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"I dare say you'd likeme to go, " I said to the Colonel, getting up.
"I suppose you've heardthat blackguard has deserted her, " he cried explosively.
I hesitated.
"You know how peoplegossip, " I answered. "I was vaguely told that something was wrong."
"He's bolted. He's goneoff to Paris with a woman. He's left Amy without a penny. "
"I'm awfully sorry," I said, not knowing what else to say.
The Colonel gulped down hiswhisky. He was a tall, lean man of fifty, with a drooping moustache and greyhair. He had pale blue eyes and a weak mouth. I remembered from my previousmeeting with him that he had a foolish face, and was proud of the fact that forthe ten years before he left the army he had played polo three days a week.
"I don't suppose Mrs.Strickland wants to be bothered with me just now, " I said. "Will youtell her how sorry I am? If there's anything I can do. I shall be delighted todo it. "
He took no notice of me.
"I don't know what's tobecome of her. And then there are the children. Are they going to live on air?Seventeen years. "
"What about seventeenyears?"
"They've been married," he snapped. "I never liked him. Of course he was my brother-in-law,and I made the best of it. Did you think him a gentleman? She ought never tohave married him. "
"Is it absolutelyfinal?"
"There's only one thingfor her to do, and that's to divorce him. That's what I was telling her whenyou came in. 'Fire in with your petition, my dear Amy, ' I said. `You owe it toyourself and you owe it to the children. ' He'd better not let me catch sightof him. I'd thrash him within an inch of his life. "
“我看我该走了吧,”我对上校说,站起身来。
“我想你已经听说那个流氓把她甩了的事吧,”他一下子爆发出来。
我踌躇了一会儿。
“你知道人们怎样爱扯闲话,”我说,“有人闪烁其词地对我说,这里出了点儿事。”
“他逃跑了。他同一个女人跑到巴黎去了。他把阿美扔了,一个便士也没留下。”
“我感到很难过,”我说;我实在找不到别的什么话了。
上校一口气把威士忌灌下去。他是一个五十岁左右的高大、削瘦的汉子,胡须向下垂着,头发已经灰白。他的眼睛是浅蓝色的,嘴唇的轮廓很不鲜明。我从上一次见到他就记得他长着一副傻里傻气的面孔,并且自夸他离开军队以前每星期打三次马球,十年没有间断过。
“我想现在我不必再打搅思特里克兰德太太了,”我说,“好不好请你告诉她,我非常为她难过?如果有什么我能做的事,我很愿意为她效劳。”
他没有理会我的话。
“我不知道她以后怎么办。而且还有孩子。难道让他们靠空气过活?十六年啊!”
“什么十六年?”
“他们结婚十六年了,”他没好气儿地说。“我从来就不喜欢他。当然了,他是我的连襟,我尽量容忍着。你以为他是个绅士吗?她根本就不应该嫁给他。”
“就没有挽回的余地了吗?”
“她只有一件事好做:同他离婚。这就是你刚进来的时候我对她说的。‘把离婚申请书递上去,亲爱的阿美,’我说,‘为了你自己,为了你的孩子,你都该这么做。’他最好还是别叫我遇见。我不把他打得灵魂出窍才怪。”
By Bolazynes"I dare say you'd likeme to go, " I said to the Colonel, getting up.
"I suppose you've heardthat blackguard has deserted her, " he cried explosively.
I hesitated.
"You know how peoplegossip, " I answered. "I was vaguely told that something was wrong."
"He's bolted. He's goneoff to Paris with a woman. He's left Amy without a penny. "
"I'm awfully sorry," I said, not knowing what else to say.
The Colonel gulped down hiswhisky. He was a tall, lean man of fifty, with a drooping moustache and greyhair. He had pale blue eyes and a weak mouth. I remembered from my previousmeeting with him that he had a foolish face, and was proud of the fact that forthe ten years before he left the army he had played polo three days a week.
"I don't suppose Mrs.Strickland wants to be bothered with me just now, " I said. "Will youtell her how sorry I am? If there's anything I can do. I shall be delighted todo it. "
He took no notice of me.
"I don't know what's tobecome of her. And then there are the children. Are they going to live on air?Seventeen years. "
"What about seventeenyears?"
"They've been married," he snapped. "I never liked him. Of course he was my brother-in-law,and I made the best of it. Did you think him a gentleman? She ought never tohave married him. "
"Is it absolutelyfinal?"
"There's only one thingfor her to do, and that's to divorce him. That's what I was telling her whenyou came in. 'Fire in with your petition, my dear Amy, ' I said. `You owe it toyourself and you owe it to the children. ' He'd better not let me catch sightof him. I'd thrash him within an inch of his life. "
“我看我该走了吧,”我对上校说,站起身来。
“我想你已经听说那个流氓把她甩了的事吧,”他一下子爆发出来。
我踌躇了一会儿。
“你知道人们怎样爱扯闲话,”我说,“有人闪烁其词地对我说,这里出了点儿事。”
“他逃跑了。他同一个女人跑到巴黎去了。他把阿美扔了,一个便士也没留下。”
“我感到很难过,”我说;我实在找不到别的什么话了。
上校一口气把威士忌灌下去。他是一个五十岁左右的高大、削瘦的汉子,胡须向下垂着,头发已经灰白。他的眼睛是浅蓝色的,嘴唇的轮廓很不鲜明。我从上一次见到他就记得他长着一副傻里傻气的面孔,并且自夸他离开军队以前每星期打三次马球,十年没有间断过。
“我想现在我不必再打搅思特里克兰德太太了,”我说,“好不好请你告诉她,我非常为她难过?如果有什么我能做的事,我很愿意为她效劳。”
他没有理会我的话。
“我不知道她以后怎么办。而且还有孩子。难道让他们靠空气过活?十六年啊!”
“什么十六年?”
“他们结婚十六年了,”他没好气儿地说。“我从来就不喜欢他。当然了,他是我的连襟,我尽量容忍着。你以为他是个绅士吗?她根本就不应该嫁给他。”
“就没有挽回的余地了吗?”
“她只有一件事好做:同他离婚。这就是你刚进来的时候我对她说的。‘把离婚申请书递上去,亲爱的阿美,’我说,‘为了你自己,为了你的孩子,你都该这么做。’他最好还是别叫我遇见。我不把他打得灵魂出窍才怪。”