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of bird-of-paradise flowers. Cora, the mulatto chambermaid, who let him in, surveyed the shabby courier, his comic cap, his wan countenance with it[s] three days growth of blond beard, and was about to raise her chin and embrace his rustling load but he said“No, I've been ordered to give this to Madame herself”. “You French?” asked scornful Cora (the whole scene was pretty artificial in a fishy theatrical way). He shook his head—and here

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女清洁工科拉是个黑白混血儿，她将他引进屋后，便从头到脚地打量这位衣衫褴褛的送花使者。他戴着一顶帽子，显得滑稽可笑，三天没有刮脸了，疲惫的脸上满是金色的胡须。女工正要抬起下巴，准备接过他手中那一大捆沙沙作响的鲜花，他却说：“不，他们要求我必须把花送给太太本人。”“你是法国人？”科拉嘲弄地问道（整个场面有种可疑的戏剧化的氛围，显得相当造作）。他摇头否认——