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Back Married Life Save as PDF
Chapters (42)
  1. About the Author
  2. Title Page
  3. PART ONE
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. PART TWO
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. PART THREE
  23. 18
  24. 19
  25. 20
  26. 21
  27. 22
  28. 23
  29. PART FOUR
  30. 24
  31. 25
  32. 26
  33. 27
  34. 28
  35. 29
  36. PART FIVE
  37. 30
  38. 31
  39. 32
  40. 33
  41. 34
  42. 35

There was a table laid in the small dining room with brandy, liqueurs, and various sweetmeats. There was even a dusty bottle of 1897 Tokay, the Baron’s pride. Apart from that, there were oranges and the first cherries of the season, all tastefully arranged. ‘Ladies and gentlemen, please!’ said the Baron and led the old aunt to her place at the head of the table. They toasted the bride and groom, ate the fruit and the sweetmeats, conversed, drank a second and a third toast, the younger members of the company in particular, and the heat in the room became intolerable. The Baron regaled them with tales of military life and ancient ‘court secrets’, his apple cheeks covered with tiny red veins and beads of sweat breaking out on his square forehead underneath his short, bristling grey hair. The old aunt spoke about her late husband, the Baron von Hochberg, who was a general in the Hussars. After that, Dr Astel skilfully turned the conversation to more modern topics. Gurdweill felt suffocatingly hot; nothing interested him. He was waiting for the moment when he would be able to go out into the fresh air without breaking the rules of etiquette. At long last it was almost six o’clock, and the old aunt rose from her seat. Everyone began to say goodbye. Ulrich and Dr Astel, too, took their leave. Gurdweill immediately asked his brother-in-law for another, soft shirt, went into the next room, and changed out of his armour. He felt as if he had just been released from prison. The young people, Gurdweill and Thea and her two brothers, decided to go to the cinema before supper. It was cool in the cinema, but the film was sentimental and uninteresting, and he was glad when it was over and they went outside again. Gurdweill’s wedding day, the day that marked the beginning of a new chapter in his life, was also the most boring and oppressive day he had ever spent. Everything about it was uncomfortable and stifling and irritating. His true liberation only came at ten o’clock, when the family meal was over and they could go home. Thea took only a small bag with her — the rest of her possessions were to be transferred the next day — and left with her husband, Rudolf Gurdweill, for his home, the room in the old widow Fischer’s house in Kleine Stadtgutgasse.

PART TWO

PART TWO

The Beginning

10

10

The summer came to an end, an arid, almost rainless summer. The dry, yellowing leaves whispered in the parks and boulevards, some of them on the branches above but most on the ground below, rustling in every passing breeze. The nights were already chilly, and when dawn broke, a fine, delicate layer of frost was quite often to be seen, sprinkled like icing sugar over the paving stones and the ragged patch of lawn on the banks of the Donaukanal.