I changed my mind: it wasnot liquor that had driven him to this obvious desperation. His face, usuallyso rosy, was now strangely mottled. His hands trembled.

"Has anythinghappened?" I asked.

"My wife has left me."

He could hardly get thewords out. He gave a little gasp, and the tears began to trickle down his roundcheeks. I did not know what to say. My first thought was that she had come tothe end of her forbearance with his infatuation for Strickland, and, goaded bythe latter's cynical behaviour, had insisted that he should be turned out. Iknew her capable of temper, for all the calmness of her manner; and if Stroevestill refused, she might easily have flung out of the studio with vows never toreturn. But the little man was so distressed that I could not smile.

"My dear fellow, don'tbe unhappy. She'll come back. You mustn't take very seriously what women saywhen they're in a passion. "

"You don't understand.She's in love with Strickland. "

"What!" I wasstartled at this, but the idea had no sooner taken possession of me than I sawit was absurd. "How can you be so silly? You don't mean to say you'rejealous of Strickland?" I almost laughed. "You know very well thatshe can't bear the sight of him. "

"You don't understand," he moaned.

"You're an hystericalass, " I said a little impatiently. "Let me give you awhisky-and-soda, and you'll feel better. "

我的想法改变了；他显然不是因为喝了酒才这样嗒然若丧。他的脸平常总是红扑扑的，现在却一块红、一块白，斑斑点点，样子非常奇怪。他的两只手一直在哆嗦。

“出了什么事了吗？”

“我的妻子离开了我了。”

他费了很大力气才把这几个字说出来。他抽噎了一下，眼泪沿着胖乎乎的面颊一滴滴地落下来。我不知道该说些什么。我最初的想法是，她丈夫这种晕头晕脑地对思特里克兰德倾心相待，叫她再也忍受不了了，再加上思特里克兰德总是冷嘲热讽，所以她坚决要把他赶走。我知道，虽然勃朗什表面端庄沉静，但是脾气如果上来，却执拗得可以。假如施特略夫仍然拒绝她的请求，一怒之下，她很可能离开家庭，发誓再不回来。但是不管事实真相如何，看到这个小胖子的痛苦不堪的样子，我实在不忍讥笑他了。

“亲爱的朋友，别难过了。她会回来的。女人们一时说的气话，你千万别太认真。”

“你不了解。她爱上思特里克兰德了。”

“什么！”我吓了一跳；但是我还没有来得及仔细琢磨，就已经觉得这件事太荒谬了。“你怎么能这么傻？难道你是说你在吃思特里克兰德的醋？”我差点笑了出来。“你也知道，思特里克兰德这个人简直叫她无法忍受。”

“你不了解，”他呻吟道。

“你是头歇斯底里的蠢驴，”我有些不耐烦地说。“让我给你喝一杯威士忌苏打你就会好一些了。”