‘The next day I succeeded in selling one of the rings to a little goldsmith for six hundred marks. I bought myself a ticket on the evening train. And then Satan tempted me to try to sell the other two rings as well. The new goldsmith, to whom I offered them, examined them from all sides, looked at the stones through a magnifying glass, and asked me how much I wanted for them. I asked for three thousand marks, not wanting to arouse his suspicions by quoting too low a price, and we agreed on two thousand and seven hundred. But he told me, the scoundrel, that he didn’t have such a large sum on him at the moment, and asked me to come back at three o’clock in the afternoon. By then he would get hold of the money, and we would be able to close the deal. And what do you think I did, fool that I was? I actually went back to the shop at three o’clock! I was only a boy, full of pluck, but my head wasn’t screwed onto my shoulders yet. And for that little mistake I paid dearly. I ran straight into the trap. The minute I stepped into the shop I was surrounded by three detectives — that shameless informer had betrayed me to the police. At least they didn’t get their hands on the jewel box. I insisted that I had thrown it into the Spree, and they dragged the river for days on end without, of course, coming up with anything. But I was sentenced to four years anyway.

‘And what about the box? I never saw it again, my friend. As if it had really vanished into the Spree. When I had served my sentence, they sent me back to Vienna. I didn’t have the money to go straight back to Berlin, and then I was conscripted into the army. It was only a year later that I managed to get a month’s leave and go back. Not a trace of the aunt or the suitcase! As if the earth had opened and swallowed them up! All my enquiries were in vain. Not a soul in the house or the street could tell me a thing about her — the old thief! She simply stole the jewels and made off with them. Oh, if only I could have laid my hands on her then — I would have cut her to pieces, the rotten old bitch! But I had to go back to the army, and that was the end of it.’

Gurdweill’s neighbour fell silent. The shapeless bundles on the rows of beds were barely visible in the dim light. Heavy snores, variously pitched, rose here and there in the room, interrupted from time to time by a groan, or some other human sound. A long time must have passed since eight o’clock, thought Gurdweill.