This was the firstsuggestion that anything untoward had happened. I took no notice, and did mybest to engage Mrs. Strickland in talk. The Colonel, still standing in front ofthe fireplace, uttered no word. I wondered how soon I could decently take myleave, and I asked myself why on earth Mrs. Strickland had allowed me to come.There were no flowers, and various knick-knacks, put away during the summer,had not been replaced; there was something cheerless and stiff about the roomwhich had always seemed so friendly; it gave you an odd feeling, as thoughsomeone were lying dead on the other side of the wall. I finished tea.

"Will you have acigarette?" asked Mrs. Strickland.

She looked about for thebox, but it was not to be seen.

"I'm afraid there arenone. "

Suddenly she burst intotears, and hurried from the room.

I was startled. I supposenow that the lack of cigarettes, brought as a rule by her husband, forced himback upon her recollection, and the new feeling that the small comforts she wasused to were missing gave her a sudden pang. She realised that the old life wasgone and done with. It was impossible to keep up our social pretences anylonger.

I could not help thinkingthat Colonel MacAndrew might have some difficulty in doing this, since Stricklandhad struck me as a hefty fellow, but I did not say anything. It is alwaysdistressing when outraged morality does not possess the strength of arm toadminister direct chastisement on the sinner. I was making up my mind toanother attempt at going when Mrs. Strickland came back. She had dried her eyesand powdered her nose.

"I'm sorry I brokedown, " she said. "I'm glad you didn't go away. "

She sat down. I did not atall know what to say. I felt a certain shyness at referring to matters whichwere no concern of mine. I did not then know the besetting sin of woman, thepassion to discuss her private affairs with anyone who is willing to listen.Mrs. Strickland seemed to make an effort over herself.

"Are people talkingabout it?" she asked.

I was taken aback by herassumption that I knew all about her domestic misfortune.

"I've only just comeback. The only person I've seen is Rose Waterford. "

Mrs. Strickland clasped herhands.

"Tell me exactly whatshe said. " And when I hesitated, she insisted. "I particularly wantto know. "

"You know the waypeople talk. She's not very reliable, is she? She said your husband had leftyou. "

"Is that all?"

I did not choose to repeatRose Waterford's parting reference to a girl from a tea-shop. I lied.

"She didn't sayanything about his going with anyone?"

"No. "

"That's all I wanted toknow. "

I was a little puzzled, butat all events I understood that I might now take my leave. When I shook handswith Mrs. Strickland I told her that if I could be of any use to her I shouldbe very glad. She smiled wanly.

"Thank you so much. Idon't know that anybody can do anything for me. "

Too shy to express mysympathy, I turned to say good-bye to the Colonel. He did not take my hand.

"I'm just coming. Ifyou're walking up Victoria Street, I'll come along with you. "

"All right, " Isaid. "Come on. "

这是暗示发生了一件不幸事件的第一句话。我故意不作理会，尽量同思特里克兰德太太东拉西扯。上校仍然站在壁炉前面一句话也不说。我很想知道什么时候我才能不失礼仪地向主人告别，我奇怪地问我自己，思特里克兰德太太让我进来究竟是为了什么。屋子里没有摆花，度夏以前收拾起的一些摆设也没有重新摆上。一向舒适愉快的房间显得一片寂寥清冷，给人一种感觉，倒仿佛墙壁的另一边停着一个死人似的。我把茶喝完。

“要不要吸一支烟？”思特里克兰德太太问我道。

她四处看了看，要找烟盒，但是却没有找到。

“我怕已经没有了。”

一下子，她的眼泪扑簌簌地落下来，匆匆跑出了客厅。

我吃了一惊。我想到纸烟过去一向是由她丈夫添置的，现在突然发现找不到纸烟，这件小事显然勾起了她的记忆，她伸手就能拿到的东西竟然丢三短四的这种新感觉仿佛在她胸口上突然刺了一刀，她意识到旧日的生活已经一去不复返了，过去那种光荣体面不可能再维持下去了。

“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。”

我禁不住想，麦克安德鲁上校做这件事并不很容易，因为思特里克兰德身强力壮，给我留下的印象很深，但是我并没有说什么。如果一个人受到侮辱损害而又没有力量对罪人直接施行惩罚，这实在是一件痛苦不堪的事。我正准备再作一次努力向他告辞，这时思特里克兰德太太又回到屋子里来了。她已经把眼泪揩干，在鼻子上扑了点儿粉。

“真是对不起，我的感情太脆弱了，”她说，“我很高兴你没有走。”

她坐了下来。我一点儿也不知道该说什么。我不太好意思谈论同自己毫不相干的事。那时候我还不懂女人的一种无法摆脱的恶习——热衷于同任何一个愿意倾听的人讨论自己的私事。思特里克兰德太太似乎在努力克制着自己。

“人们是不是都在议论这件事啊？”她问。我非常吃惊，她竟认为我知道她家的这件不幸是想当然的事。

“我刚刚回来。我就见到了柔斯·瓦特尔芙德一个人。”

思特里克兰德太太拍了一下巴掌。

“她是怎么说的，把她的原话一个字不差地告诉我。”我有点儿踌躇，她却坚持叫我讲。“我特别想知道她怎么谈论这件事。”

“你知道别人怎么谈论。她这个人说话靠不住，对不对？她说你的丈夫把你丢开了。”

“就说了这些吗？”

我不想告诉她柔斯·瓦特尔芙德分手时讲到茶点店女侍的那句话。我对她扯了个谎。

“她说没说他是跟一个什么人一块走的？”

“没有。”

“我想知道的就是这件事。”

我有一些困惑莫解，但是不管怎么说我知道现在我可以告辞了。当我同思特里克兰德太太握手告别的时候我对她说，如果有什么事需要我做，我一定为她尽力。她的脸上掠过一丝笑影。

“非常感谢你。我不知道有谁能替我做什么。”

我不好意思向她表示我的同情，便转过身去同上校告别。上校并没有同我握手。

“我也要走。如果你从维多利亚路走，我跟你同路。”

“好吧，”我说，“咱们一起走。”