Individual Reading 4

Dirk Stroeve tried to make his wife come back but she didn't listen to him despising his lack of determination. One day the narrator got to know from Dirk about the suicide of Mrs. Stroeve: she had drunk oxalic acid after Charles's leaving. In some days she died from violent scald and pain. After so tragical events Dirk went to his native town in order to forget about his sufferings and to start a new life. Walking along Paris streets, the writer met Charles, who was calm and reconciled as if nothing had happened. It turned out that Charles Strickland didn't consider himself guilty of Mrs. Stroeve's death and he didn't even remember her: she was only a beautiful sitter for him. The narrator hated and scorned him for his words but Charles didn't notice such an attitude.