"What haveyou to say to that?"

"Only thatyou're a damned fool. "

"At allevents, you can be forced to support your wife and children, " I retorted,somewhat piqued. "I suppose the law has some protection to offer them."

"Can thelaw get blood out of a stone? I haven't any money. I've got about a hundred pounds."

I began to bemore puzzled than before. It was true that his hotel pointed to the moststraitened circumstances.

"What areyou going to do when you've spent that?"

"Earnsome. "

He wasperfectly cool, and his eyes kept that mocking smile which made all I said seemrather foolish. I paused for a little while to consider what I had better saynext. But it was he who spoke first.

"Whydoesn't Amy marry again? She's comparatively young, and she's not unattractive.I can recommend her as an excellent wife. If she wants to divorce me I don'tmind giving her the necessary grounds. "

Now it was myturn to smile. He was very cunning, but it was evidently this that he wasaiming at. He had some reason to conceal the fact that he had run away with awoman, and he was using every precaution to hide her whereabouts. I answeredwith decision.

"Your wifesays that nothing you can do will ever induce her to divorce you. She's quitemade up her mind. You can put any possibility of that definitely out of yourhead. "

“你有什么要说的？”

“我要说的只有一句：你是个大傻蛋。”

“不管怎么说，法律可以强迫你扶养你的妻子儿女，”我有些生气地驳斥说，“我想法律会提出对他们的保障的。”

“法律能够从石头里榨出油来吗？我没有钱，只有百十来镑。”

我比以前更糊涂了。当然，从他住的旅馆看，他的经济情况是非常窘迫的。

“把这笔钱花完了你怎么办？”

“再去挣一点儿。”

他冷静得要命，眼睛里始终闪露着讪笑，倒仿佛我在说一些愚不可及的蠢话似的。我停了一会儿，考虑下面该怎么说。但是这回他倒先开口了。

“为什么阿美不重新嫁人呢？她年纪并不老，也还有吸引人的地方。我还可以推荐一下：她是个贤妻。如果她想同我离婚，我完全可以给她制造她需要的借口。”

现在该轮到我发笑了。他很狡猾，但是他谁也瞒不过，这才是他的真正目的呢。由于某种原因，他必须把自己同另外一个女人私奔的事隐瞒着，他采取了一切预防措施把那个女人的行踪隐藏起来。我斩钉截铁地说：

“你的妻子说，不论你用什么手段她也不同你离婚。她已经打定主意了。我劝你还是死了这条心吧。”