The street was now steeped in shade, which did nothing to reduce the heat. Someone nearby was practising scales on the piano, up and down, up and down, endlessly and tediously, over and over again with maddening monotony. On the opposite pavement a nursemaid passed with a small child who was pulling a grey plush elephant on a string, turning his head every now and then to make sure that no harm had come to his toy. A red-headed girl stuck her head out of a window on the top floor of a building at the end of the street, looked around for a while, and disappeared inside again. A young telegram deliverer rode up on a bicycle, which he leaned against the wall of the building opposite before running up the steps, his trouser cuffs secured by bicycle clips. In a moment he was back again, springing energetically onto his bicycle and riding off rapidly. A light, barely perceptible breeze wafted the tantalising smell of roasting meat into Gurdweill’s nostrils. He sensed a tickling on his palate and swallowed his saliva.

No! — he began brooding on the same subject again — it would have been impossible to throw it into the Danube … So he must have left it somewhere near the house, perhaps in some garden. If they looked for it, they would be sure to find it … But why should anyone look for it? A dead cat — phoo! And afterwards? Afterwards he simply went home with the empty suitcase, with the old labels of different railway stations stuck on its sides. His parents were still out and nobody saw him return. He put the suitcase away and lit a cigarette to smoke at his ease. And when his parents came home — what did he know about anything? To be on the safe side he probably opened the kitchen window first, and left it open: ‘The cat must have escaped through the window …’ Ah, if the old man only knew that Freddy had killed it! He would have thrown him out of the house! And now Martin was going to stay in that very house! A shudder ran down Gurdweill’s spine at the thought.

He felt a sudden cramp in his stomach and stopped pacing. ‘What?’ He immediately came to his senses. ‘Have you gone out of your mind? He would never do anything to the baby! That’s insane! I’ll kill him if he touches it! The devil knows what’s wrong with me today — it’s pure madness!’

He took out his pipe as if to reassure himself and began searching feverishly through his pockets for his tobacco pouch. He must have left it at home. At that moment Dr Astel tapped him on the shoulder.

‘Have you been waiting long? It’s only by chance that I came home at all. I have to leave again right away. Anyway, come upstairs with me for a moment.’