‘For Rudolfus, in other words?’ Thea laughed cattily. ‘No, my little one: you won’t get him! Not because I need him. But you won’t get him! I’ve got him exactly where I want him and I won’t let him go! I can do what I like with him — I even hit him, and often! How do you like that? I hit him as much as I like, for my own private pleasure — and he’ll never leave me! As long as I don’t kick him out, he’ll never leave me! I could kick him out whenever I felt like it; I don’t need him in the least. But I won’t do it! And you won’t get him! I’ll torment him to death, to death I tell you, because it gives me pleasure — and still he won’t leave me of his own free will!’

‘You snake! You wicked bitch! Women like you should be flogged, whipped like dogs! Put in jail! You should be … you’ll see! You’ll come to a bad end! You’d better look out!’

‘Is that a threat or a prophecy, my beauty? Perhaps you would be kind enough to tell me?’

Lotte was silent. Her heart was beating fit to burst. She felt as if her head were trapped inside a blazing furnace. She exerted all her self-control in order not to fall on the woman next to her and choke the breath out of her body. She would have given her life for the pleasure of doing it! She had never felt such hatred for another human being before. A hatred that could drive a person insane.

‘You really are angry with me, aren’t you, my dear? Why don’t we forget all about it … It would be a shame to let such nonsense spoil our friendship, don’t you think?’

And with a conciliatory gesture she placed her hand on Lotte’s, which was resting on the table. Lotte shook it off with an expression of revulsion, as if some loathsome insect had settled on her hand.

‘Leave me alone!’ she said. ‘There’s no friendship between us — I don’t make friends with fishwives!’

‘Dear me! What a little snob she is. Who would have thought it? How amusing! We must have a long talk one day. You interest me, my dear …’

‘But you don’t interest me!’

Lotte turned to Dr Astel and suggested that they make a move: the heat was terrible. He beckoned to the waiter, who seemed in no hurry to bring their bill.

‘Will you be staying in Vienna long, Herr Bloch?’ Thea enquired.

‘I don’t know yet. Two or three weeks.’

Thea gave him an appraising look. She remembered what Dr Astel had once told them about him and decided to have a little fun at his expense.