"I'm not going to askyou to change your mind, but I want you to listen to me for a minute. It's thelast thing I shall ever ask you. Don't refuse me that. "

She paused, looking at himwith those reflective eyes of hers, which now were so different to him. Shecame back into the studio and leaned against the table.

"Well?"

Stroeve made a great effortto collect himself.

"You must be a little reasonable.You can't live on air, you know. Strickland hasn't got a penny. "

"I know. "

"You'll suffer the mostawful privations. You know why he took so long to get well. He was halfstarved. "

"I can earn money forhim. "

"How?"

"I don't know. I shallfind a way. "

A horrible thought passedthrough the Dutchman's mind, and he shuddered.

"I think you must bemad. I don't know what has come over you. "

She shrugged her shoulders.

"Now may I go?"

"Wait one secondlonger. "

“我不是要你改变主意，我只是求你再听我说几句话。这是我要求你的最后一件事了。不要拒绝我吧。”

她站住了，用她那沉思的眼睛打量了他一会儿，她的目光现在变得那么冷漠无情了。她走回到画室里，往桌子上一靠。

“说吧！”

施特略夫费了好大劲才使自己平静了一点。

“你一定要冷静一些。你不能靠空气过日子啊。你知道，思特里克兰德手里一个钱也没有。”

“我知道。”

“你吃不够吃，喝不够喝，会吃尽苦头的。你知道他为什么这么久身体才恢复过来？他一直过着半饥不饱的生活啊！”

“我可以挣钱养活他。”

“怎么挣钱？”

“我不知道。我会找到个办法的。”

一个极其恐怖的想法掠过这个荷兰画师的心头，他打了个哆嗦。

“我想你一定是发疯了。我不知道你被什么迷住了。”

她耸了耸肩膀。

“现在我可以走了吗？”

“再等一秒钟。”