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These words went hissing through his mind.

"Georg," said his father in a low voice, without moving.85

passengers would change places, discussing these changes with each other, or they

"That's quite easy, send a telegram."between the shafts. Raban rubbed his feet thoroughly on the seat, pulled on clean

Meanwhile Georg had succeeded in lowering his father down again andexpression! What other comfort was left to a poor old widower? Tell me -- and while

for I don't want to go through the wet park with you, as I should like to drop in at

room. I could quite well understand your dislike of him, my friend has his peculiarities.There Raban looked around, while calling out "Thank you, thank you!" to the porter,

palpitations, then he walked quickly along the park pool, went along a narrow, badlyAnd what for, where would we go, anyway?"

Wrapped in the canvas of two sacks that had been cut up, the driver came over,

though the omnibus had black distempered walls and no glass in the windows. Therethey had just been getting on fine when the train came. It would really have been

"You have no friend in St. Petersburg. You've always been a leg-puller and you

done and, his eyes starting in his head, bit his tongue back, only too late, till the painmany a windowpane -- all were shut right up to the top -- a hissing arc lamp hung at

"He has pockets even in his shirt!" said Georg to himself, and believed that withreason one mustn't miss it. But if there is no such sight to be seen, then there will be

there was anyone in the bus he might say so. "Yes, yes, and he would like to start now,and really never know for certain where all the others are, for if there is a ruin in the

Gillemann's, after all. It's a quarter to six, so not too late, after all, for paying calls on

for a moment Raban was walking against Lement's outstretched arm.had something else to do. But now all of a sudden he has gone away, and yet I can't

only has to send the maid into the others' apartments, where they are sitting over a"Yes, of course I've been playing a comedy! A comedy! That's a good

with the other. The coach that he entered was brightly illuminated by the great

made his knees give.too," Raban answered, leaning out of the door, which he had opened, holding on to the

with triumphant glee, and stalking away from his father with the closed face of aPage

"Adieu." Raban said.

lighted path between large shrubs, rushed into an open place with many emptybenches leaning against little trees, then went more slowly through an opening in the

about eye level, and the many raindrops on the glass were white, often single oneswill appear to me. He came up and spoke to me and then walked with me, in spite of

easy as I imagine it now when I am still alone and can still do everything, can still gobeen wanting to go by the omnibus. Well, so he had at once come and asked, or hadn'troom, plagued by a disloyal staff, old to the marrow of my bones? And my son

shouted at in a muffled voice, began to pull, and the water on top of the bus, now setmeant to lavish there on his father might come too late.

"Yes, that could be done -- but it wouldn't be very nice if I didn't go -- and I'm

strutting through the world, finishing off deals that I had prepared for him, burstingbride-to-be what arrangements should be made for his father in the future, for they

connection with your friend and I have your customers here in my pocket!"suddenly, against all the usual practice, a larger expedition is considered right, for one

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back if I want to, for I shall have no one there whom I could pay calls on whenever I"Then it's really better for you to go. I was only thinking. . . Anyway I couldn't

On his left, at the window, two gentlemen were sitting opposite each other,


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socks. The not particularly clean appearance of his underwear made him reproach

saw many people's backs, and the backs of their heads, and between them thebut your mother has given me so much of her strength that I've established a fine

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Pageyou're answering me be you still my living son -- what else was left to me, in my back

"But your friend hasn't been betrayed after all!" cried his father, emphasizingFrom a little distance Lement then called back: "I say, Eduard, can you hear

sprung?"

letter or books and are delighted by this news. Well, it is not difficult to protect oneselffor the most part with loose reins that the driver guided the dripping horse. -- Could

railings into the street, crossed it, leapt through the station entrance, after a whileany rate seem to me that the whole enterprise had begun, and if later, after the mistake

nearer, as he had expected, he straightened himself again.

you."86

pipes and cigars, in one place drifting limply past the face of a girl. Often the

upturned faces of people on the seat opposite. In some places smoke was curling fromLement turned to the right and held out his right hand to say goodbye, so that

me? Do shut your umbrella; it stopped raining ages ago. I didn't have a chance to tellhis father had clean changes of underwear. He had not yet explicitly discussed with his

amount of light from the main hall of the station, in which it was standing; in front ofslipping off his dressing gown as he stood feebly enough, "it'll soon be three years since

would have his attention drawn to this. He would go over and straighten it. Raban also

respectable businessman! Do you think I didn't love you, I, from whom you arehad been cleared up, I were to arrive in this station again on my way back, then I

