The next weekwas dreadful. Stroeve went twice a day to the hospital to enquire after hiswife, who still declined to see him; and came away at first relieved andhopeful because he was told that she seemed to be growing better, and then indespair because, the complication which the doctor had feared having ensued,recovery was impossible. The nurse was pitiful to his distress, but she hadlittle to say that could console him. The poor woman lay quite still, refusingto speak, with her eyes intent, as though she watched for the coming of death.It could now be only the question of a day or two; and when, late one evening,Stroeve came to see me I knew it was to tell me she was dead. He was absolutelyexhausted. His volubility had left him at last, and he sank down wearily on mysofa. I felt that no words of condolence availed, and I let him lie therequietly. I feared he would think it heartless if I read, so I sat by the window,smoking a pipe, till he felt inclined to speak.

这以后的一个星期简直是一场噩梦。施特略夫每天去医院两次探听妻子的病况，勃朗什始终不肯见他。头几天他从医院回来心情比较宽慰，而且满怀希望，因为医院的人对他讲，勃朗什似乎日趋好转；但是几天以后，施特略夫便陷入痛苦绝望中，医生所担心的并发症果然发生了，病人看来没有希望了。护士对施特略夫非常同情，但是却找不到什么安慰他的言词。病人只是一动不动地躺在床上，一句话也不说，两眼凝视着半空，好象在望着死神的降临。看来这个可怜的女人只有一两天的活头儿了。一天晚上，已经很晚了，施特略夫走来看我。不等他开口，我就知道他是来向我报告病人的死讯的。施特略夫身心交瘁到了极点。往日他总是滔滔不绝地同我讲话，这一天却一语不发，一进屋子就疲劳不堪地躺在我的沙发上。我觉得无论说什么安慰的话也无济于事，便索性让他一声不响地躺在那里。我想看点书，又怕他认为我太无心肝，于是我只好坐在窗户前边默默地抽烟斗，等着他什么时候愿意开口再同他讲话。