夫 が死んで８年。Francescaは６７歳の誕生日を迎えました。昔からのド田舎の家に今も１人で住んでいます。毎年の儀式になったRobert Kincaidから来た手紙を読み返したところです。そして彼とのことを思い出しています。
彼との思い出：
Francesca JohnsonとRobert Kincaidは出会ってから２日目の夜（火曜日）に恋に落ちました。Francescaの家族は金曜日まで戻って来ません。２人は精神的にも肉体的にも完全に結ばれます。それからは２人だけの時間を持ち続け、今後どうするかを話し合います。結論として、Robert Kincaidは去ることになります。
The Highway and the Peregrine (7)
Francesca said nothing. She knew he could, indeed, settle the matter in short order. Richard was five years younger than him, but no match intellectually or physically for Robert Kincaid.
He slipped into his vest. Her mind was gone, empty, turning. “Don’t leave, Robert Kincaid,” she could hear herself crying out from somewhere inside.
Taking her hand, he walked through the back door toward the truck. He opened the driver’s door, put his foot on the running board, then stepped off it and held her again for several minutes. Neither of them spoke, they simply stood there, sending, receiving, imprinting the feel of each on the other, indelibly. Reaffirming the existence the existence of that special being he had talked about,
For the last time, he let her go and stepped into the truck, sitting there with the door open. Tears running down his cheeks. Tears running down her cheeks. Slowly he pulled the door shut, hinges creaking. Harry was reluctant to start, as usual, but she could hear his boot hitting the accelerator, and the old truck eventually relented.
He shifted into reverse and sat there with the clutch in. First serious, then with a little grin, pointing toward the lane. “The road, you know. I’ll be in southeast India next month. Want a card from there?”
She couldn’t speak but said with a shake of her head. That would be too much for Richard to find in the mailbox. She knew Robert understood. He nodded.
The truck backed into the farmyard, crunching across the gravel, chickens scattering from under its wheels. Jack chased one of them into the machine shed, barking.
Robert Kincaid waved to her through the open passenger-side window. She could see the sun flashing off his silver bracelet. The top two buttons of his shirt were open.
解説：
Francesca said nothing.
She knew he could, indeed, settle the matter in short order.
■in short order：迅速に
Richard was five years younger than him, but no match intellectually or physically for Robert Kincaid.
■match for …：・・・とよく釣り合う人・物
He slipped into his vest.
■slip into …：をさっと着る
Her mind was gone, empty, turning（おかしくなる）. “Don’t leave, Robert Kincaid,” she could hear herself crying out from somewhere inside.
Taking her hand, he walked through the back door toward the truck.
He opened the driver’s door, put his foot on the running board, then stepped off it and held her again for several minutes.
■running board：トラックに乗る時の足掛け板
Neither of them spoke, they simply stood there, sending, receiving, imprinting（を刻み込む） the feel of each on the other, indelibly（消えないように）. Reaffirming（の正当性を再確認する） the existence the existence of that special being（生物） he had talked about,
For the last time, he let her go and stepped into the truck, sitting there with the door open. Tears running down his cheeks. Tears running down her cheeks. Slowly he pulled the door shut, hinges（ちょうつがい） creaking.
Harry was reluctant（したくない） to start, as usual, but she could hear his boot hitting the accelerator, and the old truck eventually（やがて） relented（優しくなる）.
■Harry：Robert Kincaidが運転するピックアップ・トラックの名前
He shifted into reverse and sat there with the clutch in. First serious, then with a little grin, pointing toward the lane. “The road, you know. I’ll be in southeast India next month. Want a card from there?”
She couldn’t speak but said with a shake of her head. That would be too much for Richard to find in the mailbox. She knew Robert understood. He nodded.
The truck backed into the farmyard（農場の建物に囲まれた場所）, crunching（ザクザク音を立てて進む） across the gravel（砂利）, chickens scattering from under its wheels(車輪). Jack chased one of them into the machine shed（小屋）, barking.
