AsthedaydrewintheChild—Who—Was—Tireddidnotknowhowtofighthersleepinessanylonger。Shewasafraidtositdownorstandstill。AsshesatatsuppertheManandtheFrauseemedtoswelltoanimmensesizeasshewatchedthem，andthenbecomesmallerthandolls，withlittlevoicesthatseemedtocomefromoutsidethewindow。Lookingatthebaby，itsuddenlyhadtwoheads，andthennohead。Evenhiscryingmadeherfeelworse。Whenshethoughtofthenearnessofbedtimesheshookalloverwithexcitedjoy。Butaseighto’clockapproachedtherewasthesoundofwheelsontheroad，andpresentlyincameapartyoffriendstospendtheevening。
Thenitwas：
\"Putonthecoffee。\"
\"Bringmethesugartin。\"
\"Carrythechairsoutofthebedroom。\"
\"Setthetable。\"
And，finally，theFrausentherintothenextroomtokeepthebabyquiet。
Therewasalittlepieceofcandleburningintheenamelbracket。Asshewalkedupanddownshesawhergreatbigshadowonthewalllikeagrown—uppersonwithagrown—upbaby。Whateverwoulditlooklikewhenshecarriedtwobabiesso!
\"Ts——ts——ts!\"Onceuponatimeshewaswalkingalongalittlewhiteroad，withoh!suchgreatbigblacktreesoneitherside。\"
\"Hereyou!\"calledtheFrau’svoice，\"bringmemynewjacketfrombehindthedoor。\"Andasshetookitintothewarmroomoneofthewomensaid，\"Shelookslikeanowl。Suchchildrenareseldomrightintheirheads。\"
\"Whydon’tyoukeepthatbabyquiet？\"saidtheMan，whohadjustdrunkenoughbeertomakehimfeelverybraveandmasterofhishouse。
\"Ifyoudon’tkeepthatbabyquietyou’llknowwhylateron。\"
Theyburstoutlaughingasshestumbledbackintothebedroom。
\"Idon’tbelieveHolyMarycouldkeephimquiet，\"shemurmured。\"DidJesuscrylikethiswhenHewaslittle？IfIwasnotsotiredperhapsIcoulddoit；butthebabyjustknowsthatIwanttogotosleep。Andthereisgoingtobeanotherone。\"
Sheflungthebabyonthebed，andstoodlookingathimwithterror。
Fromthenextroomtherecamethejingleofglassesandthewarmsoundoflaughter。
Andshesuddenlyhadabeautifulmarvellousidea。
Shelaughedforthefirsttimethatday，andclappedherhands。
\"Ts——ts——ts!\"shesaid，\"liethere，sillyone；youWILLgotosleep。
You’llnotcryanymoreorwakeupinthenight。Funny，little，uglybaby。\"
Heopenedhiseyes，andshriekedloudlyatthesightoftheChild—Who—Was—Tired。FromthenextroomsheheardtheFraucallouttoher。
\"Onemoment——heisalmostasleep，\"shecried。
Andthengently，smiling，ontiptoe，shebroughtthepinkbolsterfromtheFrau’sbedandcoveredthebaby’sfacewithit，pressedwithallhermightashestruggled，\"likeaduckwithitsheadoff，wriggling\"，shethought。
Sheheavedalongsigh，thenfellbackontothefloor，andwaswalkingalongalittlewhiteroadwithtallblacktreesoneitherside，alittleroadthatledtonowhere，andwherenobodywalkedatall——nobodyatall。
11。THEADVANCEDLADY。
\"Doyouthinkwemightaskhertocomewithus，\"saidFrauleinElsa，retyingherpinksashribbonbeforemymirror。\"Youknow，althoughsheissointellectual，Icannothelpfeelingconvincedthatshehassomesecretsorrow。AndLisatoldmethismorning，asshewasturningoutmyroom，thatsheremainshoursandhoursbyherself，writing；infactLisasayssheiswritingabook!Isupposethatiswhyshenevercarestominglewithus，andhassolittletimeforherhusbandandthechild。\"
\"Well，YOUaskher，\"saidI。\"Ihaveneverspokentothelady。\"
Elsablushedfaintly。\"Ihaveonlyspokentoheronce，\"sheconfessed。\"I
tookherabunchofwildflowers，toherroom，andshecametothedoorinawhitegown，withherhairloose。NevershallIforgetthatmoment。Shejusttooktheflowers，andIheardher——becausethedoorwasnotquiteproperlyshut——Iheardher，asIwalkeddownthepassage，saying’Purity，fragrance，thefragranceofpurityandthepurityoffragrance!’Itwaswonderful!\"
AtthatmomentFrauKellermannknockedatthedoor。
\"Areyouready？\"shesaid，comingintotheroomandnoddingtousverygenially。\"Thegentlemenarewaitingonthesteps，andIhaveaskedtheAdvancedLadytocomewithus。\"
\"Na，howextraordinary!\"criedElsa。\"ButthismomentthegnadigeFrauandIweredebatingwhether——\"
\"Yes，Imethercomingoutofherroomandshesaidshewascharmedwiththeidea。Likeallofus，shehasneverbeentoSchlingen。Sheisdownstairsnow，talkingtoHerrErchardt。Ithinkweshallhaveadelightfulafternoon。\"
\"IsFritziwaitingtoo？\"askedElsa。
\"Ofcourseheis，dearchild——asimpatientasahungrymanlisteningforthedinnerbell。Runalong!\"
Elsaran，andFrauKellermannsmiledatmesignificantly。InthepastsheandIhadseldomspokentoeachother，owingtothefactthather\"oneremainingjoy\"——hercharminglittleKarl——hadneversucceededinkindlingintoflamethosesparksofmaternitywhicharesupposedtoglowingreatnumbersuponthealtarofeveryrespectablefemaleheart；but，inviewofapremeditatedjourneytogether，webecamedelightfullycordial。
\"Forus，\"shesaid，\"therewillbeadoublejoy。Weshallbeabletowatchthehappinessofthesetwodearchildren，ElsaandFritz。Theyonlyreceivedthelettersofblessingfromtheirparentsyesterdaymorning。Itisaverystrangething，butwheneverIaminthecompanyofnewly—engagedcouplesIblossom。Newly—engagedcouples，motherswithfirstbabies，andnormaldeathbedshavepreciselythesameeffectonme。Shallwejointheothers？\"
Iwaslongingtoaskherwhynormaldeathbedsshouldcauseanyonetoburstintoflower，andsaid，\"Yes，doletus。\"
Weweregreetedbythelittlepartyof\"cureguests\"onthepensionsteps，withthosecriesofjoyandexcitementwhichheraldsopleasantlythemildestGermanexcursion。HerrErchardtandIhadnotmetbeforethatday，so，inaccordancewithstrictpensioncustom，weaskedeachotherhowlongwehadsleptduringthenight，hadwedreamedagreeably，whattimewehadgotup，wasthecoffeefreshwhenwehadappearedatbreakfast，andhowhadwepassedthemorning。Havingtoiledupthesestairsofalmostnationalpolitenesswelanded，triumphantandsmiling，andpausedtorecoverbreath。
\"Andnow，\"saidHerrErchardt，\"Ihaveapleasureinstoreforyou。TheFrauProfessorisgoingtobeoneofusfortheafternoon。Yes，\"noddinggraciouslytotheAdvancedLady。\"Allowmetointroduceyoutoeachother。\"
Webowedveryformally，andlookedeachotheroverwiththateyewhichisknownas\"eagle\"butisfarmorethepropertyofthefemalethanthatmostunoffendingofbirds。\"IthinkyouareEnglish？\"shesaid。Iacknowledgedthefact。\"IamreadingagreatmanyEnglishbooksjustnow——rather，Iamstudyingthem。\"
