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!"