CHAPTER III. PATSY. KAPITEL III. PATSY. CAPÍTULO III. PATSY. CAPÍTULO III. PATSY.

"Now, Major, stand up straight and behave yourself! "Maintenant, Major, tenez-vous droit et comportez-vous bien ! How do you expect me to sponge your vest when you're wriggling around in that way?" Comment veux-tu que j'éponge ton gilet alors que tu te tortilles comme ça ?". "Patsy, dear, you're so sweet this evening, I just had to kiss your lips." "Patsy, ma chère, vous êtes si gentille ce soir, j'ai dû embrasser vos lèvres." "Don't do it again, sir," replied Patricia, severely, as she scrubbed the big man's waistcoat with a damp cloth. "Ne recommencez pas, monsieur", répond Patricia avec sévérité, tout en frottant le gilet du grand homme avec un chiffon humide. "And tell me, Major, how you ever happened to get into such a disgraceful condition." "Et dites-moi, Major, comment vous vous êtes retrouvé dans un état aussi déplorable." "The soup just shpilled," said the Major, meekly. "La soupe vient de couler", dit docilement le major. Patricia laughed merrily. She was a tiny thing, appearing to be no more than twelve years old, although in reality she was sixteen. Elle était toute petite, ne paraissait pas avoir plus de douze ans, alors qu'elle en avait seize en réalité. Her hair was a decided red—not a beautiful "auburn," but really red—and her round face was badly freckled. Her nose was too small and her mouth too wide to be beautiful, but the girl's wonderful blue eyes fully redeemed these faults and led the observer to forget all else but their fascinations. Son nez était trop petit et sa bouche trop large pour être belle, mais les merveilleux yeux bleus de la jeune fille compensaient pleinement ces défauts et amenaient l'observateur à oublier tout autre chose que leur fascination. They could really dance, these eyes, and send out magnetic, scintillating sparks of joy and laughter that were potent to draw a smile from the sourest visage they smiled upon. Ils pouvaient vraiment danser, ces yeux, et envoyer des étincelles magnétiques et scintillantes de joie et de rire qui étaient capables d'arracher un sourire au visage le plus acide sur lequel ils se posaient. Patricia was a favorite with all who knew her, but the big, white-moustached Major Doyle, her father, positively worshipped her, and let the girl rule him as her fancy dictated. Patricia était la préférée de tous ceux qui la connaissaient, mais le grand Major Doyle, son père, à la moustache blanche, l'adorait et laissait la jeune fille le gouverner au gré de ses fantaisies.

"Now, sir, you're fairly decent again," she said, after a few vigorous scrubs. "So put on your hat and we'll go out to dinner." They occupied two small rooms at the top of a respectable but middle-class tenement building, and had to descend innumerable flights of bare wooden stairs before they emerged upon a narrow street thronged with people of all sorts and descriptions except those who were too far removed from the atmosphere of Duggan street to know that it existed. Ils occupaient deux petites pièces au sommet d'un immeuble respectable mais de classe moyenne, et devaient descendre d'innombrables volées d'escaliers en bois nu avant de déboucher sur une rue étroite bondée de gens de toutes sortes et de toutes descriptions, sauf ceux qui étaient trop éloignés de l'atmosphère de Duggan street pour savoir qu'elle existait.

The big major walked stiffly and pompously along, swinging his silver-trimmed cane in one hand while Patricia clung to his other arm. The child wore a plain grey cloak, for the evening was chill. She had a knack of making her own clothes, all of simple material and fashion, but fitting neatly and giving her an air of quiet refinement that made more than one passer-by turn to look back at her curiously. Elle avait le don de confectionner ses propres vêtements, tous d'une matière et d'une mode simples, mais qui lui allaient bien et lui donnaient un air de raffinement tranquille qui incitait plus d'un passant à se retourner pour la regarder avec curiosité.

After threading their way for several blocks they turned in at the open door of an unobtrusive restaurant where many of the round white tables were occupied by busy and silent patrons. Après avoir longé plusieurs pâtés de maisons, ils se sont arrêtés à la porte ouverte d'un restaurant discret où de nombreuses tables rondes et blanches étaient occupées par des clients occupés et silencieux.

The proprietor nodded to the major and gave Patricia a smile. There was no need to seat them, for they found the little table in the corner where they were accustomed to eat, and sat down.

"Did you get paid tonight?" "Tu as été payé ce soir ?" asked the girl.

"To be sure, my Patsy." "Then hand over the coin," she commanded. "Alors, remettez la pièce", ordonne-t-elle. The major obeyed. She counted it carefully and placed it in her pocketbook, afterwards passing a half-dollar back to her father. Elle le compta soigneusement et le mit dans son portefeuille, puis remit un demi-dollar à son père.

"Remember, Major, no riotous living! "N'oubliez pas, Major, de ne pas vivre dans l'agitation ! Make that go as far as you can, and take care not to invite anyone to drink with you." Faites en sorte que cela aille le plus loin possible, et veillez à n'inviter personne à boire avec vous". "Yes, Patsy." "And now I'll order the dinner." The waiter was bowing and smiling beside her. Everyone smiled at Patsy, it seemed.

They gave the usual order, and then, after a moment's hesitation, she added: "And a bottle of claret for the Major." Her father fairly gasped with amazement.

"Patsy!" People at the near-by tables looked up as her gay laugh rang out, and beamed upon her in sympathy. Les personnes assises aux tables voisines ont levé les yeux lorsque son rire gai a retenti, et l'ont regardée avec sympathie.

