Worn out and exhausted by all that had happened to him in the past few days, he could not move a muscle, but neither could he bear to go on lying there. He jumped up from the couch and began walking around the room. Suddenly he felt stifled, and opened the window wide, letting a current of cold, wet air burst into the room. Leaning out, he saw that the rain had stopped, a fact that for some reason afforded him some slight relief. Listening attentively to the night, he heard, as through a seashell, the distant city roar, which was rather subdued at this hour of night, and then he closed the window again. He sat down at the table and took a clean sheet of paper and pen and ink out of the drawer. Isolated phrases began to run through his mind — but the next moment he realised the madness of what he was doing and leaped up from his chair, terrified to the foundations of his being. Feverishly he began to put on his coat.

At that moment he heard the passage door opening and recognised Thea’s voice saying, ‘Just a minute, I’ll put on the light and show you the way!’ And she immediately opened the door of the room. ‘Oh, you’re at home! I’ve brought a visitor.’

Gurdweill for some reason began taking off his coat again, as his wife ushered Franzl Heidelberger into the room. The latter immediately produced two bottles wrapped in thin cream-coloured paper from his pockets, placed them noisily on the table, and said to Gurdweill, who was standing in the middle of the room, unable to believe his eyes: ‘Well, Herr Doktor, I’m delighted to visit you in your palatial residence!’

And he added immediately, as if he felt the need to apologise: ‘The Frau Baroness met me in the street and invited me, and I took advantage, so to say, of the opportunity.’ He twirled his moustache with a meaningful smile.

‘Why are you standing there like a dummy?’ scolded Thea, taking off her outer garments. ‘Hang up Herr Heidelberger’s coat! And the stove — is it lit? Go and get the glasses! And make coffee!’

The guest, who was apparently already a little drunk, sank onto the chair next to the table and grinned in agreement. ‘The Frau Baroness is right. We want to wet our whistles a bit. We’ve brought some good stuff with us, hee-hee!’

Mechanically Gurdweill took the tumblers from under the washstand and set them on the table. He was sorry that he had not gone out earlier. Now he had missed his chance.

The guest remarked: ‘We haven’t seen you for ages, Herr Doktor. You’ve forgotten your friends, eh? And Gustl asks about you night and day!’

‘I’m busy,’ muttered Gurdweill unwillingly.

‘But still! I always say, a friend is a friend! No excuses!’