The Moon And Sixpence 8.6

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.

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。