\"Nu，\"criedHerrErchardt。\"Fancythat!Whatabondalready!IhavemadeupmymindtoknowShakespeareinhismothertonguebeforeIdie，butthatyou，FrauProfessor，shouldbealreadyimmersedinthosewellsofEnglishthought!\"
\"FromwhatIhaveread，\"shesaid，\"Idonotthinktheyareverydeepwells。\"
Henoddedsympathetically。
\"No，\"heanswered，\"soIhaveheard……ButdonotletusembitterourexcursionforourlittleEnglishfriend。Wewillspeakofthisanothertime。\"
\"Nu，areweready？\"criedFritz，whostood，supportingElsa’selbowinhishand，atthefootofthesteps。ItwasimmediatelydiscoveredthatKarlwaslost。
\"Ka——rl，Karl——chen!\"wecried。Noresponse。
\"Buthewashereonemomentago，\"saidHerrLangen，atired，paleyouth，whowasrecoveringfromanervousbreakdownduetomuchphilosophyandlittlenourishment。\"Hewassittinghere，pickingouttheworksofhiswatchwithahairpin!\"
FrauKellermannroundedonhim。\"Doyoumeantosay，mydearHerrLangen，youdidnotstopthechild!\"
\"No，\"saidHerrLangen；\"I’vetriedstoppinghimbeforenow。\"
\"Da，thatchildhassuchenergy；neverishisbrainatpeace。Ifheisnotdoingonething，heisdoinganother!\"
\"Perhapshehasstartedonthedining—roomclocknow，\"suggestedHerrLangen，abominablyhopeful。
TheAdvancedLadysuggestedthatweshouldgowithouthim。\"Inevertakemylittledaughterforwalks，\"shesaid。\"IhaveaccustomedhertosittingquietlyinmybedroomfromthetimeIgooutuntilIreturn!\"
\"Thereheis——thereheis，\"pipedElsa，andKarlwasobservedslitheringdownachestnut—tree，verymuchtheworsefortwigs。
\"I’vebeenlisteningtowhatyousaidaboutme，mumma，\"heconfessedwhileFrauKellermannbrushedhimdown。\"Itwasnottrueaboutthewatch。Iwasonlylookingatit，andthelittlegirlneverstaysinthebedroom。Shetoldmeherselfshealwaysgoesdowntothekitchen，and——\"
\"Da，that’senough!\"saidFrauKellermann。
Wemarchedenmassealongthestationroad。Itwasaverywarmafternoon，andcontinuouspartiesof\"cureguests\"，whoweregivingtheirdigestionsaquietairinginpensiongardens，calledafterus，askedifweweregoingforawalk，andcried\"HerrGott——happyjourney\"withimmenseill—concealedrelishwhenwementionedSchlingen。
\"Butthatiseightkilometres，\"shoutedoneoldmanwithawhitebeard，wholeanedagainstafence，fanninghimselfwithayellowhandkerchief。
\"Sevenandahalf，\"answeredHerrErchardtshortly。
\"Eight，\"bellowedthesage。
\"Sevenandahalf!\"
\"Eight!\"
\"Themanismad，\"saidHerrErchardt。
\"Well，pleaselethimbemadinpeace，\"saidI，puttingmyhandsovermyears。
\"Suchignorancemustnotbeallowedtogouncontradicted，\"saidhe，andturninghisbackonus，tooexhaustedtocryoutanylonger，heheldupsevenandahalffingers。
\"Eight!\"thunderedthegreybeard，withpristinefreshness。
Wefeltverysobered，anddidnotrecoveruntilwereachedawhitesignpostwhichentreatedustoleavetheroadandwalkthroughthefieldpath——
withouttramplingdownmoreofthegrassthanwasnecessary。Beinginterpreted，itmeant\"singlefile\"，whichwasdistressingforElsaandFritz。Karl，likeahappychild，gambolledahead，andcutdownasmanyflowersaspossiblewiththestickofhismother’sparasol——followedthethreeothers——thenmyself——andtheloversintherear。AndabovetheconversationoftheadvancepartyIhadtheprivilegeofhearingthesedeliciouswhispers。
Fritz：\"Doyouloveme？\"Elsa：\"Nu——yes。\"Fritzpassionately：\"Buthowmuch？\"TowhichElsaneverreplied——exceptwith\"HowmuchdoYOUloveME？\"
FritzescapedthattrulyChristiantrapbysaying，\"Iaskedyoufirst。\"
ItgrewsoconfusingthatIslippedinfrontofFrauKellermann——andwalkedinthepeacefulknowledgethatshewasblossomingandIwasundernoobligationtoinformevenmynearestanddearestastotheprecisecapacityofmyaffections。\"Whatrighthavetheytoaskeachothersuchquestionsthedayafterlettersofblessinghavebeenreceived？\"Ireflected。\"Whatrighthavetheyeventoquestioneachother？Lovewhichbecomesengagedandmarriedisapurelyaffirmativeaffair——theyareusurpingtheprivilegesoftheirbettersandwisers!\"
Theedgesofthefieldfrilledoverintoanimmensepineforest——verypleasantandcoolitlooked。AnothersignpostbeggedustokeeptothebroadpathforSchlingenanddepositwastepaperandfruitpeelingsinwirereceptaclesattachedtothebenchesforthepurpose。Wesatdownonthefirstbench，andKarlwithgreatcuriosityexploredthewirereceptacle。
\"Ilovewoods，\"saidtheAdvancedLady，smilingpitifullyintotheair。
\"Inawoodmyhairalreadyseemstostirandremembersomethingofitssavageorigin。\"
\"Butspeakingliterally，\"saidFrauKellermann，afteranappreciativepause，\"thereisreallynothingbetterthantheairofpine—treesforthescalp。\"
\"Oh，FrauKellermann，pleasedon’tbreakthespell，\"saidElsa。
TheAdvancedLadylookedatherverysympathetically。\"Haveyou，too，foundthemagicheartofNature？\"shesaid。
ThatwasHerrLangen’scue。\"Naturehasnoheart，\"saidhe，verybitterlyandreadily，aspeopledowhoareover—philosophisedandunderfed。\"Shecreatesthatshemaydestroy。Sheeatsthatshemayspewupandshespewsupthatshemayeat。Thatiswhywe，whoareforcedtoekeoutanexistenceathertramplingfeet，considertheworldmad，andrealisethedeadlyvulgarityofproduction。\"
\"Youngman，\"interruptedHerrErchardt，\"youhaveneverlivedandyouhaveneversuffered!\"
\"Oh，excuseme——howcanyouknow？\"
\"Iknowbecauseyouhavetoldme，andthere’sanendofit。Comebacktothisbenchintenyears’timeandrepeatthosewordstome，\"saidFrauKellermann，withaneyeuponFritz，whowasengagedincountingElsa’sfingerswithpassionatefervour——\"andbringwithyouyouryoungwife，HerrLangen，andwatch，perhaps，yourlittlechildplayingwith——\"SheturnedtowardsKarl，whohadrootedanoldillustratedpaperoutofthereceptacleandwasspellingoveranadvertisementfortheenlargementofBeautifulBreasts。
Thesentenceremainedunfinished。Wedecidedtomoveon。Asweplungedmoredeeplyintothewoodourspiritsrose——reachingapointwheretheyburstintosong——onthepartofthethreemen——\"OWelt，wiebistduwunderbar!\"——thelowerpartofwhichwaspiercinglysustainedbyHerrLangen，whoattemptedquiteunsuccessfullytoinfusesatireintoitinaccordancewithhis——\"worldoutlook\"。Theystrodeaheadandleftustotrailafterthem——hotandhappy。
\"Nowistheopportunity，\"saidFrauKellermann。\"DearFrauProfessor，dotellusalittleaboutyourbook。\"
\"Ach，howdidyouknowIwaswritingone？\"shecriedplayfully。
