Mrs. MacAndrewshared the common opinion of her sex that a man is always a brute to leave awoman who is attached to him, but that a woman is much to blame if he does. Lecoeur a ses raisons que la raison ne connait pas.

Mrs. Stricklandlooked slowly from one to another of us.

"He'llnever come back, " she said.

"Oh, mydear, remember what we've just heard. He's been used to comfort and to havingsomeone to look after him. How long do you think it'll be before he gets tiredof a scrubby room in a scrubby hotel? Besides, he hasn't any money. He mustcome back. "

"As longas I thought he'd run away with some woman I thought there was a chance. Idon't believe that sort of thing ever answers. He'd have got sick to death ofher in three months. But if he hasn't gone because he's in love, then it'sfinished. "

"Oh, Ithink that's awfully subtle, " said the Colonel, putting into the word allthe contempt he felt for a quality so alien to the traditions of his calling."Don't you believe it. He'll come back, and, as Dorothy says, I dare sayhe'll be none the worse for having had a bit of a fling. "

"But Idon't want him back, " she said.

"Amy!"

麦克安德鲁太太和大多数女性的见解相同，认为男人们都是一些没有心肝的畜类，总想丢开倾心爱着他们的女人，但是一旦他真的做出这种事来，更多的过错是在女人这一方面。感情有理智所根本不能理解的理由①。

①原文为法语。

思特里克兰德太太的眼睛痴痴呆呆地从一个人的脸上移到另一个人脸上。

“他永远也不会回来了。”她说。

“啊，亲爱的，你要记住刚才咱们听到的那些话。他已经过惯了舒适生活，过惯了有人照料他的日子。你想他在那种破烂的小旅馆里，破烂的房间里能待得了多久吗？再说，他没有什么钱。他一定会回来的。”

“只要他是同一个女人跑掉的，我总认为他还有回来的可能。我不相信这类事能闹出什么名堂来的。不出三个月他对她就会讨厌死了。但是如果他不是因为恋爱跑掉的，一切就都完了。”

“哎，我认为你说的这些太玄虚了，”上校说，这种人性是他的职业传统所不能理解的，他把自己对这种特性的全部蔑视都用“玄虚”这个词表现出来，“别相信这一套。他会回来的，而且象陶乐赛说的，让他在外头胡闹一阵子我想也不会有什么坏处的。”

“但是我不要他回来了。”她说。

“阿美！”