Gurdweill was thunderstruck. He stood helplessly before the doctor, his legs giving way beneath him. How could anyone ask him to part from his son? To hand him over to strangers, especially now, when he was sick, the poor little mite? On the other hand, he knew that it was necessary, that he had no choice in the matter. He looked at the doctor imploringly, as if willing him to come up with some other, more satisfactory solution, but the latter only twirled his moustache with a professional air and repeated: ‘There’s nothing for it, my dear Herr Gurdweill! It’s the only option in such cases. This fear of hospitals is completely irrational. And besides, what other choice do we have? I’m sorry, but there it is!’

He patted Gurdweill on the back encouragingly. ‘Be brave and try to keep calm. By the way, I work there in the mornings and I’ll keep an eye on him myself.’

Thea arrived home from her office. She agreed with the doctor immediately.

‘But of course! If he’s sick, he has to go to the hospital! Who can look after him here?’

Adding that it was urgent and they should get him there without delay, the doctor said that he would go down and telephone the hospital at once to prepare a bed for him. Suddenly Gurdweill knew, with absolute certainty, that everything was irrevocably lost. He said no more. The doctor left and he took the baby, who had chosen just that moment to fall asleep, out of the carriage, wrapped him in a blanket, and carried him out without a word to Thea, who lay back on the couch, smoking a cigarette.

He got onto the number 15 tram with Martin in his arms. An old woman got up to give him her seat, but he remained standing. Nothing made any difference to him now. It seemed to him that the baby was very light; he could hardly feel him on his arm, even though he weighed about twelve pounds, which was a very decent weight. No! — his thoughts jumped in a different direction — the way Thea had behaved! What indifference! … She had not even looked at Martin when he left with him in his arms. How could anyone treat a baby like that? It was incomprehensible. Surely she couldn’t be so hard-hearted!