All right, she said with a laugh, you can ask me. Might as well get it over with. Better than have you call me Fenny all the time. Presumably… said Arthur. We’ve only got two tickets left, you see, and since you were so generous when I spoke to you before… What? snapped Arthur. The woman with the perm and the smile and the now nearly empty book of cloakroom tickets was now waving the two last ones under his nose. I thought I’d give the opportunity to you, because the prizes are so nice. She wrinkled up he nose a little confidentially. Very tasteful. I know you’ll like them. And it is for Anjie’s retirement present you see. We want to give her… A kidney machine, yes, said Arthur. Here. He held out two more ten pence pieces to her, and took the tickets. A thought seemed to strike the woman. It struck her very slowly. You could watch it coming in like a long wave on a sandy beach. Oh dear, she said, I’m not interrupting anything am I? She peered anxiously at both of them. No it’s fine, said Arthur. Everything that could possibly be fine, he insisted, is fine. Thank you, he added. I say, she said, in a delightful ecstasy of worry, you’re not… in love, are you? It’s very hard to say, said Arthur. We haven’t had a chance to talk yet. He glanced at Fenchurch. She was grinning. The woman nodded with knowing confidentiality. I’ll let you see the prizes in a minute, she said, and left. Arthur turned, with a sigh, back to the girl that he found it hard to say whether he was in love with. You were about to ask me, she said, a question. Yes, said Arthur. We can do it together if you like, said Fenchurch. Was I found… …in a handbag… joined in Arthur. …in the Left Luggage Office… they said together. …at Fenchurch street station, they finished. And the answer, said Fenchurch, is no. Fine, said Arthur. I was conceived there. What? I was con… “那好，”她笑着說，“你可以問我了。也許能把這事兒弄清楚。至少比你整天叫我芬妮要好。” “大概是......”阿瑟說。 “您瞧，我們只剩兩張彩票了，因爲我之前跟您談的時候您如此慷慨，所以......” “啥玩意兒？”阿瑟恨恨地說。 那個捲髮的微笑女人如今正端着一本幾乎空了的存包處票子，把最後兩張彩票在阿瑟的鼻子底下揮舞着。 “我覺着應當把機會讓給您，因爲獎品非常的優厚。” 她小小地皺了一下鼻子，好像在跟阿瑟說很貼心的話。 “非常有品味的。我知道您會喜歡的。而且您看，這是給安潔的退休禮物。我們想送給她......” “一臺人工腎，好的，”阿瑟說。“給你錢。” 他再拿出二十便士給她然後拿了彩票。 一個念頭似乎擊中了那個女人。非常緩慢地擊中了她。你可以看見那個念頭的到來就像沙灘上一道長長的波浪。 “哦，親愛的，”她說，“我沒有打斷任何事是不？” 她緊張地盯着他們倆。 “沒有，沒事的，”阿瑟說。“任何可能發生的事都很好，”他堅持道，“很好。” “謝謝你。”他又補充一句。 “我說啊，”她用一種欣喜若狂的擔憂語氣講，“您們不會是在......戀愛中吧？” “很難說，”阿瑟說。“我們到現在都還沒有說話的機會。” 他瞅了一眼芬琪詩。她咧嘴笑着。 那個女人像知道了一個機密一樣意味深長地點了點頭。 “我馬上就讓您看一眼獎品，”她說着離開了。 阿瑟轉過來，嘆了口氣，面對着那個很難說是不是自己已經愛上的女孩。 “你正要問我，”她說，“一個問題。” “是的，”阿瑟回答。 “如果你願意的話我們可以一起來：”芬琪詩說。“我是不是......” “裝在一隻手提包裏......”阿瑟加入進來。 “被發現在失物招領處......”他們一起說着。 “......而那個失物招領處在芬琪詩街車站。”他們一起說完了。 “而答案則是，”芬琪詩說，“否定的。” “好吧。”阿瑟說。 “我是在那兒被懷上的。” “啥？” “我是在那兒被懷——”
