Gurdweill accordingly set the table lengthwise between the couch and the bed and sat on the opposite end, next to the door. The little mirror he set up in front of him was too far from the light for him to see his face properly in it, and in the end he gave up looking at it and shaved himself by touch. As always the scraping of the razor gave him a curious, inexplicable pleasure, and he went on longer than necessary.

‘Why are you taking so long about it, rabbit?’ said his wife in a tone of mild rebuke, without raising her head.

‘In a minute,’ said Gurdweill. ‘I’ll be finished soon.’

He returned the table to its place, washed his face, and began preparations for dinner. He opened the tin of sprats and emptied it into a dish. Then he cooked the rice, with Thea’s help, and they sat down to eat. Thea ate without appetite, until she remembered the brandy.

‘Where’s the brandy? Why are you hiding it, you fool?’

Gurdweill got up unwillingly and fetched the brandy.

‘I wasn’t hiding it,’ he mumbled, ‘I simply forgot.’ He poured himself a glass as well.

Suddenly Thea remarked: ‘It’s been some time since we saw Perczik. He hasn’t been coming to the café. Do you know how he is?’

‘How should I know? Why do you need Perczik?’

‘I just wondered. I heard some long story or other. Ulrich said that you knew all about it.’

‘It’s not particularly interesting. Vrubiczek’s son beat him up and now he’s sick in bed. I warned him, the cad. I told him to look out but he took no notice. And now, he’s got what he deserved.’

‘A pretty business!’ Thea laughed. ‘He must have given it to him good and proper! And his wife?’

‘Whose wife?’

‘Young Vrubiczek’s.’

‘They made it up.’

‘And you have to interfere in everybody’s business, rabbit!’

‘What do you mean interfere? All I did was warn him for his own good. Johann asked me to talk to him. He can be grateful that he got off so lightly. He was lucky. It could have been a lot worse.’

‘Do you think he’ll take him to court?’

‘No. I don’t think he’d be such a fool. He won’t want a public scandal. Besides, he’s probably afraid of his wife. He must have told her some cock-and-bull story.’

‘And how did it all come out?’

‘Johann told me and I told Ulrich. Why should Perczik get away with being such a bastard?’

‘When did it happen?’

‘About two weeks ago.’

‘In the evening?’

‘Yes. Johann followed his wife to her date with Perczik. When they turned into a dark alley, he attacked him. His wife ran away.’