The Kriser tree-lined road at this time is very lively. If you are a person with rich imagination, you will definitely find many frequent visitors in romantic literature when observing passers-by here. The meager salary staff and saleswomen, like Balzac's novels, are also men and women who use human nature to make money. There are many such poor areas in Paris, and you will see people everywhere on the streets, making your blood boil, and they may play a good show at any time.

"Are you familiar with Paris?" I asked.

"I'm not familiar. I only came once on my honeymoon, and I never came again."

"Then why did you stay in this hotel?"

"I've told me. Because I need a cheap hotel."

The waiter brought absinthe and we poured the wine on the sugar to speed up the sugar melting rate.

"I don't think I'll go around in circles. Let's just tell me the reason for coming this time." I said a little embarrassedly.

His eyes widened.

"I know someone will come to me sooner or later. The letters Ami wrote to me are already piled up."

"Then do I need to say it? You will know after reading the letter."

"I didn't read her letter."

In order to leave some time to sort out my thoughts, I lit a cigarette for myself. I was helpless. Some of the words I had thought of in advance were sad and moving, while others were angry and excited. They were so pale and powerless at the moment, which made me really not know how to speak. Suddenly, Strickland burst out with a cheerful smile.

"This must be a difficult thing, right?"

"Ah, I don't know." I replied.

"Listen to me, please tell me quickly so that we can play cards for the whole night."

I hesitated to speak.

"Have you ever thought that your wife is in great pain now?"

"It's okay, it's just a temporary thing, things will always pass."

His expression was not ordinary cold, and I could not describe it in words. I was upset and didn't know how to deal with it. At this time, I remembered an Uncle Henry who would use a special tone every time he asked for a donation from the relatives association, so I began to imitate him.

"I won't talk to you around the bush, don't you mind?"

He smiled and shook his head.

"Do you think your behavior is reasonable?"

"It's unreasonable."

"Is there anything she makes you feel annoyed?"

"No."

"Then, you have lived happily together for seventeen years, and you don't hate her. Wouldn't it be too unreasonable if you leave like this?"

"It's too unreasonable."

I looked at him in surprise. No matter how I accuse him, he not only did not deny it, but also agreed with my remarks, which disrupted my rhythm. The situation became more complicated. I originally thought about many lines, but also thought that if he didn't get into it, he would understand the reason and move it with emotion. If it really doesn't work, he could only scold and mock him loudly. In short, he must try his best to make him admit that his behavior was wrong. But now this sinner confessed his crime so bluntly. What should I do next? In my past life, I have never met such a person, so I don't know how to deal with him. If I did something wrong myself, I would never admit it so simply.

"What else are you going to say?" said Strickland.

I shrugged.

"Nothing else, since you admit it, I have nothing to say."

"I guess so."

I think my segment number is not clear enough and I seem too stupid, so I am very angry.

"Let's not talk about anything else for now. You can't leave your wife behind and come to Paris alone to have a free life without leaving her a penny!"

"Why can't it?"

"Then how did she live?"

"For the past seventeen years, she has lived on me. Why can't she live on her own strength now?"

"She can't support herself."

"She can give it a try."

I can come up with many things to refute him, such as the economic status of a woman, the obligations that married men should bear, and there are many other legitimate reasons, but these are secondary and the most critical reason is only one.

"Do you still love her?"

"I don't love you anymore," he replied.

No matter how you look at it, this conclusion is very serious, but I can feel a gloating from his answer, which makes me want to laugh; I bit my lips tightly to avoid laughing. I told myself that the man in front of me was a very evil person, and his behavior was very shameless. So I spoke angrily:

"Damn it, you have to think about your own children. They are innocent and don't feel sorry for you at all. Even their birth is not something you can make. Do you abandon them and want to watch them wander on the streets?"

"They have been comfortable for so many years and are much happier than most children. Besides, there will always be someone to raise them. If necessary, the McAndrews will help them."

"But, they are so cute, don't you like them? Are you saying, do you want to separate yourself from them?"

"I did like them when they were young. But now that they are all grown up, I don't like them that much."

"You are really inhumane."

"Indeed, I think so too."

"Aren't you ashamed of yourself?"

“No.”

I want to change my mind.

"If you do this, you will be despised, and others will think you are a complete bad guy." "If they think whatever they like, I don't care."

"You will be isolated by everyone, no one agrees with your actions, they will despise you from the bottom of their hearts. Don't you mind at all?"

"Don't mind."

He calmly responded to the questions I raised, and I seemed to be a fool. I thought about it for a while.

"I think that if a person makes a big mistake, he will not be able to continue living with peace of mind when he is betrayed by his relatives. Are you really indifferent? People cannot live without a conscience in the world. You will always be condemned by conscience. Let's see! If one day your wife dies, won't you feel regretful?"

He was silent. I waited for a long time, but when I saw that he had no intention of speaking, I had to break the silence by myself.

"What else do you want to say?"

"Only one sentence: You are a big fool."

"The law is fair anyway, and it will seek justice for your poor wife and children," I angrily denounced, "the law will guarantee their lives."

"But can the law squeeze oil out of the stone? I'm very tight, only about a hundred pounds."

I was confused, but I could tell from the shabby hotel that his financial situation was really bad.

"What do you do when you use up the money you have on hand?"

"Go and earn a little more."

He was calm from beginning to end. He looked at me with a sarcastic smile in his eyes, as if my words were stupid. I wanted to think about what to say next, but he spoke on his own initiative.

"Why didn't Ami remarry? She is still charming and has a likable personality. If she wants, I can recommend it to her: she is definitely a good wife. If she agrees to divorce, I can help her remarry."

After hearing his words, I just found it funny. He was a cunning liar. He wanted to conceal the elopement with other women and the whereabouts of that woman, but he could not escape my ignorant eyes. He might not have thought that I could see through the truth at a glance.

"Your wife told me that she would not divorce you no matter what. She has made up her mind and I advise you to give up."

He looked at me, as if he was judging whether I was telling lies. At this time, he put away his smile and said seriously:

"But, my dear friend, what does this have to do with me? I don't care at all if she wants to divorce or not."

I couldn't help laughing.

"Oh my God, come on! Don't think we are fools. There is another woman who came to Paris with you, and we all know very well."

He was stunned and then burst into an exaggerated smile. His laughter was too loud, causing the people sitting next to him to look at us curiously, and a few of them laughed.

"Why are you laughing? I have no idea where the laugh is."

"Poor Ami." He said with a smile.

Soon, he changed his expression of contempt.

"These women are so pitiful! What else do they know about love besides love? They always naively feel that men choose to leave them because they have a new love. Do you think of me as a fool and have to repeat past mistakes?"

"You mean, there is no other woman of unknown origin that has fascinated you and even forced you to abandon your wife?"

"Of course not."

"You didn't lie to me? Then do you dare to swear?"

I think my mind must be in a mess before I can say such words.

"I swear."

"Then why did you abandon her?"

"Because I want to draw."

I was shocked and I could not agree with him at all. I felt that the person in front of me must be a lunatic. The readers should not have forgotten that I was a very young man at that time, and I decided to treat him as a middle-aged man. I only remember that I was very surprised at that time and I couldn't remember any other emotions.

"But you are a forty-year-old and you are no longer young."

"That's why I have to hurry up, otherwise it's too late."
To be continued...