\"Elsa，here，haditfromLisa。AndneverbeforehaveIpersonallyknownawomanwhowaswritingabook。Howdoyoumanagetofindenoughtowritedown？\"
\"Thatisneverthetrouble，\"saidtheAdvancedLady——shetookElsa’sarmandleanedonitgently。\"Thetroubleistoknowwheretostop。Mybrainhasbeenahiveforyears，andaboutthreemonthsagothepent—upwatersburstovermysoul，andsincethenIamwritingalldayuntillateintothenight，stilleverfindingfreshinspirationsandthoughtswhichbeatimpatientwingsaboutmyheart。\"
\"Isitanovel？\"askedElsashyly。
\"Ofcourseitisanovel，\"saidI。
\"Howcanyoubesopositive？\"saidFrauKellermann，eyeingmeseverely。
\"Becausenothingbutanovelcouldproduceaneffectlikethat。\"
\"Ach，don’tquarrel，\"saidtheAdvancedLadysweetly。\"Yes，itisanovel——upontheModernWoman。Forthisseemstomethewoman’shour。Itismysteriousandalmostprophetic，itisthesymbolofthetrueadvancedwoman：notoneofthoseviolentcreatureswhodenytheirsexandsmothertheirfrailwingsunder……under——\"
\"TheEnglishtailor—made？\"fromFrauKellermann。
\"Iwasnotgoingtoputitlikethat。Rather，underthelyinggarboffalsemasculinity!\"
\"Suchasubtledistinction!\"Imurmured。
\"Whomthen，\"askedFrauleinElsa，lookingadoringlyattheAdvancedLady——
\"whomthendoyouconsiderthetruewoman？\"
\"SheistheincarnationofcomprehendingLove!\"
\"ButmydearFrauProfessor，\"protestedFrauKellermann，\"youmustrememberthatonehassofewopportunitiesforexhibitingLovewithinthefamilycirclenowadays。One’shusbandisatbusinessallday，andnaturallydesirestosleepwhenhereturnshome——one’schildrenareoutofthelapandinattheuniversitybeforeonecanlavishanythingatalluponthem!\"
\"ButLoveisnotaquestionoflavishing，\"saidtheAdvancedLady。\"Itisthelampcarriedinthebosomtouchingwithsereneraysalltheheightsanddepthsof——\"
\"DarkestAfrica，\"Imurmuredflippantly。
Shedidnothear。
\"Themistakewehavemadeinthepast——asasex，\"saidshe，\"isinnotrealisingthatourgiftsofgivingareforthewholeworld——wearethegladsacrificeofourselves!\"
\"Oh!\"criedElsarapturously，andalmostburstingintogiftsasshebreathed——\"howIknowthat!YouknoweversinceFritzandIhavebeenengaged，Isharethedesiretogivetoeverybody，toshareeverything!\"
\"Howextremelydangerous，\"saidI。
\"Itisonlythebeautyofdanger，orthedangerofbeauty\"saidtheAdvancedLady——\"andthereyouhavetheidealofmybook——thatwomanisnothingbutagift。\"
Ismiledatherverysweetly。\"Doyouknow，\"Isaid，\"I，too，wouldliketowriteabook，ontheadvisabilityofcaringfordaughters，andtakingthemforairingsandkeepingthemoutofkitchens!\"
Ithinkthemasculineelementmusthavefelttheseangryvibrations：theyceasedfromsinging，andtogetherweclimbedoutofthewood，toseeSchlingenbelowus，tuckedinacircleofhills，thewhitehousesshininginthesunlight，\"foralltheworldlikeeggsinabird’snest\"，asHerrErchardtdeclared。WedescendeduponSchlingenanddemandedsourmilkwithfreshcreamandbreadattheInnoftheGoldenStag，amostfriendlyplace，withtablesinarose—gardenwherehensandchickensranriot——evenfloppinguponthedisusedtablesandpeckingattheredchecksonthecloths。Webrokethebreadintothebowls，addedthecream，andstirreditroundwithflatwoodenspoons，thelandlordandhiswifestandingby。
\"Splendidweather!\"saidHerrErchardt，wavinghisspoonatthelandlord，whoshruggedhisshoulders。
\"What!youdon’tcallitsplendid!\"
\"Asyouplease，\"saidthelandlord，obviouslyscorningus。
\"Suchabeautifulwalk，\"saidFrauleinElsa，makingafreegiftofhermostcharmingsmiletothelandlady。
\"Ineverwalk，\"saidthelandlady；\"whenIgotoMindelbaumymandrivesme——I’vemoreimportantthingstodowithmylegsthanwalkthemthroughthedust!\"
\"Ilikethesepeople，\"confessedHerrLangentome。\"Ilikethemvery，verymuch。IthinkIshalltakearoomhereforthewholesummer。\"
\"Why？\"
\"Oh，becausetheyliveclosetotheearth，andthereforedespiseit。\"
Hepushedawayhisbowlofsourmilkandlitacigarette。Weate，solidlyandseriously，untilthosesevenandahalfkilometrestoMindelbaustretchedbeforeuslikeaneternity。EvenKarl’sactivitybecamesofullfedthathelayonthegroundandremovedhisleatherwaistbelt。ElsasuddenlyleanedovertoFritzandwhispered，whoonhearinghertotheendandaskingherifshelovedhim，gotupandmadealittlespeech。
\"We——wewishtocelebrateourbetrothalby——by——askingyoualltodrivebackwithusinthelandlord’scart——if——itwillholdus!\"
\"Oh，whatabeautiful，nobleidea!\"saidFrauKellermann，heavingasighofreliefthataudiblybursttwohooks。
\"Itismylittlegift，\"saidElsatotheAdvancedLady，whobyvirtueofthreeportionsalmostwepttearsofgratitude。
Squeezedintothepeasantcartanddrivenbythelandlord，whoshowedhiscontemptformotherearthbyspittingsavagelyeverynowandagain，wejoltedhomeagain，andthenearerwecametoMindelbauthemoreweloveditandoneanother。
\"Wemusthavemanyexcursionslikethis，\"saidHerrErchardttome，\"foronesurelygetstoknowapersoninthesimplesurroundingsoftheopenair——oneSHARESthesamejoys——onefeelsfriendship。WhatisityourShakespearesays？Onemoment，Ihaveit。Thefriendsthouhast，andtheiradoptiontried——grapplethemtothysoulwithhoopsofsteel!\"
\"But，\"saidI，feelingveryfriendlytowardshim，\"thebotheraboutmysoulisthatitrefusestograppleanybodyatall——andIamsurethatthedeadweightofafriendwhoseadoptionithadtriedwouldkillitimmediately。
Neveryethasitshowntheslightestsignofahoop!\"
Hebumpedagainstmykneesandexcusedhimselfandthecart。
\"Mydearlittlelady，youmustnottakethequotationliterally。
Naturally，oneisnotphysicallyconsciousofthehoops；buthoopsthereareinthesoulofhimorherwholoveshisfellow—men……Takethisafternoon，forinstance。Howdidwestartout？Asstrangersyoumightalmostsay，andyet——allofus——howhavewecomehome？\"
\"Inacart，\"saidtheonlyremainingjoy，whosatuponhismother’slapandfeltsick。
Weskirtedthefieldthatwehadpassedthrough，goingroundbythecemetery。HerrLangenleanedovertheedgeoftheseatandgreetedthegraves。HewassittingnexttotheAdvancedLady——insidetheshelterofhershoulder。Iheardhermurmur：\"Youlooklikealittleboywithyourhairblowingaboutinthewind。\"HerrLangen，slightlylessbitter——
watchedthelastgravesdisappear。AndIheardhermurmur：\"Whyareyousosad？Itooamverysadsometimes——but——youlookyoungenoughformetodaretosaythis——I——too——knowofmuchjoy!\"
