Gurdweill nodded. Of the cleaning he had already despaired. What could you do with a deaf old woman, who was not right in her head into the bargain? He would try to have a word with her daughter, Siedl. Maybe that would help. For some reason, he didn’t like the old woman asking him about his son.

‘A fine, handsome child, I expect — just like his father! I’m that curious to see him, pssss!’ She shook her hand emphatically opposite the new carriage, shining with black lacquer, standing between the bed and the window. ‘And what a fine carriage you’ve got waiting for him. A very handsome carriage, pssss! It must have cost a pretty penny!’

Gurdweill went up to the carriage and pushed it further away from the bed. That’s all that was needed — for the carriage to be infested with bedbugs too! Dr Ostwald’s gift was a fine one indeed, the most expensive carriage to be bought, but Gurdweill, for some reason, did not like it. From the moment it had arrived it had been a thorn in his flesh. Every minute he found another imaginary fault in it. In the first place it was too heavy: it would be difficult to get it up and down the stairs when they began to take the baby for walks … And it was too big too, in his opinion, big enough for twins; it took up the whole room … Altogether it didn’t suit Martin. And as he stood contemplating it, a wonderful idea came into his head: he would try to exchange it for another carriage, a good one! It was so obvious — he couldn’t imagine why he hadn’t thought of it before. Thea hadn’t seen it yet and she wouldn’t know … He would borrow a little money from someone and pay extra, if necessary. This carriage wasn’t for Martin … Yes, this very day, after visiting the hospital, he would go straight to the furniture shop and get it over with. Perhaps he wouldn’t even have to pay any extra. Carriages like this one cost a fortune, even though they were worth nothing … This decision lifted a weight from his heart, his spirits soared, and the bedbugs ceased to have any importance at all.

The landlady, who had left the room in the meantime, now returned with a broom, which she leaned against the table. With a very industrious air, she began dusting the sides of the cupboard and the backs of the chairs and the bed, as if to underline the cleanliness of which she had previously boasted.