“Then we figured up and found that among us we had sold eighty—five small pictures and studies， and had sixtynine thousand francs to show for it. Carl had made the last sale and the most brilliant one of all. He sold the ‘Angelus’ for twentytwo hundred francs. How we did glorify him！—not foreseeing that a day was coming byandby when France would struggle to own it and a stranger would capture it for five hundred and fifty thousand， cash.”
“我们计算了一下，成绩很不错，三个人一共卖了八十五张画和习作，得了六万九千法郎。最后一张画是卡尔卖出去的，价钱卖得最大。他把《晚祷》卖了两千二百法郎。我们把他夸奖得好凶呀——可没有想到后来会有一天，整个法国都抢着要把这张画据为己有，居然会有一位无名人士花了五十五万法郎的现款把它抢购去了。”
“We had a windup champagne supper that night， and next day Claude and I packed up and went off to nurse Millet through his last days and keep busybodiesbusybody n.爱管闲事的人， 好事的人 out of the house and send daily bulletins to Carl in Paris for publication in the papers of several continents for the information of a waiting world. The sad end came at last， and Carl was there in time to help in the final mournful rites.”
“那天晚上我们预备了香槟酒，举行了庆祝胜利结束的晚餐，第二天克劳德和我就收拾行李，回去招呼米勒度过他临终的几天，一面谢绝那些探听消息的闲人，同时每天发出病况报告，寄到巴黎给卡尔拿去在几大洲的报上发表，把消息报道给全世界关怀的人们。最后终于宣布了噩耗，卡尔也及时赶回来帮忙料理最后的丧礼。”
“You remember that great funeral， and what a stir it made all over the globe， and how the illustrious of two worlds came to attend it and testifytestify v.证明， 证实， 作证 their sorrow. We four—still inseparable—carried the coffincoffin n.棺材， and would allow none to help. And we were right about that， because it hadnt anything in it but a wax figure， and any other coffinbearers would have found fault with the weight. Yes， we same old four， who had lovingly shared privation together in the old hard times now gone for ever， carried the cof—”
“你想必还记得吧，那次的出殡真是盛况空前，轰动全球，新旧世界的上流人物都来参加了，大家都表示哀悼。我们四个——还是那么难分难舍的——抬着棺材，不让别人帮忙。我们这么做是很对的，因为棺材里根本就只装着一个蜡做的假人，如果让别人去抬，重量就成问题，难免要露马脚。是的，我们当初曾经相亲相爱地在一起共过患难的四个老朋友抬着棺……”
“Which four？”
“哪四个人？”
“We four—for Millet helped to carry his own coffin. In disguise， you know. Disguised as a relative—distant relative.”
“我们四个嘛——米勒也帮忙抬着他自己的棺材哩。不用说，是化装的。化装成一位亲戚——一位远房的亲戚。”
“Astonishing！”
“妙不可言！”
“But true just the same. Well， you remember how the pictures went up. Money？ We didnt know what to do with it. theres a man in Paris today who owns seventy Millet pictures. He paid us two million francs for them. And as for the bushelsbushel n.蒲式耳（容量等于八加仑） v.修补 of sketches and studies which Millet shovelled out during the six weeks that we were on the road， well， it would astonish you to know the figure we sell them at nowadays—that is， when we consent to let one go！”
“我可是说的真话，那还不是一样吗。嗐，你还记得他的画卖价怎么往上涨吧。钱吗？我们简直不知如何处置才好，现在巴黎还有一个人收藏着七十张米勒的画。他给了我们二百万法郎买去的。至于我们当初在路上那六个星期里米勒赶出来的那许许多多的写生和习作呢，哈，你听听我们现在卖的价钱简直会大吃一惊——并且那还得我们愿意卖的时候才行！”
“It is a wonderful history， perfectly wonderful！”
“这真是个稀奇的故事，简直稀奇透了！”
“Yes—it amounts to that.”
“是呀——可以那么说。”
“Whatever became of Millet？”
“米勒后来究竟怎么样呢？”
“Can you keep a secret？”
“你能保守秘密吗？”
“I can.”
“可以。”
“Do you remember the man I called your attention to in the dining room today？ That was Francois Millet.”
“你记得今天在餐厅里我叫你注意看的那个人吗？那就是法朗斯瓦·米勒。”
“Great—”
“我的天哪，原来——”
“Scott！ Yes. For once they didnt starve a genius to death and then put into other pockets the rewards he should have had himself. This songbird was not allowed to pipe out its heart unheard and then be paid with the cold pomp of a big funeral. We looked out for that.”
“如此！是呀，总算这一次他们没有把一个天才饿死，然后把他应得的报酬装到别人的荷包里去。这一只能唱的鸟儿可没有白唱一阵，没有人听，只落得死了之后的一场无谓的盛大丧礼。我们原来是等着遭这种命运的哩。”
