Yet the majority will come through, get better again.
That's what I wanted to show you."
I nodded.
"You were right," said I.
"Nine years ago my wife died.
She was twenty-five.
Never been sick.
Flu." He was silent a moment. "You realize why I tell you that?"
I nodded again.
"You can't know anything beforehand.
The incurable can survive the healthy.
Life is a strange phenomenon." His face was now quite wrinkled.
A nurse came and whispered something to him.
He straightened and nodded toward the theatre. "I must go in now.
Don't let Pat see you are worried.
That's the main thing.
Can you do that?"
"Yes," said I.
He shook hands and then went quickly with the nurse through the glass door into the chalk-white lighted room.
I climbed slowly down the many stairs.
The lower I went the darker it became, and on the first floor the electric lamp's were already burning.
Then as I came out into the street I saw the rosy twilight flare up once more from the horizon as under some deep breath.
Then immediately it was extinguished and turned to grey.
I remained for some time sitting in the car staring ahead.
Then I pulled myself together and drove back to the workshop.
Koster was waiting for me at the gate. "Did you know?" I asked.
"Yes," he replied.
"But Jaffe wanted to tell you himself."
I nodded. Koster looked at me.
"Otto," said I, "I'm not a child, and I know nothing is lost yet.
But it may be hard not to betray myself if I have to be alone with Pat to-night.
To-morrow will be all right.
I'll be through with it by then.
Couldn't we all go somewhere together this evening?"
"Why, sure, Bob.
I had thought of that already and fixed it with Gottfried."
"Then let me have Karl again.
I'll drive home and get Pat first and then, in an hour's time, you."
"Right."
I drove off.
In Nikolaistrasse it struck me that I had forgotten the dog.
I turned and went back to get him.
The shop was not lighted but the door was open.
Anton was sitting at the back of the shop on a camp bed.
He had' a bottle in his hand.
"Tricked me, Gustav did," said he, smelling like a whole distillery.
The terrier sprang toward me, sniffed me and licked my hand.
His eyes shone green in the reflected light that entered from the street.
Anton stood up.
He swayed and suddenly started weeping.