"What haveyou done with all your things?" I said at last.

"I got aJew in, and he gave me a round sum for the lot. I'm taking my pictures homewith me. Beside them I own nothing in the world now but a box of clothes and afew books. "

"I'm gladyou're going home, " I said.

I felt that hischance was to put all the past behind him. I hoped that the grief which nowseemed intolerable would be softened by the lapse of time, and a mercifulforgetfulness would help him to take up once more the burden of life. He wasyoung still, and in a few years he would look back on all his misery with asadness in which there would be something not unpleasurable. Sooner or later hewould marry some honest soul in Holland, and I felt sure he would be happy. Ismiled at the thought of the vast number of bad pictures he would paint beforehe died.

Next day I sawhim off for Amsterdam.

“你那些东西怎么处置了？”最后我问道。

“我找了一个收旧货的犹太人，他把全部东西都买了去，给了我一笔整钱。我的那些画我准备带回家去。除了画以外，我还有一箱子衣服，几本书，此外，在这个世界上我什么财产也没有了。”

“我很高兴你回老家去。”我说。

我觉得他还是有希望让过去的事成为过去的。我希望随着时间的流逝，现在他觉得无法忍受的悲痛会逐渐减轻，记忆会逐渐淡薄；老天是以慈悲为怀的！他终究会再度挑起生活的担子来的。他年纪还很轻，几年以后再回顾这一段惨痛遭遇，在悲痛中或许不无某种愉悦的感觉。或迟或早，他会同一个朴实的荷兰女人结婚，我相信他会生活得很幸福的。想到他这一辈子还会画出多少幅蹩脚的图画来，我的脸上禁不住浮现出笑容。

第二天我就送他启程回阿姆斯特丹去了。