I have tried toput some connection into the various things Captain Nichols told me aboutStrickland, and I here set them down in the best order I can. They made oneanother's acquaintance during the latter part of the winter following my lastmeeting with Strickland in Paris. How he had passed the intervening months I donot know, but life must have been very hard, for Captain Nichols saw him firstin the Asile de Nuit. There was a strike at Marseilles at the time, andStrickland, having come to the end of his resources, had apparently found itimpossible to earn the small sum he needed to keep body and soul together.

The Asile deNuit is a large stone building where pauper and vagabond may get a bed for aweek, provided their papers are in order and they can persuade the friars incharge that they are workingmen. Captain Nichols noticed Strickland for hissize and his singular appearance among the crowd that waited for the doors toopen; they waited listlessly, some walking to and fro, some leaning against thewall, and others seated on the curb with their feet in the gutter; and whenthey filed into the office he heard the monk who read his papers address him inEnglish. But he did not have a chance to speak to him, since, as he entered thecommon-room, a monk came in with a huge Bible in his arms, mounted a pulpitwhich was at the end of the room, and began the service which the wretchedoutcasts had to endure as the price of their lodging. He and Strickland wereassigned to different rooms, and when, thrown out of bed at five in the morningby a stalwart monk, he had made his bed and washed his face, Strickland hadalready disappeared. Captain Nichols wandered about the streets for an hour ofbitter cold, and then made his way to the Place Victor Gelu, where thesailor-men are wont to congregate. Dozing against the pedestal of a statue, hesaw Strickland again. He gave him a kick to awaken him.

我试图把尼柯尔斯船长给我讲的一些有关思特里克兰德的事连贯起来，下面我将尽量按照事情发生的先后次序记载。他们两人是我同思特里克兰德在巴黎最后会面的那年冬末认识的。思特里克兰德和尼柯尔斯船长相遇以前的一段日子是怎么过的，我一点也不清楚；但是他的生活肯定非常潦倒，因为尼柯尔斯船长第一次看到他是在夜宿店里。当时马赛正发生一场罢工，思特里克兰德已经到了山穷水尽的地步，显然连勉强赖以糊口的一点钱也挣不到了。

夜宿店是一幢庞大的石头建筑物，穷人和流浪汉，凡是持有齐全的身份证明并能让负责这一机构的修道士相信他本是干活吃饭的人，都能在这里寄宿一个星期。尼柯尔斯在等着寄宿舍开门的一群人里面注意到思特里克兰德，因为斯特里克兰德身躯高大样子又非常古怪，非常引人注目。这些人没精打采地在门外等候着，有的来回踱步，有的懒洋洋地靠着墙，也有的坐在马路牙子上，两脚伸在水沟里。最后，当所有的人们排着队走进了办公室，尼柯尔斯船长听见检查证件的修道士同思特里克兰德谈话用的是英语。但是他并没有机会同思特里克兰德说话，因为人们刚一走进公共休息室，马上就走来一位捧着一本大《圣经》的传教士，登上屋子一头的讲台，布起道来；作为住宿的代价，这些可怜的流浪者必须耐心地忍受着。尼柯尔斯船长和思特里克兰德没有分配在同一间屋子里，第二天清晨五点钟，一个高大粗壮的教士把投宿的人们从床上赶下来，等到尼柯尔斯整理好床铺、洗过脸以后，思特里克兰德已经没影了。尼柯尔斯船长在寒冷刺骨的街头徘徊了一个钟头，最后走到一个水手们经常聚会的地方——维克多·耶鲁广场。他在广场上又看见了思特里克兰德，思特里克兰德正靠着一座石雕像的底座打盹。他踢了思特里克兰德一脚，把他从梦中踢醒。