I have alwaysbeen a little disconcerted by the passion women have for behaving beautifullyat the death-bed of those they love. Sometimes it seems as if they grudge thelongevity which postpones their chance of an effective scene.

"But now-- now it's finished. I'm as indifferent to him as if he were a stranger. I shouldlike him to die miserable, poor, and starving, without a friend. I hope he'llrot with some loathsome disease. I have done with him. "

I thought it aswell then to say what Strickland had suggested.

"If youwant to divorce him, he's quite willing to do whatever is necessary to make itpossible. "

"Whyshould I give him his freedom?"

"I don'tthink he wants it. He merely thought it might be more convenient to you. "

Mrs. Stricklandshrugged her shoulders impatiently. I think I was a little disappointed in her.I expected then people to be more of a piece than I do now, and I wasdistressed to find so much vindictiveness in so charming a creature. I did notrealise how motley are the qualities that go to make up a human being. Now I amwell aware that pettiness and grandeur, malice and charity, hatred and love,can find place side by side in the same human heart.

I wondered ifthere was anything I could say that would ease the sense of bitter humiliationwhich at present tormented Mrs. Strickland. I thought I would try.

女人们总是喜欢在她们所爱的人临终前表现得宽宏大量，她们的这种偏好叫我实在难以忍受。有时候我甚至觉得她们不愿意男人寿命太长，就是怕把演出这幕好戏的机会拖得太晚。

“但是现在——现在什么都完了。我对他就象对一个路人似的什么感情也没有了。我真希望他死的时候贫困潦倒、饥寒交迫，一个亲人也不在身边。我真希望他染上恶疮，浑身腐烂。我同他的关系算完了。”

我想我不妨趁这个时候把思特里克兰德的建议说出来。

“如果你想同他离婚，他很愿意给你制造任何离婚所需要的口实。”

“为什么我要给他自由呢？”

“我认为他不需要这种自由。他不过想这样做可能对你更方便一些。”

思特里克兰德太太不耐烦地耸了耸肩膀。我觉得我对她有些失望。当时我还同今天不一样，总认为人的性格是单纯统一的；当我发现这样一个温柔可爱的女性报复心居然这么重的时候，我感到很丧气。那时我还没认识到一个人的性格是极其复杂的。今天我已经认识到这一点了：卑鄙与伟大、恶毒与善良、仇恨与热爱是可以互不排斥地并存在同一颗心里的。

我不知道我能否说几句什么，减轻一些当时正在折磨着思特里克兰德太太的屈辱。我想我还是该试一试。