When he woke up, a milky day was shining through the window. The electric light was still on too, getting in the way of the daylight. At the beginning he did not know where he was, and he looked around for a moment in bewilderment. All of a sudden he remembered, and started up from the bed. The fearful night was over, and he ran to switch off the light, as if by so doing he could obliterate something from his memory. But nothing was obliterated. Everything was quite clear, and seemed even more real by the light of day. His body felt sore and exhausted, but he took no notice. Suddenly he was in a great hurry; he had not a moment to lose. He took out his watch, which said three o’clock, put it mechanically to his ear, and realised that it had stopped. Then he went up to the window and looked outside, at the little street with the two grocery stores, one next to the other, which were both shut. Gurdweill was unable to decide what the time was. He picked up his hat, which had fallen to the floor while he slept, and as he passed the mirror over the basin next to the door he saw a strange, shrivelled, unshaven face, with two feverish eyes in it. This face meant nothing to him — he was completely indifferent to it —and he walked out of the room.

Downstairs, in the office, the round clock on the wall said half past two. This clock must have stopped too, concluded Gurdweill, it was inconceivable that it could be so late! Suddenly he realised that the valet was staring at him, and he was overcome with confusion, as guilty as if he were hiding some crime.

‘What … what’s the time?’

‘It’s half past two.’

‘Half past two in the afternoon?’

‘Yes, of course.’ The valet smiled in polite amusement.

‘But the shops … The grocery stores opposite, I mean, are still closed …’

‘Today is Sunday. Yesterday was Saturday, which means that today it’s Sunday. And in the city of Vienna the shops are closed on Sundays. We’re Social Democrats here.’

‘Ah, of course! You’re quite right, sir. In that case, it’s all clear.’

And as if to correct some unfavourable impression, he took ten groschen out of his pocket and offered it to the valet. To the latter’s astonishment, he even shook hands with him, and then hurried out of the hotel.