爱的力量(4)

基米来到了普兰特旅馆登记时签的是拉尔夫·D·斯宾塞，他在那里租赁了一个房间。他靠着桌子向店员说明了来意。他说他是来爱尔摩做生意的。这镇上鞋子生意怎么样。他想做鞋子的生意。开一家鞋店划得来吗？基米的衣着和举止使店员感到这人来头不小，因此很乐意为这个年轻人提供他所需要的情况。

Yes, it was worthwhile investing money in the shoe business, he thought. There wasn’t a shoe-store in the place. The dry-goods and general stores sold them. Business in all lines was fairly good.

他想，不错。投资经营鞋子是划得来的。这地方没有鞋店。鞋子只在布店和百货商店有售。各行各业的买卖都相当不错。

“I hope, Mr. Spencer, you’ll decide to stay in Elmore. You’ll find it a pleasant town to live in, and the people are very nice,” continued the clerk.

“我希望，斯宾塞先生，你能决定在爱尔摩居住。你会发现住在这个小镇是非常令人愉快的。这里的人都很好，”店员继续说道。 Mr. Spencer said that he would stop in the town for a few days and consider the situation.

斯宾塞先生说，他想在这镇上呆一段时间，看看情况。

The clerk wanted to call the boy to carry up the suitcase, but Mr. Spencer said that he needn’t do it. He would carry his suitcase himself; it was rather heavy. Mr. Ralph Spencer, the phoenix that arose from Jimmy Valentine’s ashes—ashes left by the flame of a sudden attack of love—remained in Elmore and prospered. He opened a shoe-store and made large profits. In all other respects he was also a success.

店员想叫手下人搬手提箱。斯宾塞先生说不需要，他自己会提。手提箱是相当沉的。拉尔夫·斯宾塞先生，这只由基米·范林丁的灰烬中再生的凤凰——灰烬是由突然袭来的爱情之火燃成的——在爱尔摩定居下来了，并且取得了成功。他开了一家鞋店，获利甚丰，在其它方面也都一帆风顺。

He was popular with many important people and had many friends. And he accompanied the wish of his heart. He met Miss Annabel Adams, and fell more and more deeply in love with her.

他在众多重要人物中名声鹊起，也结交了不少朋友。他在努力实现自己的心愿。他和安娜贝尔·亚当斯小姐相识，而且越来越深地坠入了情网。

In a year the situation of Mr. Ralph Spencer was this: he had won the respect of most of the inhabitants of the place, his shoe-store was prospering, and he and Annabel were to be married in two weeks. Mr. Adams, Annabel’s father, who was a typical country banker, approved of Spencer. Annabel herself was very proud of her fiancé. In fact her pride almost equaled her affection. Jimmy was as much at home in the family of Mr. Adams and that of Annabel’s married sister as if he were already a member.

在一年的时间里，拉尔夫·斯宾塞先生达到了这样一种境况：他赢得了本地大多数居民的尊敬；他的鞋店生意兴隆；他和安娜贝尔也将于两周内喜结良缘。亚当斯先生，安娜贝尔的父亲，这位典型的地方银行家，也对斯宾塞非常满意。安娜贝尔对自己的未婚夫也很自豪。实际上，她的自豪几乎和她的爱情不相上下。基米在亚当斯先生的家里以及在安娜贝尔已经出嫁的姐姐那里，都感到像在自己家里一般无拘无束。

One day Jimmy sat down in his room and wrote this letter which he sent to the address of one his old friends:

一天，基米坐在他的房里，给一个好友写了这样一封信： “Dear Old Chap,