When herepeated to me the whole sordid little scene I was outraged. He had shownneither sense nor dignity. He had omitted nothing that could make his wifedespise him. There is no cruelty greater than a woman's to a man who loves herand whom she does not love; she has no kindness then, no tolerance even, shehas only an insane irritation. Blanche Stroeve stopped suddenly, and as hard asshe could slapped her husband's face. She took advantage of his confusion toescape, and ran up the stairs to the studio. No word had passed her lips.

When he told methis he put his hand to his cheek as though he still felt the smart of theblow, and in his eyes was a pain that was heartrending and an amazement thatwas ludicrous. He looked like an overblown schoolboy, and though I felt sosorry for him, I could hardly help laughing.

Then he took towalking along the street which she must pass through to get to the shops, andhe would stand at the corner, on the other side, as she went along. He darednot speak to her again, but sought to put into his round eyes the appeal thatwas in his heart. I suppose he had some idea that the sight of his misery wouldtouch her. She never made the smallest sign that she saw him. She never evenchanged the hour of her errands or sought an alternative route. I have an ideathat there was some cruelty in her indifference. Perhaps she got enjoyment outof the torture she inflicted. I wondered why she hated him so much.

当施特略夫对我回述这幕令人作呕的丑戏时，我真是气坏了。这个人真是又没有脑子、又失掉作丈夫的尊严。凡是叫他妻子鄙视的事，他一件没漏地都做出来了。女人对一个仍然爱着她、可是她已经不再爱的男人可以表现得比任何人都残忍；她对他不只不仁慈，而且根本不能容忍，她成了一团毫无理智的怒火。勃朗什·施特略夫倏地站住了，用尽全身力气在她丈夫脸上掴了一掌。趁他张皇失措的当儿，她急忙走开，三步并作两步地登上画室的楼梯。自始至终她一句话也没有说。

他一边给我讲这段故事，一边用手摸着脸，好象那火辣辣的痛劲儿到现在还没有过去似的。他的眼睛流露着痛苦而迷惘的神色，他的痛苦让人看着心酸，而他的迷惘又有些滑稽。他活脱儿是个挨了训的小学生；尽管我觉得他很可怜，却禁不住好笑。

这以后他就在勃朗什到商店买东西的必经之路上往返徘徊，当他见到勃朗什走过的时候，就在街对面墙角一站。他不敢再同她搭话了，只是用一对圆眼睛盯着她，尽量把心里的祈求和哀思用眼神表露出来。我猜想他可能认为勃朗什会被他的一副可怜相打动。但是她却从来没有任何看到他的表示。她甚至连买东西的时间也不改变，也从来不改变一下路线。我估计她这种冷漠含有某种残忍的成分，说不定她感到这样痛苦折磨他是一种乐趣。我真不懂她为什么对他这样恨之入骨。