For the nextmonth, occupied with my own affairs, I saw no one connected with thislamentable business, and my mind ceased to be occupied with it. But one day,when I was walking along, bent on some errand, I passed Charles Strickland. Thesight of him brought back to me all the horror which I was not unwilling toforget, and I felt in me a sudden repulsion for the cause of it. Nodding, forit would have been childish to cut him, I walked on quickly; but in a minute Ifelt a hand on my shoulder.

"You're ina great hurry, " he said cordially.

It wascharacteristic of him to display geniality with anyone who showed adisinclination to meet him, and the coolness of my greeting can have left himin little doubt of that.

"I am," I answered briefly.

"I'll walkalong with you, " he said.

"Why?"I asked.

"For thepleasure of your society. "

I did notanswer, and he walked by my side silently. We continued thus for perhaps aquarter of a mile. I began to feel a little ridiculous. At last we passed astationer's, and it occurred to me that I might as well buy some paper. Itwould be an excuse to be rid of him.

"I'm goingin here, " I said. "Good-bye. "

"I'll waitfor you. "

在施特略夫离开以后的一个月里，我忙于自己的事务，再也没有见到过哪个同这件悲惨事件有关的人，我也不再去想它了。但是有一天，正当我出外办事的时候，却在路上看到了查理斯·思特里克兰德。一见到他，那些我宁肯忘掉的令人气愤的事马上又回到我的脑子里来，我对这个造成这场祸事的人感到一阵嫌恶。但是佯装不见也未免大孩子气，我还是对他点了点头，然后加快了脚步，继续走自己的路。可是马上就有一只手搭在我的肩膀上。

“你挺忙啊。”他热诚地说。

对于任何一个不屑于理他的人他总是非常亲切，这是思特里克兰德的一个特点；从我刚才同他打招呼时的冷淡态度，他清楚地知道我对他的看法。

“挺忙。”我的回答非常简短。

“我同你一起走一段路。”他说。

“干什么？”我问。

“因为高兴同你在一起。”

我没有说什么，他默不作声地伴着我走。我们就这样走了大约四分之一里路。我开始觉得有一点滑稽。最后我们走过一家文具店，我突然想到我不妨进去买些纸，这样我就可以把他甩掉了。

“我要进去买点东西，”我说，“再见。”

“我等着你。”