After a moment he resumed his theme. ‘Let’s take you, for example. Why did you take it into your head to marry Thea? What do you need her for? She would have gone to bed with you anyway, I can guarantee! She may be my sister, but what do I care about that? But I’m really surprised at you; after all, you’re not a fool — what do you need to get married for? You go to bed with her once, twice — enough! Is there any lack of women in the world? They’re as common as dirt! If I were you I wouldn’t stay with her for one single day.’

‘Come, come! You’re a real misogynist!’ Gurdweill laughed. ‘I had no idea you were so hostile to women.’

‘Misogynist! I’m not a misogynist. I neither hate them nor love them. All I want is peace and quiet. Give up my peace of mind for a pinafore? Never! Especially when I can get what I want at a reasonable price and without any obligations. And the boredom, how can you stand the boredom? What on earth is a person supposed to do with them afterwards?’ He took a sip of beer and concluded firmly: ‘No, sir! You can count me out!’

‘But not everyone is like you. There are other people who feel quite differently.’

‘Too bad for them! Their heads aren’t in the right place, poor devils … They get what they deserve, and that’s all there is to be said on the subject.’

There was a brief silence.

‘You know what, Rudolf, why don’t we leave all this old junk behind us and go abroad together? To France, America, Brazil, the devil knows where! I’m sick of everything — the city, the people, my parents — the lot! We can get hold of the money somewhere … What do you need Thea and that little worm for? Leave them, for God’s sake! You’ll find better, believe me. At least we’ll see the world, since we have to live in it whether we like it or not. Different people, different ways of life, a bit of movement, adventure! You can die of boredom here! And I’ll find the money. Enough for me, and maybe even for you. We don’t need much. We can go to France first, to Paris, and after that we’ll see.’

‘No!’ said Gurdweill. ‘I’m not going anywhere. I don’t suffer from boredom here either. I feel fine.’

In the depths of his heart he knew that he was not telling the whole truth, and that he did not always feel so fine. But Freddy’s proposal, although there was no doubting its sincerity, seemed so childish, so bizarre — as if he had told him to fly to the moon, or to commit suicide.