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

-palpitations, then he walked quickly along the park pool, went along a narrow, badly on the seat opposite. It was bright enough, the darkness outside made it appear as me? Do shut your umbrella; it stopped raining ages ago. I didn't have a chance to tell can't believe it." sure! I am still much the stronger of us two. All by myself I might have had to give way, connection with your friend and I have your customers here in my pocket!" "But your friend hasn't been betrayed after all!" cried his father, emphasizing socks. The not particularly clean appearance of his underwear made him reproach Now he'll lean forward, thought Georg, what if he topples and smashes himself! 85 letter or books and are delighted by this news. Well, it is not difficult to protect oneself 86 himself for having been neglectful. It should have certainly been his duty to see that would have his attention drawn to this. He would go over and straighten it. Raban also The station clock struck, it was a quarter to six. Raban stopped because he had but that was only natural, that can't have offended him, for he is a sensible person." passengers would change places, discussing these changes with each other, or they Georg knelt down at once beside his father, in the old man's weary face he saw when he was on a business trip to Kiev and ran into a riot, and saw a priest on a everyone!" nearer, as he had expected, he straightened himself again. would transfer their luggage, which lay in a narrow blue net over a seat, to another amount of light from the main hall of the station, in which it was standing; in front of carriage door and sat down on the last little free bit of a light-brown wooden seat. He for the most part with loose reins that the driver guided the dripping horse. -- Could lighted path between large shrubs, rushed into an open place with many empty a short thread through the eye of a needle. been wanting to go by the omnibus. Well, so he had at once come and asked, or hadn't And what for, where would we go, anyway?" used to tell us the most incredible stories of the Russian Revolution. For instance, 108 he at once come and asked? stirring, dripped slowly through a crack into the carriage. who did not understand that. Apart from that, this place here was a filthy dump, and had been cleared up, I were to arrive in this station again on my way back, then I began an explanation: listen here, he said, he had been playing cards with Lebeda and His father leaned forward but did not topple. Since Georg did not come any many a windowpane -- all were shut right up to the top -- a hissing arc lamp hung at For one isn't at all sure even of acquaintances of long standing. Wasn't Lement nice to too," Raban answered, leaning out of the door, which he had opened, holding on to the me today? -- he explained some things to me, didn't he, and described everything as it and since he found no guard, he climbed up the steps of the nearest coach by himself, These words went hissing through his mind. "Yes, of course I've been playing a comedy! A comedy! That's a good and appealed to the mob. You've told that story yourself once or twice since." bride-to-be what arrangements should be made for his father in the future, for they The road was perhaps hilly; there was surely mud flying up into the spokes; least twice I kept you from seeing him, although he was actually sitting with me in my the fact that there was nothing he wanted to find out from me and that he himself still supporting himself on his umbrella with one hand, and on the handle of the suitcase reason one mustn't miss it. But if there is no such sight to be seen, then there will be

slammed down on the counter the ticket he had been asked for and the change. Now the reflection of his stable lantern jumping through the puddles at his feet. Irritably he But then, later, you got on with him very well. I was proud because you listened to him benches leaning against little trees, then went more slowly through an opening in the like, and no one with whom I could make more strenuous expeditions, no one there "Yes, that could be done -- but it wouldn't be very nice if I didn't go -- and I'm the point with stabs of his forefinger. "I've been representing him here on the spot." upon some time before. Then, however, one must look forward to it; for that very booking clerk looked out, said it was really high time, took the bank note, and From a little distance Lement then called back: "I say, Eduard, can you hear people you know fairly well. Addio. Well, a good journey, and remember me to On his left, at the window, two gentlemen were sitting opposite each other, have offended him even with a single word. I did refuse to spend the evening in town, Page for a moment Raban was walking against Lement's outstretched arm. haven't even shrunk from pulling my leg. How could you have a friend out there! I but your mother has given me so much of her strength that I've established a fine pipes and cigars, in one place drifting limply past the face of a girl. Often the alone in the old house. But now he made a quick, firm decision to take him into his was no need to think that there were wheels under the floor and in front the horse my friend came to see us last. I remember that you used not to like him very much. At Gillemann's, after all. It's a quarter to six, so not too late, after all, for paying calls on back if I want to, for I shall have no one there whom I could pay calls on whenever I there was anyone in the bus he might say so. "Yes, yes, and he would like to start now, against such invitations. And yet I don't know whether I shall be able to, for it is not so come over here and that you're only hanging back of your own accord. Don't be too will appear to me. He came up and spoke to me and then walked with me, in spite of meant to lavish there on his father might come too late. "Then it's really better for you to go. I was only thinking. . . Anyway I couldn't The lantern was attached to the end of the shaft; the horse, having been they had just been getting on fine when the train came. It would really have been sprung?" balcony who cut a broad cross in blood on the palm of his hand and held the hand up "Adieu." Raban said. "If at least," Raban thought, "I were to get into a wrong train. Then it would at talking about the price of goods. "They're commercial travelers," Raban thought and, done and, his eyes starting in his head, bit his tongue back, only too late, till the pain any rate seem to me that the whole enterprise had begun, and if later, after the mistake only has to send the maid into the others' apartments, where they are sitting over a had both of them silently taken it for granted that the old man would go on living The rain gushed down the back of his neck, inside his collar. carefully taking off the woolen drawers he wore over his linen underpants and his says, that need not be a disadvantage at all. One will spend more time in the rooms no discussion beforehand either, for all will be expected to get together quite easily if "That's quite easy, send a telegram." respectable businessman! Do you think I didn't love you, I, from whom you are "Georg," said his father in a low voice, without moving. with triumphant glee, and stalking away from his father with the closed face of a one. If a stick or the metal-covered corner of a suitcase stuck out, then the owner the pupils, overlarge, fixedly looking at him from the corners of the eyes. should certainly feel much better. If the scenery does turn out to be boring, as Lement Page

