The Moon And Sixpence 41.4

"She was agoverness in the family of some Roman prince, and the son of the house seducedher. She thought he was going to marry her. They turned her out into the streetneck and crop. She was going to have a baby, and she tried to commit suicide.Stroeve found her and married her. "

"It wasjust like him. I never knew anyone with so compassionate a heart. "

I had oftenwondered why that ill-assorted pair had married, but just that explanation hadnever occurred to me. That was perhaps the cause of the peculiar quality ofDirk's love for his wife. I had noticed in it something more than passion. Iremembered also how I had always fancied that her reserve concealed I knew notwhat; but now I saw in it more than the desire to hide a shameful secret. Hertranquillity was like the sullen calm that broods over an island which has beenswept by a hurricane. Her cheerfulness was the cheerfulness of despair.Strickland interrupted my reflections with an observation the profound cynicismof which startled me.

"A womancan forgive a man for the harm he does her, " he said, "but she cannever forgive him for the sacrifices he makes on her account. "

"It mustbe reassuring to you to know that you certainly run no risk of incurring theresentment of the women you come in contact with, " I retorted.

A slight smilebroke on his lips.

"You arealways prepared to sacrifice your principles for a repartee, " heanswered.

"Whathappened to the child?"

"Oh, itwas still-born, three or four months after they were married. "

Then I came tothe question which had seemed to me most puzzling.

"Will youtell me why you bothered about Blanche Stroeve at all?"

He did notanswer for so long that I nearly repeated it.

"How do Iknow?" he said at last. "She couldn't bear the sight of me. It amusedme. "

"I see."

“她原来是罗马一个贵族家里的家庭教师，这家人的少爷勾引了她。她本以为那个男的会娶她做妻子，没想到却被这家人一脚踢了出来。她快临产了，想要自杀。这时候施特略夫发现了她，同她结了婚。”

“施特略夫正是这样一个人。我从来没有见过哪个人象他那样富于侠义心肠的。”

原先我就一直奇怪，这一对无论从哪一方面讲都不相配的人是怎么凑到一块儿的，但是我从来没有想过竟会是这么一回事。戴尔克对他妻子的爱情与一般夫妻的感情很不相同，原因也许就在这里。我发现他对她的态度有一些超过了热情的东西。我也记得我总是怀疑勃朗什的拘谨沉默可能掩藏着某种我不知道的隐情。现在我明白了，她极力隐藏的远远不止是一个令她感到羞耻的秘密。她的安详沉默就象笼罩着暴风雨侵袭后的岛屿上的凄清宁静。她有时显出了快活的笑脸也是绝望中的强颜欢笑。我的沉思被思特里克兰德的话声打断了，他说了一句非常尖刻的话，使我大吃一惊。

“女人可以原谅男人对她的伤害，”他说，“但是永远不能原谅他对她做出的牺牲。”

“你这人是不会引起同你相识的女人恼恨的，这一点你倒可以放心。”我顶了他一句。

他的嘴角上浮现起一丝笑容。

“你为了反驳别人从来不怕牺牲自己的原则。”他回答说。

“那个孩子后来怎么样了？”

“流产了，在他们结婚三、四个月之后。”

这时我提出了最使我迷惑不解的那个问题。

“你可以不可以告诉我为什么你要招惹勃朗什·施特略夫？”

他很久很久没有回答，我几乎想再重复一遍我的问题了。

“我怎么知道？”最后他说，“她非常讨厌我，几乎见不得我的面，所以我觉得很有趣。”

“我懂了。”