Ind. Reading. "The Moon and Sixpence". Part 2

Summary (19-28 chapters)

In 5 years, the author met his friend Dirk Stroeve in Paris. He was short, fat little Dutchman with the comic appearance. Having been a mediocre artist, Dirk had a very delicate feeling for art. Dirk knew Strickland, saw his works and considered him a brilliant artist. Strickland did often go hungry, but poverty was not a burden for him. He seemed obsessed with writing his pictures, not caring about abundance, publicity or compliance with the rules of human society. As soon as the picture was finished, Strickland lost interest in it. The author settled down in Paris and began writing a play. He grew more intimate with Blanche Stroeve, Dirk’s wife, who was pleasant and simple, but always silent.  Shortly before Christmas, Dirk came to ask the author to spend the holiday with him. Neither of them had seen Strickland for several weeks. It appeared that he was ill. Next day they moved Strickland to Dirk’s house. It needed a good deal of firmness to induce him to come, but he was too ill to resist. Blanche, who hated Strickland, proved herself as a devoted nurse. There was nothing in her to remind that she had struggled against her husband’s wish to bring Strickland to the studio. After Strickland’s illness, Dirk’s wife fell in love with him and decided to leave her husband. The author thought that she had come to end of her forbearance with Dirk’s infatuation for Strickland, but she grew fond of him and Dirk couldn’t bear to think of his beloved living in horrible conditions at Strickland by having left his own studio.