Gurdweill seated himself on the sofa opposite and began again. ‘You all think I’m drunk, admit it! Everybody always thinks that everybody else is drunk or mad. But I’m only cheerful … very cheerful indeed! I can laugh too, if you like: ha-ha-ha! Isn’t that so, Thea? My mother always used to say a child should play with other children and be cheerful. And now I’m cheerful, as  you see … of course I am! And if any of you would like to dance, I’m ready … ready and willing! Right away!’ He stood up and went over to Thea. ‘Do you want to? All you have to do is say: “I want to.”’

‘What?’ She laughed.

‘Nothing! Just be cheerful … Because I love you very much, you know I do.’

‘I’m not sad at all, rabbit! You can see for yourself that I’m perfectly cheerful.’

‘Good! Very good! And you don’t hold anything against me? Everything’s forgotten? You see, I was afraid that you had some grudge against me … But now everything’s all right!’

‘Don’t drink so much, Gurdweill!’ cried Lotte, and took the glass from his hand. ‘What’s the matter with you? Have you gone mad?’

‘I’m thirsty, that’s all!’

He grabbed the bottle and pressed it to his lips, but Dr Astel snatched it away from him before he managed to take more than a gulp or two.

‘Shame on you, Gurdweill! We still drink from glasses here!’

Gurdweill smiled patronisingly. ‘Who needs glasses?’ he said. ‘You know what, Doktor, why don’t we all have another drink, and then you can play something on the piano for us, eh? Thea and I want to dance …’ And he giggled loudly.

Lotte had begun sobbing soundlessly. At first nobody noticed, but now they saw that her shoulders were heaving. The gap between her hands, which were covering her eyes, revealed the quivering of her full red mouth and the trickle of tears dripping from its corners. The church clock on Karlsplatz struck twelve, deliberately and inexorably, as if pronouncing an irreversible sentence. Dr Astel leaped up, rushed over to Lotte, and began tenderly stroking her hair and back.

‘What is it, Lotterl?’ he coaxed as if she were a baby. ‘Did somebody hurt you? Never mind, you’ll feel better soon. Believe me, the bad feeling will go away in a minute.’

Thea stood up too and began pacing about, sniggering to herself. A door in the passage closed with a bang. Lotte wiped her flushed face with a handkerchief and tried to smile.

‘Please don’t make a fuss. It’s nothing. Just nerves … But I’m all right now. Really, I’m fine!’