Two or threedays later Dirk Stroeve called on me.

"I hearyou've seen Blanche, " he said.

"How onearth did you find out?"

"I wastold by someone who saw you sitting with them. Why didn't you tell me?"

"I thoughtit would only pain you. "

"What do Icare if it does? You must know that I want to hear the smallest thing abouther. "

I waited forhim to ask me questions.

"What doesshe look like?" he said.

"Absolutelyunchanged. "

"Does sheseem happy?"

I shrugged myshoulders.

"How can Itell? We were in a cafe; we were playing chess; I had no opportunity to speakto her. "

"Oh, butcouldn't you tell by her face?"

I shook myhead. I could only repeat that by no word, by no hinted gesture, had she givenan indication of her feelings. He must know better than I how great were herpowers of self-control. He clasped his hands emotionally.

"Oh, I'mso frightened. I know something is going to happen, something terrible, and Ican do nothing to stop it. "

"What sortof thing?" I asked.

"Oh, Idon't know, " he moaned, seizing his head with his hands. "I foreseesome terrible catastrophe. "

两三天以后，戴尔克·施特略夫来找我。

“听说你见到勃朗什了？”他说。

“你怎么会知道的？”

“有人看见你同他们坐在一起，告诉我了。你干嘛不告诉我？”

“我怕会使你痛苦。”

“使我痛苦又有什么关系？你必须知道，只要是她的事，哪怕最微不足道的，我也想知道。”

我等着他向我提问。

“她现在是什么样子？”他问。

“一点儿也没改变。”

“你看她的样子幸福吗？”

我耸了耸肩膀。

“我怎么知道？我们是在咖啡馆里，我在同思特里克兰德下棋。我没有机会同她谈话。”

“啊，但是你从她的面容看不出来吗？”

我摇了摇头。我只能把我想到的给他讲了一遍：她既没用话语也没用手势向我透露她的任何感情。他一定比我更了解，她自我克制的力量多么大。戴尔克感情激动地两手紧握在一起。

“啊，我非常害怕。我知道一定会发生一件事，一件可怕的事，可是我却没有办法阻止它。”

“会发生什么样儿的事？”我问道。

“啊，我也不知道，”他用两手把头抱住，呻吟道，“我预见到一件可怕的灾难。”