雙語讀電影 《愛麗絲夢游仙境-1》第21章 :我掉進一個洞里，撞到了腦袋。

The garden party was still going on at the Ascot estate, although the guests were rather subdued after the failed proposal. Most of them stood in clumps across the great lawn, whispering in bewilderment.
Hamish spoke to some of the confused guests, his sideburns wrinkling as he complained. “She left me standing there without an answer,” he whined.
“A case of nerves, no doubt,” said Fiona reassuringly.
Suddenly, silence fell as Alice wandered back onto the lawn. Everyone stared in shock at her disheveled appearance. She looked as if she’d been through a great battle.
“Alice?” said Hamish.
“Good lord,” said Lord Ascot. “Are you all right?”
Alice’s mother hurried to her, gently taking her arm. “What happened to you?” Helen Kingsleigh asked, worried.
“I fell down a hole and hit my head,” Alice answered, although she couldn’t help but feel that she was missing some part of the story.
“You look a frightful mess,” Lady Ascot sniffed.
Alice turned to Hamish. Her adventures in Underland were gone from her memory, but the self-confidence remained. And there was a lot she needed to say.
“I’m sorry, Hamish,” she said. “I can’t marry you. You’re not the right man for me. And there’s that trouble with your digestion.” She turned to her sister. “I love you, Margaret. But this is my life. I’ll decide what to do with it.” Her sister’s husband was standing next to Margaret, twitching nervously. “You’re lucky to have my sister for your wife, Lowell. I know you’ll be good to her. I’ll be watching very closely.”
Lowell blanched at her veiled threat. Alice went on to her aunt Imogene. “There is no prince, Aunt Imogene. You need to talk to someone about these delusions.” Her chin went up as she faced Lady Ascot. “I happen to love rabbits,” she said, “especially white ones.”
Lady Ascot looked disapproving, but she didn’t say anything as Alice turned to her mother and kissed her on the cheek. “Don’t worry, Mother. I’ll find something useful to do with my life.”
Helen squeezed her hand, smiling through proud tears. Alice had never reminded her more of her dear Charles.
Alice noticed the Chattaway sisters hovering nearby. “You two remind me of some funny boys I met in a dream,” she said with a grin. She looked around. Was there anyone else she meant to speak to?
Lord Ascot lifted a finger. “You’ve left me out,” he said.
“No, I haven’t, sir,” said Alice. “You and I have business to discuss.”
“Shall we speak in the study?” He took her elbow to lead her away, but Alice turned back for a moment.
“Oh, and one more thing,” she said. She lifted her skirts above her ankles and did a brisky, happy Futterwacken to the shock of some and the delight of others. Then she calmly followed Lord Ascot into his mansion.
Maps were spread across Lord Ascot’s desk, along with ledgers and other documents of the business he had taken over from Charles Kingsleigh. Alice leaned over a map of the world.
“My father told me he planned to expand his trade route to Sumatra and Borneo,” she said, tracing the outlines of the exotic countries with her finger. “But I don’t think he was looking far enough.”
“Not far enough?” said Lord Ascot, astonished.
“Why not go all the way to China?” Alice asked. “It’s vast, and the culture is rich. To be the first to trade with China. Can you imagine it?”
She looked up at him. Her eyes were shining just like her father’s had.
Lord Ascot smiled. “You know, if anybody else had said that to me, I’d say, ‘You’ve lost your senses.’ But I’ve seen that look before. As you’re not going to be my daughter-in-law, perhaps you would consider becoming an apprentice with the company?”
Six months later, Alice stood on the deck of a China Trading Company ship, waving to her mother, sister, and Lord Ascot on the dock below. White sails billowed overhead as the ship pulled out into the ocean, and Alice felt the wind lift her hair into a wild dance of freedom around her head.
A beautiful monarch butterfly with blue-tinged wings landed on her shoulder. She smiled, one memory breaking through as clear as day.
“Hello, Absolem,” she said.
The butterfly took wing, and Alice watched it soar away into the sky with a smile of pure joy on her face.
(THE END)

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