\"Whatdoyouknow？\"saidhe。
IleanedoverandtouchedtheAdvancedLady’shand。\"Hasn’titbeenaniceafternoon？\"Isaidquestioningly。\"Butyouknow，thattheoryofyoursaboutwomenandLove——it’sasoldasthehills——oh，older!\"
Fromtheroadasuddenshoutoftriumph。Yes，therehewasagain——whitebeard，silkhandkerchiefandundauntedenthusiasm。
\"WhatdidIsay？Eightkilometres——itis!\"
\"Sevenandahalf!\"shriekedHerrErchardt。
\"Why，then，doyoureturnincarts？Eightkilometresitmustbe。\"
HerrErchardtmadeacupofhishandsandstoodupinthejoltingcartwhileFrauKellermannclungtohisknees。\"Sevenandahalf!\"
\"Ignorancemustnotgouncontradicted!\"IsaidtotheAdvancedLady。
12。THESWINGOFTHEPENDULUM。
Thelandladyknockedatthedoor。
\"Comein，\"saidViola。
\"Thereisaletterforyou，\"saidthelandlady，\"aspecialletter\"——sheheldthegreenenvelopeinacornerofherdingyapron。
\"Thanks。\"Viola，kneelingonthefloor，pokingatthelittledustystove，stretchedoutherhand。\"Anyanswer？\"
\"No；themessengerhasgone。\"
\"Oh，allright!\"Shedidnotlookthelandladyintheface；shewasashamedofnothavingpaidherrent，andwonderedgrimly，withoutanyhope，ifthewomanwouldbegintoblusteragain。
\"Aboutthismoneyowingtome——\"saidthelandlady。
\"Oh，theLord——offshegoes!\"thoughtViola，turningherbackonthewomanandmakingagrimaceatthestove。
\"It’ssettle——orit’sgo!\"Thelandladyraisedhervoice；shebegantobawl。\"I’malandlady，Iam，andarespectablewoman，I’llhaveyouknow。
I’llhavenoliceinmyhouse，sneakingtheirwayintothefurnitureandeatingupeverything。It’scash——oroutyougobeforetwelveo’clockto—
morrow。\"
Violafeltratherthansawthewoman’sgesture。Sheshotoutherarminastupidhelplessway，asthoughadirtypigeonhadsuddenlyflownatherface。\"Filthyoldbeast!Ugh!Andthesmellofher——likestalecheeseanddampwashing。\"
\"Verywell!\"sheansweredshortly；\"it’scashdownorIleaveto—morrow。
Allright：don’tshout。\"
Itwasextraordinary——alwaysbeforethiswomancamenearhershetrembledinhershoes——eventhesoundofthoseflatfeetstumpingupthestairsmadeherfeelsick，butoncetheywerefacetofaceshefeltimmenselycalmandindifferent，andcouldnotunderstandwhysheevenworriedaboutmoney，norwhyshesneakedoutofthehouseontiptoe，notevendaringtoshutthedoorafterherincasethelandladyshouldhearandshoutsomethingterrible，norwhyshespentnightspacingupanddownherroom——drawingupsharplybeforethemirrorandsayingtoatragicreflection：\"Money，money，money!\"Whenshewasaloneherpovertywaslikeahugedream—mountainonwhichherfeetwerefastrooted——achingwiththeacheofthesizeofthething——butifitcametodefiniteaction，withnotimeforimaginings，herdream—mountaindwindledintoabeastly\"hold—your—nose\"
affair，tobepassedasquicklyaspossible，withangerandastrongsenseofsuperiority。
Thelandladybouncedoutoftheroom，bangingthedoor，sothatitshookandrattledasthoughithadlistenedtotheconversationandfullysympathisedwiththeoldhag。
Squattingonherheels，Violaopenedtheletter。ItwasfromCasimir：
\"Ishallbewithyouatthreeo’clockthisafternoon——andmustbeoffagainthisevening。Allnewswhenwemeet。IhopeyouarehappierthanI。——
CASIMIR。\"
\"Huh!howkind!\"shesneered；\"howcondescending。Toogoodofyou，really!\"Shesprangtoherfeet，crumblingtheletterinherhands。\"AndhowareyoutoknowthatIshallstickhereawaitingyourpleasureuntilthreeo’clockthisafternoon？\"Butsheknewshewould；herragewasonlyhalfsincere。ShelongedtoseeCasimir，forshewasconfidentthatthistimeshewouldmakehimunderstandthesituation……\"For，asitis，it’sintolerable——intolerable!\"shemuttered。
Itwasteno’clockinthemorningofagreydaycuriouslylightedbypaleflashesofsunshine。Searchedbytheseflashesherroomlookedtumbledandgrimed。Shepulleddownthewindow—blinds——buttheygaveapersistent，whitishglarewhichwasjustasbad。Theonlythingoflifeintheroomwasajarofhyacinthsgivenherbythelandlady’sdaughter：itstoodonthetableexudingasicklyperfumefromitsplumppetals；therewereevenrichbudsunfolding，andtheleavesshonelikeoil。
Violawentovertothewashstand，pouredsomewaterintotheenamelbasin，andspongedherfaceandneck。Shedippedherfaceintothewater，openedhereyes，andshookherheadfromsidetoside——itwasexhilarating。Shediditthreetimes。\"IsupposeIcoulddrownmyselfifIstayedunderlongenough，\"shethought。\"Iwonderhowlongittakestobecomeunconscious？……Oftenreadofwomendrowninginabucket。Iwonderifanyairentersbytheears——ifthebasinwouldhavetobeasdeepasabucket？\"
Sheexperimented——grippedthewashstandwithbothhandsandslowlysankherheadintothewater，whenagaintherewasaknockonthedoor。Notthelandladythistime——itmustbeCasimir。Withherfaceandhairdripping，withherpetticoatbodiceunbuttoned，sheranandopenedit。
Astrangemanstoodagainstthelintel——seeingher，heopenedhiseyesverywideandsmileddelightfully。\"Excuseme——doesFrauleinSchaferlivehere？\"
\"No；neverheardofher。\"Hissmilewassoinfectious，shewantedtosmiletoo——andthewaterhadmadeherfeelsofreshandrosy。
Thestrangemanappearedoverwhelmedwithastonishment。\"Shedoesn’t？\"hecried。\"Sheisout，youmean!\"
\"No，she’snotlivinghere，\"answeredViola。
\"But——pardon——onemoment。\"Hemovedfromthedoorlintel，standingsquarelyinfrontofher。Heunbuttonedhisgreatcoatanddrewaslipofpaperfromthebreastpocket，smoothingitinhisglovedfingersbeforehandingittoher。
\"Yes，that’stheaddress，rightenough，buttheremustbeamistakeinthenumber。Somanylodging—housesinthisstreet，youknow，andsobig。\"
Dropsofwaterfellfromherhairontothepaper。Sheburstoutlaughing。
\"Oh，HOWdreadfulImustlook——onemoment!\"Sheranbacktothewashstandandcaughtupatowel。Thedoorwasstillopen……Afterall，therewasnothingmoretobesaid。Whyonearthhadsheaskedhimtowaitamoment？
Shefoldedthetowelroundhershoulders，andreturnedtothedoor，suddenlygrave。\"I’msorry；Iknownosuchname\"inasharpvoice。
Saidthestrangeman：\"Sorry，too。Haveyoubeenlivingherelong？\"
\"Er——yes——alongtime。\"Shebegantoclosethedoorslowly。
\"Well——good—morning，thankssomuch。HopeIhaven’tbeenabother。\"
\"Good—morning。\"
Sheheardhimwalkdownthepassageandthenpause——lightingacigarette。
Yes——afaintscentofdeliciouscigarettesmokepenetratedherroom。Shesniffedatit，smilingagain。Well，thathadbeenafascinatinginterlude!