"I'm not crazy a bit. Major," said she, patting the hand he had stretched toward her, partly in delight and partly in protest. Major", dit-elle en tapotant la main qu'il avait tendue vers elle, à la fois pour se réjouir et pour protester. "I've just had a raise, that's all, and we'll celebrate the occasion." "Je viens d'être augmenté, c'est tout, et nous allons fêter cela". Her father tucked the napkin under his chin then looked at her questioningly. Son père range la serviette sous son menton et la regarde d'un air interrogateur.

"Tell me, Patsy." "Madam Borne sent me to a swell house on Madison Avenue this morning, because all her women were engaged. "Madame Borne m'a envoyé dans une belle maison de Madison Avenue ce matin, parce que toutes ses femmes étaient engagées. I dressed the lady's hair in my best style, Major, and she said it was much more becoming than Juliette ever made it. J'ai coiffé la dame dans mon meilleur style, Major, et elle a dit que c'était beaucoup plus séduisant que Juliette ne l'avait jamais fait. Indeed, she wrote a note to Madam, asking her to send me, hereafter, instead of Juliette, and Madam patted my head and said I would be a credit to her, and my wages would be ten dollars a week, from now on. En effet, elle a écrit un mot à Madame, lui demandant de m'envoyer, dorénavant, à la place de Juliette, et Madame m'a tapoté la tête et m'a dit que je lui ferais honneur, et que mon salaire serait de dix dollars par semaine, à partir de maintenant. Ten dollars. Major! As much as you earn yourself at that miserable bookkeeping!" Autant que ce que tu gagnes à tenir cette misérable comptabilité !" "Sufferin' Moses!" ejaculated the astonished major, staring back into her twinkling eyes, "if this kapes on, we'll be millionaires, Patsy." éjacula le major stupéfait, en la regardant dans ses yeux pétillants, "si cela continue, nous serons millionnaires, Patsy". "We're millionaires, now." responded Patsy, promptly, "because we've health, and love, and contentment—and enough money to keep us from worrying. Do you know what I've decided, Major, dear? You shall go to make that visit to your colonel that you've so long wanted to have. Vous irez rendre à votre colonel la visite que vous souhaitez depuis si longtemps. The vacation will do you good, and you can get away all during July, because you haven't rested for five years. Les vacances vous feront du bien, et vous pourrez partir pendant tout le mois de juillet, car vous ne vous êtes pas reposé pendant cinq ans. I went to see Mr. Conover this noon, and he said he'd give you the month willingly, and keep the position for you when you returned." Je suis allé voir M. Conover ce midi, et il m'a dit qu'il vous donnerait volontiers le mois, et qu'il garderait le poste pour vous quand vous reviendrez." "What! You spoke to old Conover about me?" "This noon. It's all arranged, daddy, and you'll just have a glorious time with the old colonel. Bless his dear heart, he'll be overjoyed to have you with him, at last." Béni soit son cher cœur, il sera ravi de t'avoir enfin auprès de lui." The major pulled out his handkerchief, blew his nose vigorously, and then surreptitiously wiped his eyes. Le major sort son mouchoir, se mouche vigoureusement, puis s'essuie subrepticement les yeux.

"Ah, Patsy, Patsy; it's an angel you are, and nothing less at all, at all." "Rubbish, Major. Try your claret, and see if it's right. And eat your fish before it gets cold. I'll not treat you again, sir, unless you try to look happy. Je ne vous traiterai plus, monsieur, à moins que vous n'essayiez d'avoir l'air heureux. Why, you seem as glum as old Conover himself!" Vous avez l'air aussi morose que le vieux Conover lui-même !" The major was positively beaming.

"Would it look bad for me to kiss you, Patsy?" "Now?" "Now and right here in this very room!" "Of course it would. Try and behave, like the gentleman you are, and pay attention to your dinner!" It was a glorious meal. The cost was twenty-five cents a plate, but the gods never feasted more grandly in Olympus than these two simple, loving souls in that grimy Duggan street restaurant. Le coût était de vingt-cinq cents par assiette, mais les dieux n'ont jamais festoyé plus magnifiquement dans l'Olympe que ces deux âmes simples et aimantes dans ce restaurant crasseux de la rue Duggan.

Over his coffee the major gave a sudden start and looked guiltily into Patricia's eyes. En buvant son café, le major sursaute et regarde Patricia avec culpabilité dans les yeux. "Now, then," she said, quickly catching the expression, "out with it." "It's a letter," said the major. "It came yesterday, or mayhap the day before. I don't just remember." "A letter! And who from?" she cried, surprised.

"An ould vixen." "Une vieille mégère". "And who may that be?" "Your mother's sister Jane. I can tell by the emblem on the flap of the envelope," said he, drawing a crumpled paper from his breast pocket. Je le sais grâce à l'emblème sur le rabat de l'enveloppe", dit-il en tirant un papier froissé de sa poche de poitrine. "Oh, that person," said Patsy, with scorn. "Oh, cette personne", dit Patsy avec mépris. "Whatever induced her to write to me? " "You might read it and find out," suggested the major. Patricia tore open the envelope and scanned the letter. Her eyes blazed.

"What is it, Mavoureen?" "Qu'est-ce qu'il y a, Mavoureen ? "An insult!" she answered, crushing the paper in her hand and then stuffing it into the pocket of her dress. répond-elle en écrasant le papier dans sa main et en le glissant dans la poche de sa robe. "Light your pipe, daddy, dear. Here—I'll strike the match." Je vais craquer l'allumette.