The Moon And Sixpence 26.4

"Does heever talk to you in the night?" I asked her once.

"Never."

"Do youdislike him as much as you did?"

"More,if anything. "

She looked atme with her calm gray eyes. Her expression was so placid, it was hard tobelieve that she was capable of the violent emotion I had witnessed.

"Has heever thanked you for what you do for him?"

"No," she smiled.

"He'sinhuman. "

"He'sabominable. "

Stroeve was,of course, delighted with her. He could not do enough to show his gratitude forthe whole-hearted devotion with which she had accepted the burden he laid onher. But he was a little puzzled by the behaviour of Blanche and Stricklandtowards one another.

"Do youknow, I've seen them sit there for hours together without saying a word?"

On oneoccasion, when Strickland was so much better that in a day or two he was to getup, I sat with them in the studio. Dirk and I were talking. Mrs. Stroeve sewed,and I thought I recognised the shirt she was mending as Strickland's. He lay onhis back; he did not speak. Once I saw that his eyes were fixed on BlancheStroeve, and there was in them a curious irony. Feeling their gaze, she raisedher own, and for a moment they stared at one another. I could not quiteunderstand her expression. Her eyes had in them a strange perplexity, andperhaps -- but why? -- alarm. In a moment Strickland looked away and idlysurveyed the ceiling, but she continued to stare at him, and now her look wasquite inexplicable.

“夜里他跟你说过话吗？”有一次我问她。

“从来没有。”

“你还象过去那样不喜欢他吗？”

“比以前更厉害了。”

她用一双安详的、灰色的眼睛望着我。她的神色非常恬静，我很难相信她居然能象那次我看到的那样大发脾气。

“你替他做了这么多事，他谢过你吗？”

“没有。”她笑了笑说。

“这人真不通人情。”

“简直太可恶了。”

施特略夫对她自然非常满意。她这样把他撂给她的挑子担了过来，而且全心全意地履行自己的职责，他无论怎样做也无法表示对她的感激。但是他对勃朗什同思特里克兰德彼此的关系又有些不解。

“你知道，我看见过他们在一起坐了好几个钟头，谁也一句话不说。”

有一次我和这一家人一同坐在画室里，这时思特里克兰德的身体已经快好了，再过一两天就要起床了。戴尔克同我闲聊。施特略夫太太在缝补什么；她缝的东西我是认得的，那是思特里克兰德的一件衬衣。思特里克兰德仰面躺着，一句话也不说。有一次我看到他的目光停在勃朗什·施特略夫身上，带着一种奇怪的嘲弄神情。勃朗什感到他正在看自己，抬起眼睛，他们俩彼此凝视了一会儿。我不知道为什么她脸上会有这样的表情。她的目光里有一种奇怪的困惑，也许是——但为什么啊？ ——惊惧的神色。思特里克兰德马上把眼睛移开了，开始悠闲地打量起天花板来；但是她却一直注视着他，脸上的神情更加不可解释了。