Helookedsoamazinglyhappy：hisheavyclothesandbigbuttonedgloves；
hisbeautifullybrushedhair……andthatsmile……\"Jolly\"wastheword——justawell—fedboywiththeworldforhisplayground。Peoplelikethatdidonegood——onefelt\"madeover\"atthesightofthem。SANEtheywere——sosaneandsolid。Youcoulddependonthemneverhavingonemadimpulsefromthedaytheywerebornuntilthedaytheydied。AndLifewasinleaguewiththem——jumpedthemonherknee——quiterightly，too。AtthatmomentshenoticedCasimir’sletter，crumpleduponthefloor——thesmilefaded。
Staringatthelettershebeganbraidingherhair——adullfeelingofragecreptthroughher——sheseemedtobebraidingitintoherbrain，andbindingit，tightly，aboveherhead……Ofcoursethathadbeenthemistakeallalong。Whathad？Oh，Casimir’sfrightfulseriousness。Ifshehadbeenhappywhentheyfirstmetsheneverwouldhavelookedathim——buttheyhadbeenliketwopatientsinthesamehospitalward——eachfindingcomfortinthesicknessoftheother——sweetfoundationforaloveepisode!Misfortunehadknockedtheirheadstogether：theyhadlookedateachother，stunnedwiththeconflictandsympathised……\"IwishIcouldstepoutsidethewholeaffairandjustjudgeit——thenI’dfindawayout。IcertainlywasinlovewithCasimir……Oh，besincereforonce。\"Shefloppeddownonthebedandhidherfaceinthepillow。\"Iwasnotinlove。Iwantedsomebodytolookafterme——andkeepmeuntilmyworkbegantosell——andhekeptbotherswithothermenaway。Andwhatwouldhavehappenedifhehadn’tcomealong？I
wouldhavespentmywretchedlittlepittance，andthen——Yes，thatwaswhatdecidedme，thinkingaboutthat’then。’Hewastheonlysolution。AndI
believedinhimthen。Ithoughthisworkhadonlytoberecognisedonce，andhe’drollinwealth。Ithoughtperhapswemightbepoorforamonth——
buthesaid，ifonlyhecouldhaveme，thestimulus……Funny，ifitwasn’tsodamnedtragic!Exactlythecontraryhashappened——hehasn’thadathingpublishedformonths——neitherhaveI——butthenIdidn’texpectto。Yes，thetruthis，I’mhardandbitter，andIhaveneitherfaithnorloveforunsuccessfulmen。IalwaysendbydespisingthemasIdespiseCasimir。I
supposeit’sthesavageprideofthefemalewholikestothinkthemantowhomshehasgivenherselfmustbeaverygreatchiefindeed。ButtostewinthisdisgustinghousewhileCasimirscoursthelandinthehopeoffindingoneeditorialopendoor——it’shumiliating。It’schangedmywholenature。Iwasn’tbornforpoverty——Ionlyfloweramongreallyjollypeople，andpeoplewhoneverareworried。\"
Thefigureofthestrangemanrosebeforeher——wouldnotbedismissed。
\"Thatwasthemanforme，afterallissaidanddone——amanwithoutacare——who’dgivemeeverythingIwantandwithwhomI’dalwaysfeelthatsenseoflifeandofbeingintouchwiththeworld。Ineverwantedtofight——itwasthrustonme。Really，there’safountofhappinessinme，thatisdryingup，littlebylittle，inthishatefulexistence。I’llbedeadifthisgoeson——and\"——shestirredinthebedandflungoutherarms——\"Iwantpassion，andlove，andadventure——Iyearnforthem。WhyshouldIstayhereandrot？——Iamrotting!\"shecried，comfortingherselfwiththesoundofherbreakingvoice。\"ButifItellCasimirallthiswhenhecomesthisafternoon，andhesays，’Go’——ashecertainlywill——that’sanotherthingI
loatheabouthim——he’sundermythumb——whatshouldIdothen——whereshouldIgoto？\"Therewasnowhere。\"Idon’twanttowork——orcarveoutmyownpath。Iwanteaseandanyamountofnursinginthelapofluxury。ThereisonlyonethingI’mfittedfor，andthatistobeagreatcourtesan。\"
Butshedidnotknowhowtogoaboutit。Shewasfrightenedtogointothestreets——sheheardofsuchawfulthingshappeningtothosewomen——menwithdiseases——ormenwhodidn’tpay——besides，theideaofastrangemaneverynight——no，thatwasoutofthequestion。\"IfI’dtheclothesIwouldgotoareallygoodhotelandfindsomewealthyman……likethestrangemanthismorning。Hewouldbeideal。Oh，ifIonlyhadhisaddress——IamsureI
wouldfascinatehim。I’dkeephimlaughingallday——I’dmakehimgivemeunlimitedmoney……\"Atthethoughtshegrewwarmandsoft。Shebegantodreamofawonderfulhouse，andofpressesfullofclothesandofperfumes。
Shesawherselfsteppingintocarriages——lookingatthestrangemanwithamysterious，voluptuousglance——shepractisedtheglance，lyingonthebed——
andneveranotherworry，justdruggedwithhappiness。Thatwasthelifeforher。Well，thethingtodowastoletCasimirgoonhiswild—goosechasethatevening，andwhilehewasaway——What!Also——pleasetoremember——therewastherenttobepaidbeforetwelvenextmorning，andshehadn’tthemoneyforasquaremeal。Atthethoughtoffoodshefeltasharptwingeinherstomach，asensationasthoughtherewereahandinherstomach，squeezingitdry。Shewasterriblyhungry——allCasimir’sfault——
andthatmanhadlivedonthefatofthelandeversincehewasborn。Helookedasthoughhecouldorderamagnificentdinner。Oh，whyhadn’tsheplayedhercardsbetter？——he’dbeensentbyProvidence——andshe’dsnubbedhim。\"IfIhadthattimeoveragain，I’dbesafebynow。\"Andinsteadoftheordinarymanwhohadspokenwithheratthedoorhermindcreatedabrilliant，laughingimage，whowouldtreatherlikeaqueen……\"There’sonlyonethingIcouldnotstand——thatheshouldbecoarseorvulgar。Well，hewasn’t——hewasobviouslyamanoftheworld，andthewayheapologised……I
haveenoughfaithinmyownpowerandbeautytoknowIcouldmakeamantreatmejustasIwantedtobetreated。\"……Itfloatedintoherdreams——