Robert Kincaid waved to her through the open passenger-side window. She could see the sun flashing（ぴかっと光る） off his silver bracelet. The top two buttons of his shirt were open.
彼との思い出：
Francesca JohnsonとRobert Kincaidは出会ってから２日目の夜（火曜日）に恋に落ちました。Francescaの家族は金曜日まで戻って来ません。２人は精神的にも肉体的にも完全に結ばれます。それからは２人だけの時間を持ち続け、今後どうするかを話し合います。結論として、Robert Kincaidは去ることになります。
The Highway and the Peregrine (7)
Francesca said nothing. She knew he could, indeed, settle the matter in short order. Richard was five years younger than him, but no match intellectually or physically for Robert Kincaid.
He slipped into his vest. Her mind was gone, empty, turning. “Don’t leave, Robert Kincaid,” she could hear herself crying out from somewhere inside.
Taking her hand, he walked through the back door toward the truck. He opened the driver’s door, put his foot on the running board, then stepped off it and held her again for several minutes. Neither of them spoke, they simply stood there, sending, receiving, imprinting the feel of each on the other, indelibly. Reaffirming the existence the existence of that special being he had talked about,
For the last time, he let her go and stepped into the truck, sitting there with the door open. Tears running down his cheeks. Tears running down her cheeks. Slowly he pulled the door shut, hinges creaking. Harry was reluctant to start, as usual, but she could hear his boot hitting the accelerator, and the old truck eventually relented.
He shifted into reverse and sat there with the clutch in. First serious, then with a little grin, pointing toward the lane. “The road, you know. I’ll be in southeast India next month. Want a card from there?”
She couldn’t speak but said with a shake of her head. That would be too much for Richard to find in the mailbox. She knew Robert understood. He nodded.
The truck backed into the farmyard, crunching across the gravel, chickens scattering from under its wheels. Jack chased one of them into the machine shed, barking.
Robert Kincaid waved to her through the open passenger-side window. She could see the sun flashing off his silver bracelet. The top two buttons of his shirt were open.
解説：
Francesca said nothing.
She knew he could, indeed, settle the matter in short order.
■in short order：迅速に
Richard was five years younger than him, but no match intellectually or physically for Robert Kincaid.
■match for …：・・・とよく釣り合う人・物
He slipped into his vest.
■slip into …：をさっと着る
Her mind was gone, empty, turning（おかしくなる）. “Don’t leave, Robert Kincaid,” she could hear herself crying out from somewhere inside.
Taking her hand, he walked through the back door toward the truck.
He opened the driver’s door, put his foot on the running board, then stepped off it and held her again for several minutes.
■running board：トラックに乗る時の足掛け板
Neither of them spoke, they simply stood there, sending, receiving, imprinting（を刻み込む） the feel of each on the other, indelibly（消えないように）. Reaffirming（の正当性を再確認する） the existence the existence of that special being（生物） he had talked about,
For the last time, he let her go and stepped into the truck, sitting there with the door open. Tears running down his cheeks. Tears running down her cheeks. Slowly he pulled the door shut, hinges（ちょうつがい） creaking.
Harry was reluctant（したくない） to start, as usual, but she could hear his boot hitting the accelerator, and the old truck eventually（やがて） relented（優しくなる）.
■Harry：Robert Kincaidが運転するピックアップ・トラックの名前
He shifted into reverse and sat there with the clutch in. First serious, then with a little grin, pointing toward the lane. “The road, you know. I’ll be in southeast India next month. Want a card from there?”
She couldn’t speak but said with a shake of her head. That would be too much for Richard to find in the mailbox. She knew Robert understood. He nodded.
The truck backed into the farmyard（農場の建物に囲まれた場所）, crunching（ザクザク音を立てて進む） across the gravel（砂利）, chickens scattering from under its wheels(車輪). Jack chased one of them into the machine shed（小屋）, barking.
Robert Kincaid waved to her through the open passenger-side window. She could see the sun flashing（ぴかっと光る） off his silver bracelet. The top two buttons of his shirt were open.
