"But you must know thathe'll never make you happy. For your own sake don't go. You don't know whatyou've got to look forward to. "

"It's your fault. Youinsisted on his coming here. "

He turned to Strickland.

"Have mercy on her," he implored him. "You can't let her do anything so mad. "

"She can do as shechooses, " said Strickland. "She's not forced to come. "

"My choice is made," she said, in a dull voice.

Strickland's injurious calmrobbed Stroeve of the rest of his self-control. Blind rage seized him, andwithout knowing what he was doing he flung himself on Strickland. Stricklandwas taken by surprise and he staggered, but he was very strong, even after hisillness, and in a moment, he did not exactly know how, Stroeve found himself onthe floor.

"You funny little man," said Strickland.

Stroeve picked himself up.He noticed that his wife had remained perfectly still, and to be maderidiculous before her increased his humiliation. His spectacles had tumbled offin the struggle, and he could not immediately see them. She picked them up andsilently handed them to him. He seemed suddenly to realise his unhappiness, andthough he knew he was making himself still more absurd, he began to cry. He hidhis face in his hands. The others watched him without a word. They did not movefrom where they stood.

“但是你一定得知道他是永远也不会使你幸福的。为了你自己的缘故，还是不要走吧。你不明白等待你的将是什么。”

“这是你的过错，是你坚持叫他来的。”

施特略夫转向思特里克兰德。

“可怜可怜她吧，”他哀求说，“你不能叫她做出这种发疯的事来。”

“她愿意怎么做就怎么做，”思特里克兰德说，“我并没有强迫她跟着我。”

“我已经决定了。”她用呆板的语调说。

思特里克兰德的这种叫人无名火起的冷静叫施特略夫再也控制不住自己了。一阵狂怒把他攫住；他自己也不知道做的是什么，一下子便扑到思特里克兰德身上。思特里克兰德没有料到这一手，吃了一惊，踉跄后退了一步，但是尽管他久病初愈，还是比施特略夫力气大得多。不到一分钟，施特略夫根本没弄清是怎么回事，已经发现自己躺在地上了。

“你这个小丑。”思特里克兰德骂了一句。

施特略夫挣扎着站起来。他发现自己的妻子声色不动地在一旁站着，当着她的面出这种丑更使他感到丢尽脸面。在同思特里克兰德厮打的时候他的眼镜滑落到地上，一时他看不见落在什么地方。勃朗什把它拾起来，一句话不说地递到他手里。他似乎突然意识到自己的不幸了，虽然他也知道这只会更使自己丢脸，他还是呜呜地哭起来。他用手把脸捂了起来。另外两个人一言不发地看着他，站在一旁连脚步都不挪动。