thatsweetscentofcigarettesmoke。Andthensherememberedthatshehadheardnobodygodownthestonestairs。Wasitpossiblethatthestrangemanwasstillthere？……Thethoughtwastooabsurd——Lifedidn’tplaytrickslikethat——andyet——shewasquiteconsciousofhisnearness。Veryquietlyshegotup，unhookedfromthebackofthedooralongwhitegown，buttonediton——smilingslyly。Shedidnotknowwhatwasgoingtohappen。Sheonlythought：\"Oh，whatfun!\"andthattheywereplayingadeliciousgame——thisstrangemanandshe。Verygentlysheturnedthedoor—handle，screwingupherfaceandbitingherlipasthelocksnappedback。Ofcourse，therehewas——leaningagainstthebanisterrail。Hewheeledroundassheslippedintothepassage。
\"Da，\"shemuttered，foldinghergowntightlyaroundher，\"Imustgodownstairsandfetchsomewood。Brr!thecold!\"
\"Thereisn’tanywood，\"volunteeredthestrangeman。Shegavealittlecryofastonishment，andthentossedherhead。
\"Youagain，\"shesaidscornfully，consciousthewhileofhismerryeye，andthefresh，strongsmellofhishealthybody。
\"Thelandladyshoutedouttherewasnowoodleft。Ijustsawhergoouttobuysome。\"
\"Story——story!\"shelongedtocry。Hecamequiteclosetoher，stoodoverherandwhispered：
\"Aren’tyougoingtoaskmetofinishmycigaretteinyourroom？\"
Shenodded。\"Youmayifyouwantto!\"
Inthatmomenttogetherinthepassageamiraclehadhappened。Herroomwasquitechanged——itwasfullofsweetlightandthescentofhyacinthflowers。Eventhefurnitureappeareddifferent——exciting。Quickasaflashsherememberedchildishpartieswhentheyhadplayedcharades，andonesidehadlefttheroomandcomeinagaintoactaword——justwhatshewasdoingnow。Thestrangemanwentovertothestoveandsatdowninherarm—chair。Shedidnotwanthimtotalkorcomenearher——itwasenoughtoseehimintheroom，sosecureandhappy。Howhungryshehadbeenforthenearnessofsomeonelikethat——whoknewnothingatallabouther——andmadenodemands——butjustlived。Violaranovertothetableandputherarmsroundthejarofhyacinths。
\"Beautiful!Beautiful!\"shecried——buryingherheadintheflowers——andsniffinggreedilyatthescent。Overtheleavesshelookedatthemanandlaughed。
\"Youareafunnylittlething，\"saidhelazily。
\"Why？BecauseIloveflowers？\"
\"I’dfarratheryoulovedotherthings，\"saidthestrangemanslowly。Shebrokeoffalittlepinkpetalandsmiledatit。
\"Letmesendyousomeflowers，\"saidthestrangeman。\"I’llsendyouaroomfulifyou’dlikethem。\"
Hisvoicefrightenedherslightly。\"Ohno，thanks——thisoneisquiteenoughforme。\"
\"No，itisn’t\"——inateasingvoice。
\"Whatastupidremark!\"thoughtViola，andlookingathimagainhedidnotseemquitesojolly。Shenoticedthathiseyesweresettoocloselytogether——andtheyweretoosmall。Horriblethought，thatheshouldprovestupid。
\"Whatdoyoudoallday？\"sheaskedhastily。
\"Nothing。\"
\"Nothingatall？\"
\"WhyshouldIdoanything？\"
\"Oh，don’timagineforonemomentthatIcondemnsuchwisdom——onlyitsoundstoogoodtobetrue!\"
\"What’sthat？\"——hecranedforward。\"Whatsoundstoogoodtobetrue？\"
Yes——therewasnodenyingit——helookedsilly。
\"IsupposethesearchingafterFrauleinSchaferdoesn’toccupyallyourdays。\"
\"Ohno\"——hesmiledbroadly——\"that’sverygood!ByJove!no。Idriveagoodbit——areyoukeenonhorses？\"
Shenodded。\"Lovethem。\"
\"Youmustcomedrivingwithme——I’vegotafinepairofgreys。Willyou？\"
\"PrettyI’dlookperchedbehindgreysinmyoneandonlyhat，\"thoughtshe。
Aloud：\"I’dloveto。\"Hereasyacceptancepleasedhim。
\"Howaboutto—morrow？\"hesuggested。\"Supposeyouhavelunchwithmeto—
morrowandItakeyoudriving。\"
Afterall——thiswasjustagame。\"Yes，I’mnotbusyto—morrow，\"shesaid。
Alittlepause——thenthestrangemanpattedhisleg。\"Whydon’tyoucomeandsitdown？\"hesaid。
Shepretendednottoseeandswungontothetable。\"Oh，I’mallrighthere。\"
\"No，you’renot\"——againtheteasingvoice。\"Comeandsitonmyknee。\"
\"Ohno，\"saidViolaveryheartily，suddenlybusywithherhair。
\"Whynot？\"
\"Idon’twantto。\"
\"Oh，comealong\"——impatiently。
Sheshookherheadfromsidetoside。\"Iwouldn’tdreamofsuchathing。\"
Atthathegotupandcameovertoher。\"Funnylittlepusscat!\"Heputuponehandtotouchherhair。
\"Don’t，\"shesaid——andslippedoffthetable。\"I——Ithinkit’stimeyouwentnow。\"Shewasquitefrightenednow——thinkingonly：\"Thismanmustbegotridofasquicklyaspossible。\"
\"Oh，butyoudon’twantmetogo？\"
\"Yes，Ido——I’mverybusy。\"
\"Busy。Whatdoesthepussycatdoallday？\"
\"Lotsandlotsofthings!\"Shewantedtopushhimoutoftheroomandslamthedooronhim——idiot——fool——crueldisappointment。
\"What’sshefrowningfor？\"heasked。\"Issheworriedaboutanything？\"
Suddenlyserious：\"Isay——youknow，areyouinanyfinancialdifficulty？
Doyouwantmoney？I’llgiveittoyouifyoulike!\"
\"Money!Steadyonthebrake——don’tloseyourhead!\"——soshespoketoherself。
\"I’llgiveyoutwohundredmarksifyou’llkissme。\"
\"Oh，boo!Whatacondition!AndIdon’twanttokissyou——Idon’tlikekissing。Pleasego!\"
\"Yes——youdo!——yes，youdo。\"Hecaughtholdofherarmsabovetheelbows。
Shestruggled，andwasquiteamazedtorealisehowangryshefelt。
\"Letmego——immediately!\"shecried——andheslippedonearmroundherbody，anddrewhertowardshim——likeabarofironacrossherback——thatarm。
\"Leavemealone!Itellyou。Don’tbemean!Ididn’twantthistohappenwhenyoucameintomyroom。Howdareyou？\"
\"Well，kissmeandI’llgo!\"
Itwastooidiotic——dodgingthatstupid，smilingface。
\"Iwon’tkissyou!——youbrute!——Iwon’t!\"Somehowsheslippedoutofhisarmsandrantothewall——stoodbackagainstit——breathingquickly。
\"Getout!\"shestammered。\"Goonnow，clearout!\"
Atthatmoment，whenhewasnottouchingher，shequiteenjoyedherself。
