The Moon And Sixpence 31.1

Next day,though I pressed him to remain, Stroeve left me. I offered to fetch his thingsfrom the studio, but he insisted on going himself; I think he hoped they hadnot thought of getting them together, so that he would have an opportunity of seeinghis wife again and perhaps inducing her to come back to him. But he found histraps waiting for him in the porter's lodge, and the concierge told him thatBlanche had gone out. I do not think he resisted the temptation of giving heran account of his troubles. I found that he was telling them to everyone heknew; he expected sympathy, but only excited ridicule.He bore himselfmost unbecomingly. Knowing at what time his wife did her shopping, one day,unable any longer to bear not seeing her, he waylaid her in the street. Shewould not speak to him, but he insisted on speaking to her. He spluttered outwords of apology for any wrong he had committed towards her; he told her heloved her devotedly and begged her to return to him. She would not answer; shewalked hurriedly, with averted face. I imagined him with his fat little legstrying to keep up with her. Panting a little in his haste, he told her howmiserable he was; he besought her to have mercy on him; he promised, if shewould forgive him, to do everything she wanted. He offered to take her for ajourney. He told her that Strickland would soon tire of her. 第二天，虽然我尽力挽留，施特略夫还是走了。我建议我替他回家去取行李，但是他坚持要自己去。我想他可能希望他们并没有把他的东西收拾起来，这样他就有机会再见自己的妻子一面，说不定还能劝说她回到自己的身边来。但是事实并不象他所料想的那样，他的一些零星用品已经放在门房，等着他取走，而勃朗什，据看门人告诉他，已经出门走了。我想施特略夫如果有机会的话，是不会不把自己的苦恼向她倾诉一番的。我发现他不论碰到哪个相识的人都把自己的不幸遭遇唠叨给人家听；他希望别人同情他，但是却只引起人们的嘲笑。他的行径很失体统。他知道他的妻子每天什么时候出去买东西，有一天，迫不及待地想见到她，便在街上把她拦住。虽然勃朗什不理他，他还是没完没了同她讲话。他为自己做的任何一件对不起她的事向她道歉，告诉她自己如何真心爱她，请求她再回到自己身边。勃朗什一句话也不回答，脸扭向一边，飞快地向前赶路，我想象得出施特略夫怎样迈动着一双小短腿，使劲在后面追赶的样子。他一边跑一边喘气，继续唠叨个没完。他告诉她自己如何痛苦，请求她可怜自己；他发誓赌咒，只要她能原谅他，他什么事都愿意替她做。他答应要带她去旅行。他告诉她思特里克兰德不久就会厌倦了她。