How nice of you to save me the exertion at my age! ...
Tell me what he looks like!"
At that moment, we distinctly heard these words above our heads:
"There is no one there, dear!"
"No one? ...
Are you sure there is no one?"
"Why, of course not ... no one!"
"Well, that's all right! ... What's the matter, Christine?
You're not going to faint, are you ... as there is no one there? ...
Here ... come down ... there! ... Pull yourself together ... as there is no one there! ... BUT HOW DO YOU LIKE THE LANDSCAPE?"
"Oh, very much!"
"There, that's better! ...
You're better now, are you not? ...
That's all right, you're better! ...
No excitement! ...
And what a funny house, isn't it, with landscapes like that in it?"
"Yes, it's like the Musee Grevin ...
But, say, Erik ... there are no tortures in there! ...
What a fright you gave me!"
"Why ... as there is no one there?"
"Did you design that room?
It's very handsome.
You're a great artist, Erik."
"Yes, a great artist, in my own line."
"But tell me, Erik, why did you call that room the torture-chamber?"
"Oh, it's very simple.
First of all, what did you see?"
"I saw a forest."
"And what is in a forest?"
"Trees."
"And what is in a tree?"
"Birds."
"Did you see any birds?"
"No, I did not see any birds."
"Well, what did you see?
Think!
You saw branches And what are the branches?" asked the terrible voice. "THERE'S A GIBBET!
That is why I call my wood the torture-chamber! ...
You see, it's all a joke.
I never express myself like other people.
But I am very tired of it! ...
I'm sick and tired of having a forest and a torture-chamber in my house and of living like a mountebank, in a house with a false bottom! ...
I'm tired of it!
I want to have a nice, quiet flat, with ordinary doors and windows and a wife inside it, like anybody else!
A wife whom I could love and take out on Sundays and keep amused on week-days ...
Here, shall I show you some card-tricks?
That will help us to pass a few minutes, while waiting for eleven o'clock to-morrow evening ...
My dear little Christine! ... Are you listening to me? ...
Tell me you love me! ...
No, you don't love me ... but no matter, you will! ...