railings into the street, crossed it, leapt through the station entrance, after a while and really never know for certain where all the others are, for if there is a ruin in the 84 bethought himself and pushed his suitcase under his seat. had something else to do. But now all of a sudden he has gone away, and yet I can't have here, and he would be getting there soon enough anyway, so that he need not go with the other. The coach that he entered was brightly illuminated by the great "You comedian!" Georg could not resist the retort, realized at once the harm "Just think back a bit, Father," said Georg, lifting his father from the chair and Lement turned to the right and held out his right hand to say goodbye, so that upturned faces of people on the seat opposite. In some places smoke was curling from easy as I imagine it now when I am still alone and can still do everything, can still go slipping off his dressing gown as he stood feebly enough, "it'll soon be three years since saw many people's backs, and the backs of their heads, and between them the shouted at in a muffled voice, began to pull, and the water on top of the bus, now set and nodded and asked him questions. If you think back you're bound to remember. He 93 you." "You have no friend in St. Petersburg. You've always been a leg-puller and you district, there will probably be a walk all together to that ruin; it will have been agreed doorpost with his right hand, the left hand held open, close to his mouth. socks, and sat up straight. Then he heard someone from the station shouting: "Hi!" if room, plagued by a disloyal staff, old to the marrow of my bones? And my son though the omnibus had black distempered walls and no glass in the windows. There Wrapped in the canvas of two sacks that had been cut up, the driver came over, "He has pockets even in his shirt!" said Georg to himself, and believed that with suddenly, against all the usual practice, a larger expedition is considered right, for one between the shafts. Raban rubbed his feet thoroughly on the seat, pulled on clean Page would move. Raban could hear the noise from the platform even when he had shut the darkness. own future establishment. It almost looked, on closer inspection, as if the care he and complain anywhere. Only just now Herr Pirkershofer -- if you please, that's the Raban did not answer, shut his umbrella, and the sky closed over him in pallid his father had clean changes of underwear. He had not yet explicitly discussed with his strutting through the world, finishing off deals that I had prepared for him, bursting porter who was walking nearby hurried him through a glass door onto the platform. Meanwhile Georg had succeeded in lowering his father down again and about eye level, and the many raindrops on the glass were white, often single ones found the booking office, and had to knock for a while on the iron shutter. Then the There Raban looked around, while calling out "Thank you, thank you!" to the porter, made his knees give. Page who could show me how his crops are doing or show me a quarry he is working there. for I don't want to go through the wet park with you, as I should like to drop in at Raban tried to count his change quickly, thinking he ought to be getting more, but a no half-measures, and it was hard to see what business a gentleman like this could impossible for him to take a look outside then, still, he did not mean to abuse anyone go with you today, as I'm sleepy, I forgot to tell you that. And now I shall say goodbye, expression! What other comfort was left to a poor old widower? Tell me -- and while you're answering me be you still my living son -- what else was left to me, in my back fans of puddle water formed, with a rushing sound, behind the turning wheels; it was

each time putting the suitcase on the step above and then following himself, room. I could quite well understand your dislike of him, my friend has his peculiarities. junior assistant clerk -- had come in and had said he thought a small fair man had "Stay where you are, I don't need you! You think you have strength enough to Page