The Moon And Sixpence 8.7

"I dare say you'd likeme to go, " I said to the Colonel, getting up."I suppose you've heardthat blackguard has deserted her, " he cried explosively.I hesitated."You know how peoplegossip, " I answered. "I was vaguely told that something was wrong.""He's bolted. He's goneoff to Paris with a woman. He's left Amy without a penny. ""I'm awfully sorry," I said, not knowing what else to say.The Colonel gulped down hiswhisky. He was a tall, lean man of fifty, with a drooping moustache and greyhair. He had pale blue eyes and a weak mouth. I remembered from my previousmeeting with him that he had a foolish face, and was proud of the fact that forthe ten years before he left the army he had played polo three days a week."I don't suppose Mrs.Strickland wants to be bothered with me just now, " I said. "Will youtell her how sorry I am? If there's anything I can do. I shall be delighted todo it. "He took no notice of me."I don't know what's tobecome of her. And then there are the children. Are they going to live on air?Seventeen years. ""What about seventeenyears?""They've been married," he snapped. "I never liked him. Of course he was my brother-in-law,and I made the best of it. Did you think him a gentleman? She ought never tohave married him. ""Is it absolutelyfinal?""There's only one thingfor her to do, and that's to divorce him. That's what I was telling her whenyou came in. 'Fire in with your petition, my dear Amy, ' I said. `You owe it toyourself and you owe it to the children. ' He'd better not let me catch sightof him. I'd thrash him within an inch of his life. "“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。”