Shethrilledatherownangryvoice。\"TothinkIshouldtalktoamanlikethat!\"Anangryflushspreadoverhisface——hislipscurledback，showinghisteeth——justlikeadog，thoughtViola。Hemadearushather，andheldheragainstthewall——presseduponherwithalltheweightofhisbody。
Thistimeshecouldnotgetfree。
\"Iwon’tkissyou。Iwon’t。StopdoingthatUgh!you’relikeadog——yououghttofindloversroundlamp—posts——youbeast——youfiend!\"
Hedidnotanswer。Withanexpressionofthemostabsurddeterminationhepressedevermoreheavilyuponher。Hedidnotevenlookather——butrappedoutinasharpvoice：\"Keepquiet——keepquiet。\"
\"Gar——r!Whyaremensostrong？\"Shebegantocry。\"Goaway——Idon’twantyou，youdirtycreature。Iwanttomurderyou。Oh，myGod!ifIhadaknife。\"
\"Don’tbesilly——comeandbegood!\"Hedraggedhertowardsthebed。
\"DoyousupposeI’malightwoman？\"shesnarled，andswoopingovershefastenedherteethinhisglove。
\"Ach!don’tdothat——youarehurtingme!\"
Shedidnotletgo，butherheartsaid，\"ThanktheLordIthoughtofthis。\"
\"Stopthisminute——youvixen——youbitch。\"Hethrewherawayfromhim。Shesawwithjoythathiseyeswerefulloftears。\"You’vereallyhurtme，\"hesaidinachokingvoice。
\"OfcourseIhave。Imeantto。That’snothingtowhatI’lldoifyoutouchmeagain。\"
Thestrangemanpickeduphishat。\"Nothanks，\"hesaidgrimly。\"ButI’llnotforgetthis——I’llgotoyourlandlady。\"
\"Pooh!\"Sheshruggedhershouldersandlaughed。\"I’lltellheryouforcedyourwayinhereandtriedtoassaultme。Whowillshebelieve？——withyourbittenhand。YougoandfindyourSchafers。\"
Asensationofglorious，intoxicatinghappinessfloodedViola。Sherolledhereyesathim。\"Ifyoudon’tgoawaythismomentI’llbiteyouagain，\"
shesaid，andtheabsurdwordsstartedherlaughing。Evenwhenthedoorwasclosed，hearinghimdescendingthestairs，shelaughed，anddancedabouttheroom。
Whatamorning!Oh，chalkitup。Thatwasherfirstfight，andshe’dwon——she’dconqueredthatbeast——allbyherself。Herhandswerestilltrembling。Shepulledupthesleeveofhergown——greatredmarksonherarms。\"Myribswillbeblue。I’llbeblueallover，\"shereflected。\"IfonlythatbelovedCasimircouldhaveseenus。\"AndthefeelingofrageanddisgustagainstCasimirhadtotallydisappeared。Howcouldthepoordarlinghelpnothavinganymoney？Itwasherfaultasmuchashis，andhe，justlikeher，wasapartfromtheworld，fightingit，justasshehaddone。Ifonlythreeo’clockwouldcome。Shesawherselfrunningtowardshimandputtingherarmsroundhisneck。\"Myblessedone!Ofcourseweareboundtowin。Doyoulovemestill？Oh，Ihavebeenhorriblelately。\"
13。ABLAZE。
\"Max，yousillydevil，you’llbreakyourneckifyougocareeringdowntheslidethatway。Dropit，andcometotheClubHousewithmeandgetsomecoffee。\"
\"I’vehadenoughforto—day。I’mdampallthrough。There，giveusacigarette，Victor，oldman。Whenareyougoinghome？\"
\"Notforanotherhour。It’sfinethisafternoon，andI’mgettingintodecentshape。Lookout，getoffthetrack；herecomesFrauleinWinkel。
Damnedelegantthewayshemanageshersleigh!\"
\"I’mcoldallthrough。That’stheworstofthisplace——themists——it’sadampcold。Here，Forman，lookafterthissleigh——andstickitsomewheresothatIcangetitwithoutlookingthroughahundredandfiftyothersto—
morrowmorning。\"
Theysatdownatasmallroundtablenearthestoveandorderedcoffee。
Victorsprawledinhischair，pattinghislittlebrowndogBoboandlooking，halflaughingly，atMax。
\"What’sthematter，mydear？Isn’ttheworldbeingniceandpretty？\"
\"Iwantmycoffee，andIwanttoputmyfeetintomypocket——they’relikestones……Nothingtoeat，thanks——thecakeislikeunderdoneindia—rubberhere。\"
FuchsandWistubacameandsatattheirtable。Maxhalfturnedhisbackandstretchedhisfeetouttotheoven。Thethreeothermenallbegantalkingatonce——oftheweather——oftherecordslide——ofthefineconditionoftheWaldSeeforskating。
SuddenlyFuchslookedatMax，raisedhiseyebrowsandnoddedacrosstoVictor，whoshookhishead。
\"Babydoesn’tfeelwell，\"hesaid，feedingthebrowndogwithbrokenlumpsofsugar，\"andnobody’stodisturbhim——I’mnurse。\"
\"That’sthefirsttimeI’veeverknownhimoffcolour，\"saidWistuba。
\"I’vealwaysimaginedhehadthebetterpartofthisworldthatcouldnotbetakenawayfromhim。IthinkhesayshisprayerstothedearLordforhavingsparedhimbeingtakenhomeinsevenbasketsfulto—night。It’safool’sgametoriskyourallthatwayandleavethenationdesolate。\"
\"Dryup，\"saidMax。\"Yououghttobewheeledaboutonthesnowinaperambulator。\"
\"Oh，nooffence，Ihope。Don’tgetnasty。How’syourwife，Victor？\"
\"She’snotatallwell。ShehurtherheadcomingdowntheslidewithMaxonSunday。Itoldhertostayathomeallday。\"
\"I’msorry。Areyouotherfellowsgoingbacktothetownorstoppingonhere？\"
FuchsandVictorsaidtheywerestopping——Maxdidnotanswer，butsatmotionlesswhilethemenpaidfortheircoffeeandmovedaway。Victorcamebackamomentandputahandonhisshoulder。
\"Ifyou’regoingrightback，mydear，Iwishyou’dlookElsaupandtellherIwon’tbeintilllate。Andfeedwithusto—nightatLimpold，willyou？Andtakesomehotgrogwhenyougetin。\"
\"Thanks，oldfellow，I’mallright。Goingbacknow。\"
Herose，stretchedhimself，buttonedonhisheavycoatandlightedanothercigarette。
FromthedoorVictorwatchedhimplungingthroughtheheavysnow——headbent——handsthrustinhispockets——healmostappearedtoberunningthroughtheheavysnowtowardsthetown……
Someonecamestampingupthestairs——pausedatthedoorofhersitting—
room，andknocked。
