Summary

Chapter  23-32

The narrator often met Stricklend at the cafe and played with him. He didn't understand why the artist why he does not like Dirk. Then Christmas arrived, and Dirk decided that he wanted to invite all his friends over to celebrate. He had not seen Strickland in several weeks, after a quarrel, and he asked the storyteller to go with him to invite Strickland. They did not find him in any of the usual places, but they heared that he was very sick. Unfortunately, no one knows where Strickland lived. They finally found him in a filthy little attic room. Strickland was  seriously ill, and they worried that he will die. After giving Strickland some food and medicine, the man and Dirk went back to Dirk's apartment. Dirk wanted to carry his friend to his home, but Blanche was against. However, after persuasion, she still agreed. The man began to take care of Strickland, leaving his job. This was very annoying his wife, as the artist was ungrateful for it. Dirk once came to the storyteller and said that his wife left him. He was very shocked. As soon as Strickland was better, he would leave his house, but Blanche told her husband that she would go with him. Dirk loved his wife so much that he offered her and Strickland remain in their home, while he would have gone. The narrator imagined that Blanche feeled both attracted and repelled by Strickland's sensuous, animal nature. The storyteller was certain that Strickland did not in love with Blanche, because he did not seem capable of love. Dirk was in such despair that he walked down the street, trying to waylay his wife. For a long time, the narrator did not see Strickland, and he was disgusted with him. Later he met him again, and the artist, as if nothing had happened called him to play chess.  The storyteller didn't understand such behaviour.