The explanation came a week later. 一个星期以后我知道谜底了。

It was about ten o' clock at night; I had been dining by myself at a restaurant,  大约十点左右，这一天我一个人在外面吃了晚饭，

and having returned to my small apartment, was sitting in my parlour, reading  饭后回到我的住处，我正坐在起居间看书，

I heard the cracked tinkling of the bell, and, going into the corridor, opened the door. Stroeve stood before me. 忽然，门铃暗哑地响起来。我走到过道上，打开门，站在我面前的是施特略夫。

Can I come in? he asked. “可以进来吗？”他问。

In the dimness of the landing I could not see him very well, but there was something in his voice that surprised me. 楼梯口光线很暗，我看不清他的样子，但是他说话的声音却使我吃了一惊。

I knew he was of abstemious habit or I should have thought he had been drinking. 我知道他喝酒从来不过量，否则我会以为他喝醉酒了。

I led the way into my sitting room and asked him to sit down. 我把他领进起居间里，叫他坐下。

Thank God I've found you, he said. “谢天谢地，总算找到你了，”他说。

What's the matter? I asked in astonishment at his vehemence. “怎么回事？”我问；他的激动不安的样子叫我非常吃惊。

I was able now to see him well. 进到屋子里面，我可以清清楚楚地打量他了。

As a rule he was neat in his person, but now his clothes were in disorder. He looked suddenly bedraggled. 平时他总是穿戴得干净整齐，这次却衣冠不整，突然给人以邋里邋遢的感觉。

I was convinced he had been drinking, and I smiled. 我一点也不怀疑了，他一定是喝醉了。 我对他笑了笑，

I was on the point of chaffing him on his state. 准备打趣他两句。

I didn't know where to go, he burst out. "I came here earlier, but you weren't in." “我不知道该到哪儿去，”他突兀地说了一句，“刚才来了一次，你不在。”

I dined late, I said. “我今天吃饭晚了，”我说。

I changed my mind: it was not liquor that had driven him to this obvious desperation. 我的想法改变了；他显然不是因为喝了酒才这样嗒然若丧。

His face, usually so rosy, was now strangely mottled. 他的脸平常总是红扑扑的，现在却一块红、一块白，斑斑点点，样子非常奇怪。

His hands trembled. 他的两只手一直在哆嗦。

Has anything happened? I asked. “出了什么事了吗？”

My wife has left me. “我的妻子离开了我了。”

He could hardly get the words out. He gave a little gasp, and the tears began to trickle down his round cheeks. 他费了很大力气才把这几个字说出来。他抽噎了一下，眼泪沿着胖乎乎的面颊一滴滴地落下来。