Individual Reading. Summary №4

Dirk starts to follow his wife, hoping that she may return to him one day. However, she doesn’t want either to speak to him or see him. The narrator recommends Dirk to move to his parents in Holland, however Mr. Stroeve refuses. One day, both the narrator and Dirk learn that Blanche is in hospital, because after the quarrel with Strickland she took oxalic acid. They visit her, but she refuses to see them. In several days her condition becomes worse and she dies. Blanche’s death makes up Dirk’s mind of going to Holland, but before the departure he decides to see Strickland whom he wants to join him (of course Charles refuses). Besides, Dirk finds Strickland’s painting depicting his nude wife (the picture makes a great impression on Dirk) and decides to gift it to the narrator. A month later, the narrator meets Charles Strickland who seems to be interested in communicating with him.