\"Isthatyou，Victor？\"shecalled。
\"No，itisI……canIcomein？\"
\"Ofcourse。Why，whataSantaClaus!Hangyourcoatonthelandingandshakeyourselfoverthebanisters。Hadagoodtime？\"
Theroomwasfulloflightandwarmth。Elsa，inawhitevelvettea—gown，laycurleduponthesofa——abookoffashionsonherlap，aboxofcreamsbesideher。
Thecurtainswerenotyetdrawnbeforethewindowsandabluelightshonethrough，andthewhiteboughsofthetreessprayedacross。
Awoman’sroom——fullofflowersandphotographsandsilkpillows——thefloorsmotheredinrugs——animmensetiger—skinunderthepiano——justtheheadprotruding——sleepilysavage。
\"Itwasgoodenough，\"saidMax。\"Victorcan’tbeintilllate。Hetoldmetocomeupandtellyou。\"
Hestartedwalkingupanddown——toreoffhisglovesandflungthemonthetable。
\"Don’tdothat，Max，\"saidElsa，\"yougetonmynerves。AndI’vegotaheadacheto—day；I’mfeverishandquiteflushed……Don’tIlookflushed？\"
Hepausedbythewindowandglancedatheramomentoverhisshoulder。
\"No，\"hesaid；\"Ididn’tnoticeit。\"
\"Oh，youhaven’tlookedatmeproperly，andI’vegotanewtea—gownon，too。\"Shepulledherskirtstogetherandpattedalittleplaceonthecouch。
\"Comealongandsitbymeandtellmewhyyou’rebeingnaughty。\"
But，standingbythewindow，hesuddenlyflunghisarmacrosshiseyes。
\"Oh，\"hesaid，\"Ican’t。I’mdone——I’mspent——I’msmashed。\"
Silenceintheroom。Thefashion—bookfelltothefloorwithaquickrustleofleaves。Elsasatforward，herhandsclaspedinherlap；astrangelightshoneinhereyes，aredcolourstainedhermouth。
Thenshespokeveryquietly。
\"Comeoverhereandexplainyourself。Idon’tknowwhatonearthyouaretalkingabout。\"
\"Youdoknow——youknowfarbetterthanI。You’vesimplyplayedwithVictorinmypresencethatImayfeelworse。You’vetormentedme——you’veledmeon——offeringmeeverythingandnothingatall。It’sbeenaspider—and—flybusinessfromfirsttolast——andI’veneverforonemomentbeenignorantofthat——andI’veneverforonemomentbeenabletowithstandit。\"
Heturnedrounddeliberately。
\"Doyousupposethatwhenyouaskedmetopinyourflowersintoyoureveninggown——whenyouletmecomeintoyourbedroomwhenVictorwasoutwhileyoudidyourhair——whenyoupretendedtobeababyandletmefeedyouwithgrapes——whenyouhaveruntomeandsearchedinallmypocketsforacigarette——knowingperfectlywellwheretheywerekept——goingthrougheverypocketjustthesame——Iknowingtoo——Ikeepingupthefarce——doyousupposethatnowyouhavefinallylightedyourbonfireyouaregoingtofinditapeacefulandpleasantthing——youaregoingtopreventthewholehousefromburning？\"
Shesuddenlyturnedwhiteanddrewinherbreathsharply。
\"Don’ttalktomelikethat。Youhavenorighttotalktomelikethat。I
amanotherman’swife。\"
\"Hum，\"hesneered，throwingbackhishead，\"that’sratherlateinthegame，andthat’sbeenyourtrumpcardallalong。YouonlyloveVictoronthecat—and—creamprinciple——youapoorlittlestarvedkittenthathe’sgiveneverythingto，thathe’scarriedinhisbreast，neverdreamingthatthoselittlepinkclawscouldtearoutaman’sheart。\"
Shestirred，lookingathimwithalmostfearinhereyes。
\"Afterall\"——unsteadily——\"thisismyroom；I’llhavetoaskyoutogo。\"
Buthestumbledtowardsher，kneltdownbythecouch，buryinghisheadinherlap，claspinghisarmsroundherwaist。
\"AndILOVEyou——Iloveyou；thehumiliationofit——Iadoreyou。Don’t——
don’t——justaminuteletmestayhere——justamomentinawholelife——Elsa!
Elsa!\"
Sheleantbackandpressedherheadintothepillows。
Thenhismuffledvoice：\"Ifeellikeasavage。Iwantyourwholebody。I
wanttocarryyouawaytoacaveandloveyouuntilIkillyou——youcan’tunderstandhowamanfeels。IkillmyselfwhenIseeyou——I’msickofmyownstrengththatturnsinuponitself，anddies，andrisesnewbornlikeaPhoenixoutoftheashesofthathorribledeath。Lovemejustthisonce，tellmealie，SAYthatyoudo——youarealwayslying。\"
Instead，shepushedhimaway——frightened。
\"Getup，\"shesaid；\"supposetheservantcameinwiththetea？\"
\"Oh，yegods!\"Hestumbledtohisfeetandstoodstaringdownather。
\"You’rerottentothecoreandsoamI。Butyou’reheathenishlybeautiful。\"
Thewomanwentovertothepiano——stoodthere——strikingonenote——herbrowsdrawntogether。Thensheshruggedhershouldersandsmiled。
\"I’llmakeaconfession。Everywordyouhavesaidistrue。Ican’thelpit。Ican’thelpseekingadmirationanymorethanacatcanhelpgoingtopeopletobestroked。It’smynature。I’mbornoutofmytime。Andyet，youknow，I’mnotaCOMMONwoman。Ilikementoadoreme——toflatterme——
eventomakelovetome——butIwouldnevergivemyselftoanyman。Iwouldneverletamankissme……even。\"
\"It’simmeasurablyworse——you’venolegitimateexcuse。Why，evenaprostitutehasagreatersenseofgenerosity!\"
\"Iknow，\"shesaid，\"Iknowperfectlywell——butIcan’thelpthewayI’mbuilt……Areyougoing？\"
Heputonhisgloves。
\"Well，\"hesaid，\"what’sgoingtohappentousnow？\"
Againsheshruggedhershoulders。
\"Ihaven’ttheslightestidea。Ineverhave——justletthingsoccur。\"……
\"Allalone？\"criedVictor。\"HasMaxbeenhere？\"
\"Heonlystayedamoment，andwouldn’tevenhavetea。Isenthimhometochangehisclothes……Hewasfrightfullyboring。\"
\"Youpoordarling，yourhair’scomingdown。I’llfixit，standstillamoment……soyouwerebored？\"
\"Um——m——frightfully……Oh，you’verunahairpinrightintoyourwife’shead——younaughtyboy!\"
Sheflungherarmsroundhisneckandlookedupathim，halflaughing，likeabeautiful，lovingchild。
\"God!Whatawomanyouare，\"saidtheman。\"Youmakemesoinfernallyproud——dearest，thatI……Itellyou!\"