The two travellers had yarned late in their camp， and the moon was getting low down through the mulga. Mitchell’s mate had just finished a rather racy yarn， but it seemed to fall flat on Mitchell—he was in a sentimental mood.

两个旅行者在营地闲聊到很晚，透过旁边的相思木，依稀可以看到月亮渐渐沉了下去。米切尔的同伴刚刚讲完一个相当生动的故事，但似乎并未引起米切尔的兴趣；他今晚有点多愁善感。

He smoked a while， and thought， and then said：

他吸了几口烟，沉思了一会儿，然后说：

“Ah！ there was one little girl that I was properly struck on. She came to our place on a visit to my sister， I think she was the best little girl that ever lived， and about the prettiest. She was just eighteen， and didn’t come up to my shoulder; the biggest blue eyes you ever saw， and she had hair that reached down to her knees， and so thick you couldn’t span it with your two hands—brown and glossy—and her skin was like lilies and roses.

“唉！我曾经很是喜欢一个姑娘。她到我们家找我姐姐。在我心中，她是世上最棒的小姑娘，也可以说是最漂亮的。那年，她才18岁，个子还不到我的肩膀，蓝蓝的大眼睛天下无双，她那及膝的秀发，你用两只手都握不过来——光泽发亮——她的肌肤就像百合和玫瑰花。

“Of course， I never thought she’d look at a rough， ugly， ignorant brute like me， and I used to keep out of her way and act a little stiff towards her; I didn’t want the others to think I was gone on1 her， because I knew they’d laugh at me， and maybe she’d laugh at me more than all. She would come and talk to me， and sit near me at table; but I thought that that was on account of her good nature， and she pitied me because I was such a rough， awkward chap. I was gone on that girl， and no joking; and I felt quite proud to think she was a country woman of mine. But I wouldn’t let her know that， for I felt sure she’d only laugh.

“当然，我从未奢望她会留意我这样一个粗俗、丑陋又无知的傻瓜，我总是和她尽量保持距离，在她面前也总是很拘谨，因为不想让别人看出来我喜欢她；他们会嘲笑我，而她没准儿会比其他人嘲笑得更厉害。但她却走过来跟我说话，在桌子旁挨着我坐；但我想，那是她的性格使然，那是她可怜我这个粗俗、笨拙的家伙。我打心底爱她，真的，心里只要想想她是我的乡下女人，我就很自豪。但我没有让她知道，我深信，那样只会招来她的嘲笑。

“Well， things went on till I got the offer of two or three years’ work on a station up near the border， and I had to go， for I was hard up2; besides， I wanted to get away. Stopping round where she was only made me miserable.

“就这样，直到昆士兰边境附近一个大农场给了一个机会，让我在那儿工作两三年，我得去，因为手头拮据，我得想办法活下来；而且我想要逃离，待在她身边只会让我痛苦。