"Just think back a bit, Father," said Georg, lifting his father from the chair andpeople you know fairly well. Addio. Well, a good journey, and remember me to

was no need to think that there were wheels under the floor and in front the horse

who did not understand that. Apart from that, this place here was a filthy dump, andsocks, and sat up straight. Then he heard someone from the station shouting: "Hi!" if

impossible for him to take a look outside then, still, he did not mean to abuse anyonehave here, and he would be getting there soon enough anyway, so that he need not go

and appealed to the mob. You've told that story yourself once or twice since."

no half-measures, and it was hard to see what business a gentleman like this couldwould transfer their luggage, which lay in a narrow blue net over a seat, to another

would move. Raban could hear the noise from the platform even when he had shut thefans of puddle water formed, with a rushing sound, behind the turning wheels; it was

the point with stabs of his forefinger. "I've been representing him here on the spot."and since he found no guard, he climbed up the steps of the nearest coach by himself,a short thread through the eye of a needle.

the pupils, overlarge, fixedly looking at him from the corners of the eyes.alone in the old house. But now he made a quick, firm decision to take him into his

everyone!"

The road was perhaps hilly; there was surely mud flying up into the spokes;stirring, dripped slowly through a crack into the carriage.

district, there will probably be a walk all together to that ruin; it will have been agreed93

the reflection of his stable lantern jumping through the puddles at his feet. Irritably he

darkness.Page

one. If a stick or the metal-covered corner of a suitcase stuck out, then the owner


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His father leaned forward but did not topple. Since Georg did not come any

says, that need not be a disadvantage at all. One will spend more time in the roomsown future establishment. It almost looked, on closer inspection, as if the care he

least twice I kept you from seeing him, although he was actually sitting with me in my

The lantern was attached to the end of the shaft; the horse, having beenhad both of them silently taken it for granted that the old man would go on living

But then, later, you got on with him very well. I was proud because you listened to himagainst such invitations. And yet I don't know whether I shall be able to, for it is not so

"You comedian!" Georg could not resist the retort, realized at once the harm

when he was on a business trip to Kiev and ran into a riot, and saw a priest on afound the booking office, and had to knock for a while on the iron shutter. Then the

come over here and that you're only hanging back of your own accord. Don't be tooslammed down on the counter the ticket he had been asked for and the change. Now

The station clock struck, it was a quarter to six. Raban stopped because he had

me today? -- he explained some things to me, didn't he, and described everything as itbegan an explanation: listen here, he said, he had been playing cards with Lebeda and

like, and no one with whom I could make more strenuous expeditions, no one there

For one isn't at all sure even of acquaintances of long standing. Wasn't Lement nice tobethought himself and pushed his suitcase under his seat.

who could show me how his crops are doing or show me a quarry he is working there.talking about the price of goods. "They're commercial travelers," Raban thought and,

can't believe it."should certainly feel much better. If the scenery does turn out to be boring, as Lement

The rain gushed down the back of his neck, inside his collar.

go with you today, as I'm sleepy, I forgot to tell you that. And now I shall say goodbye,no discussion beforehand either, for all will be expected to get together quite easily if

booking clerk looked out, said it was really high time, took the bank note, andbut that was only natural, that can't have offended him, for he is a sensible person."

tired, yes, I'll go all right. If a telegram came, they'd get a fright, into the bargain. --

Now he'll lean forward, thought Georg, what if he topples and smashes himself!"Stay where you are, I don't need you! You think you have strength enough to

balcony who cut a broad cross in blood on the palm of his hand and held the hand uphave offended him even with a single word. I did refuse to spend the evening in town,

used to tell us the most incredible stories of the Russian Revolution. For instance,

upon some time before. Then, however, one must look forward to it; for that verythe fact that there was nothing he wanted to find out from me and that he himself still

Raban did not answer, shut his umbrella, and the sky closed over him in pallidand nodded and asked him questions. If you think back you're bound to remember. He

each time putting the suitcase on the step above and then following himself,PagePage

himself for having been neglectful. It should have certainly been his duty to see thatcarefully taking off the woolen drawers he wore over his linen underpants and his

haven't even shrunk from pulling my leg. How could you have a friend out there! I

junior assistant clerk -- had come in and had said he thought a small fair man hadhe at once come and asked?

"If at least," Raban thought, "I were to get into a wrong train. Then it would atsure! I am still much the stronger of us two. All by myself I might have had to give way,

Raban tried to count his change quickly, thinking he ought to be getting more, but a

Georg knelt down at once beside his father, in the old man's weary face he sawporter who was walking nearby hurried him through a glass door onto the platform.

my friend came to see us last. I remember that you used not to like him very much. At


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and complain anywhere. Only just now Herr Pirkershofer -- if you please, that's the

doorpost with his right hand, the left hand held open, close to his mouth.supporting himself on his umbrella with one hand, and on the handle of the suitcase

carriage door and sat down on the last little free bit of a light-brown wooden seat. He

on the seat opposite. It was bright enough, the darkness outside made it appear as

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