Individual Reading: "The Moon and Sixpense" #4. Champters 31 - 40

Mr. Dirk Strev doesn’t want to leave his wife what ever the weather. He used to ask the narrator to write letters to Blansh Strev. The reason is that she doesn’t want the husband to speak with her. He has place where to go: his parents live in Holland. When one day they have met Blansh gives a slap to him. The narrator believes that there are lots of controversial things which are in Dirk. By the way the story teller has difficulties to understand relationship between Strickland and Blansh. The narrator has not seen them for a month. He doesn’t know what to think.

One day the bad news comes suddenly – Blansh and Charles separate and the woman takes acid to kill herself. She is put to the hospital. She keeps silence. Her voice has been damaged by the acid. She doesn’t allow anybody attends her. She dies in a short run. Dirk has nothing than to go to his workshop. But it is a hard examination to him, because there are a lot of things which remind his death wife. That’s why the widower decides to go to the Netherlands.

His parents are sure that he will be a carpenter, but his talent is shown in the school. After that Mr. Strev has been sent to Amsterdam to improve his skills and to study painting. The mother has been the first man who has bought him colors. Dirk remembers quite well how the whole family comes to his first exhibition.

Having prepared for the future departure Strev finds a picture by Strickland. Naked Blansh has been depicted on it. At the first sight dirk wants to destroy the picture, but then he understands that it is a masterpiece. He has no choice than to invite Strickland to Holland with him. It is a great surprise for the narrator.

When the story teller meets Strickland he has nothing to say. Charles seems to be the worse creature all over the world our hero has ever seen. Strickland’s behavior is insolent.