The Baroness made herself at home, glancing at the water jug to see if it was full, and lifting the blankets to look at the sheets. Gurdweill was suddenly assailed by an alien, hostile spirit, reeking of sordid affairs and unexpected accidents — the spirit of all such squalid hotel rooms, and for a moment he came to his senses. The whole business, you had to admit, was rather strange. Before he could turn around, he found himself in a new, ambiguous situation, no longer in control of his actions or capable of directing them at his will. What was he doing here in this strange and disagreeable room? For a moment he regretted the whole thing and wanted to run away. He felt a kind of shame. This was not the way to begin a new stage in his life! He stood in the middle of the room with his coat on, his hat in his hand, as if he were on the point of leaving. Then he turned to face his companion, who had removed her hat in the meantime and loosened her long flaxen hair. He felt very embarrassed. He looked for somewhere to put his hat, and in the end he put it back on his head. He went up to the window and drew the curtain and looked outside without seeing anything. Then he returned to Thea, who was already sitting on the bed and undoing her shoes. Her long, jutting chin twitched spasmodically, and her bosom heaved. Gurdweill sat down beside her on the bed. She immediately left her shoes alone and turned to face him. There was a cruel, bloodthirsty expression on her face. She fixed him with eyes flashing like spears, as if to subdue him completely, and with one swift movement she threw herself back and stuck her teeth in his elbow, like a beast of prey. Gurdweill let out a strangled groan. He felt as if he were about to faint with pain and desire at once. He sensed his strength draining out of his body. Flaming red daggers danced before his eyes, and sweat burst from his brow. At the same time he wished that it would go on forever, that the pain would increase a thousandfold, that it would annihilate him entirely. No woman had ever made him feel like this before.

Thea suddenly jumped up.

‘Get undressed, Rudy!’ she commanded in a slightly husky voice, and she herself began tearing off her clothes and throwing them on a chair. Then she seized hold of Gurdweill, lifting him like a doll, and laid him on the bed.