗了，不适合读书。我倒想和你聊聊天。”
“你知道吗？”小伙子说，“你是我看到的最美的姑娘。我昨天就见到过你。”
“我不管你是谁，”姑娘冷冰冰地说，“你必须记住，我是一个有身份的女士。”
“请原谅，”小伙子说，“刚才我冒犯了，你知道——我的意思是，公园里有许多姑娘，你知道——当然，你不会知道，但是……”
“让我们换个话题吧。当然，我知道。现在，就说说那些过往的行人吧。他们到哪里去？他们为何这样匆忙？他们快活吗？”小伙子不知道自己要扮什么角色了。
“我到这里坐坐，是因为在这里，我可以接近普通人。你是一个平常的人，未受金钱玷污，所以我才跟你说话。嗨！你不知道我多么讨厌它——钱，钱，钱！还有那些围着我转的男人。我讨厌享乐，讨厌珠宝，讨厌旅行。”
“我一直以为，”小伙子说，“钱一定是个好东西。”
“可当你拥有成千上万的时候！什么兜风，午宴，戏院，舞会，晚餐！我厌烦死了！”姑娘说道。
小伙子饶有兴趣地看着她。
“我一直喜欢，”他说，“读到或听到有关有钱人的生活。”
“有时候，”那姑娘继续说下去，“我想，假如我恋爱的话，我就去爱一个普通的人——你的职业是什么？”
“我的工作很普通。不过，我希望能出人头地。你说会爱一个普通人，此话当真吗？”
“当真，”她说。
“我在一家餐馆工作，”小伙子说。姑娘缩了回去，“不会是跑堂儿的吧？”她问。
“你看到那耀眼的霓虹灯招牌‘餐厅’吗？我就在那里当收银员。”
姑娘看了看手表，站了起来，“你怎么不去上班？”
“我上夜班，”小伙子说，“再过一小时，我才工作。我能再见到你吗？”
“我不知道，也许吧。现在我得赶紧走了。哦，今晚还有一顿晚餐、一场音乐会。你过来的时候，你注意到那辆停在公园拐角的白色汽车吗？”
“是的，我注意到了。”小伙子回答道。
“我总是坐那辆车。司机在那里等我呢，晚安。”
“不过，现在天色暗下来了，”小伙子说，“公园里坏人很多。我能陪你走过去吗？”
“我离开后，你得在凳子上再坐十分钟。”说完，她就走开了。
小伙子饱览着姑娘优美的身材，一直目送着她走到公园出口处。然后他站起身，紧随姑娘的后面。姑娘走到公园门口，她转过头，朝汽车看了看，然后走过去，穿过大街，走进那有着耀眼霓虹灯招牌的餐厅。一个红发女郎离开收银员的桌子，灰衣姑娘坐了上去。
小伙子把手插进口袋里，沿着大街慢悠悠地踱着步。然后，他钻进那辆白色的汽车，对司机说：“俱乐部，亨利。”
1. twilight n. 日落后的微光；暮色
2. contralto n. 女低音
3. unspoiled adj. 未宠坏的
4. profession n. 职业
5. cashier n. 收银员
6. rude adj. 粗野的，无礼的
7. elegant adj. 优雅的，高雅的