I clenched myhands, seeking to control my irritation. I attempted a smile.

"I'msorry. Take your time. Don't hurry, there's a good fellow. "

His round blueeyes behind the spectacles were ghastly with terror. The magnifying-glasses hewore distorted them.

"When theconcierge went up this morning to take a letter she could get no answer to herring. She heard someone groaning. The door wasn't locked, and she went in.Blanche was lying on the bed. She'd been frightfully sick. There was a bottleof oxalic acid on the table. "

Stroeve hid hisface in his hands and swayed backwards and forwards, groaning.

"Was sheconscious?"

"Yes. Oh,if you knew how she's suffering! I can't bear it. I can't bear it. "

His voice roseto a shriek.

"Damn itall, you haven't got to bear it, " I cried impatiently. "She's got tobear it. "

"How canyou be so cruel?"

"What haveyou done?"

"They sentfor a doctor and for me, and they told the police. I'd given the conciergetwenty francs, and told her to send for me if anything happened. "

我握紧了拳头，想把心里的怒气压下去。我努力摆出一副笑脸来。

“对不起。你慢慢说吧，不用着急。我不怪罪你。”

他的近视镜片后面的一对又圆又蓝的眼睛因为恐惧叫人看着非常可怕。他戴的放大镜片使这双眼睛变形了。

“今天早晨看门人上楼去给他们送信，按了半天门铃也没有人回答。她听见屋子里有人呻吟。门没有上闩，她就走进去了。勃朗什在床上躺着，情况非常危险。桌子上摆着一瓶草酸。”

施特略夫用手捂着脸，一边前后摇晃着身体，一边呻吟。

“她那时候还有知觉吗？”

“有。啊，如果你知道她多么痛苦就好了。我真受不了。我真受不了。”

他的声音越来越高，成了一种尖叫。

“他妈的，你有什么受不了的，”我失去耐心地喊起来，“她这是自作自受。”

“你怎么能这么残忍呢？”

“你后来做什么了？”

“他们叫了医生，也把我找去，还报告了警察。我以前给过看门人二十法郎，告诉她如果发生了什么事就通知我。”