But I thoughtthat was perhaps no more than a natural reserve accentuated by the verbosefrankness of her husband. Dirk never concealed anything. He discussed the mostintimate matters with a complete lack of self-consciousness. Sometimes heembarrassed his wife, and the only time I saw her put out of countenance waswhen he insisted on telling me that he had taken a purge, and went intosomewhat realistic details on the subject. The perfect seriousness with whichhe narrated his misfortunes convulsed me with laughter, and this added to Mrs.Stroeve's irritation.

"You seemto like making a fool of yourself, " she said.

His round eyesgrew rounder still, and his brow puckered in dismay as he saw that she wasangry.

"Sweetheart,have I vexed you? I'll never take another. It was only because I was bilious. Ilead a sedentary life. I don't take enough exercise. For three days I hadn't .. . "

"Forgoodness sake, hold your tongue, " she interrupted, tears of annoyance inher eyes.

His face fell,and he pouted his lips like a scolded child. He gave me a look of appeal, sothat I might put things right, but, unable to control myself, I shook withhelpless laughter.

We went one dayto the picture-dealer in whose shop Stroeve thought he could show me at leasttwo or three of Strickland's pictures, but when we arrived were told thatStrickland himself had taken them away. The dealer did not know why.

但是我也想过，这也许只是因为她生性拘谨，再加上她丈夫心直口快、过于饶舌的缘故。戴尔克心里有什么话都憋不住，就是最隐秘的事也毫无避讳地公开和你讨论。他的这种态度有时候叫他妻子感到很尴尬。我见到她恼羞成怒只有一次。那次施特略夫非要告诉我他服泻药的事不可，而且说得绘声绘色。在他给我描述这件灾祸时，他的脸色一本正经，结果我差点儿笑破了肚皮，而施特略夫太太则窘得无地自容，终于冒起火来。

“你好象愿意把自己当个傻瓜似的，”她说。

当他看到自己的老婆真的生起气来的时候，他的一对圆眼睛瞪得更圆了，眉毛也不知所措地皱了起来。

“亲爱的，你生我的气了吗？我再也不吃泻药了。这都是因为我肝火太旺的缘故。我整天坐着不动。我的运动不够。我有三天没有……”

“老天啊，你还不闭嘴！”她打断了他的话，因为气恼而迸出眼泪来。

他的脸耷拉下来，象是个挨了训的孩子似地撅起嘴来。他向我递了个恳求的眼色，希望我替他打个圆场，可是我却无法控制自己，笑得直不起腰来。

有一天我们一起到一个画商那里去，施特略夫认为他至少可以让我看到两三张思特里克兰德的画。但是在我们到了那里以后，画商却告诉我们，思特里克兰德已经把画取走了。画商也不知道他为什么要这样做。