The Moon And Sixpence 34.5

But when wearrived at the hospital, a gaunt, cheerless building, the mere sight of whichwas enough to make one's heart sick, and after being directed from thisofficial to that, up endless stairs and through long, bare corridors, found thedoctor in charge of the case, we were told that the patient was too ill to seeanyone that day. The doctor was a little bearded man in white, with an offhandmanner. He evidently looked upon a case as a case, and anxious relatives as anuisance which must be treated with firmness. Moreover, to him the affair wascommonplace; it was just an hysterical woman who had quarrelled with her loverand taken poison; it was constantly happening. At first he thought that Dirkwas the cause of the disaster, and he was needlessly brusque with him. When Iexplained that he was the husband, anxious to forgive, the doctor looked at himsuddenly, with curious, searching eyes. I seemed to see in them a hint ofmockery; it was true that Stroeve had the head of the husband who is deceived.The doctor faintly shrugged his shoulders.

"There isno immediate danger, " he said, in answer to our questioning. "Onedoesn't know how much she took. It may be that she will get off with a fright.Women are constantly trying to commit suicide for love, but generally they takecare not to succeed. It's generally a gesture to arouse pity or terror in theirlover. "

There was inhis tone a frigid contempt. It was obvious that to him Blanche Stroeve was onlya unit to be added to the statistical list of attempted suicides in the city ofParis during the current year. He was busy, and could waste no more time on us.He told us that if we came at a certain hour next day, should Blanche bebetter, it might be possible for her husband to see her.

终于到了医院——一座凄清阴惨的建筑物，一看见就让人心里发凉。我们从一个办公室被支到另一个办公室，爬上数不尽的楼梯，穿过走不到头儿的光秃秃的走廊，最后找到主治的医生，但是我们却被告诉说，病人健康状况太坏，这一天不能接见任何探视的人。同我们讲话的这个医生蓄着胡须、身材矮小，穿着一身白衣服，态度一点也不客气。他显然只把病人当作病人，把焦急不安的亲属当作惹厌的东西，毫无通融的余地。此外，对他说来，这类事早已司空见惯；这只不过是一个歇斯底里的女人同爱人吵了嘴、赌气服了毒而已，这是经常发生的事。最初他还以为戴尔克是罪魁祸首，毫无必要地顶撞了他几句。在我向他解释了戴尔克是病人的丈夫、渴望宽恕她以后，医生突然用炯炯逼人的好奇目光打量起他来。我好象在医生的目光里看到一丝挪揄的神色；施特略夫的长相一望而知是个受老婆欺骗的窝囊汉子。医生把肩膀微微一耸。“目前没有什么危险，”他回答我们的询问说，“还不知道她吞服了多少。也很可能只是一场虚惊。女人们不断为了爱情而自寻短见，但是一般说来她们总是做得很小心，不让自杀成为事实。通常这只是为了引起她们情人的怜悯或者恐怖而作的一个姿态。”

他的语气里有一种冷漠、轻蔑的味道。对他说来，勃朗什·施特略夫显然不过是即将列入巴黎这一年自杀未遂的统计表中的一个数字。医生非常忙，不可能为了我们浪费自己的时间。他告诉我们，如果我们在第二天某一个时刻来，假如勃朗什好一些，她的丈夫是可以见到她的。