“I want to speak with Elfriede!” Silbermann was practically shouting. “As far as I’m concerned she’s not staying one more hour at your place. This is utterly absurd! Now when I need you and ask for a ridiculously small favor you turn me away! Have you completely forgotten what I did for you?”

“Please don’t get so worked up, Otto,” said Hollberg, whose voice now sounded annoyed. “I can’t wreck my whole life to let you stay here two or three days! No one could expect me to let you bring about my ruin just because you helped me out once upon a time. If the party finds out that I’m related by marriage to a Jew, and that I even let him live in my house, then I might as well straightaway get packing.”

“Do you have any idea what I’ve been through?”

“Listen, Otto, there’s no point in being so dramatic! Be glad that Elfriede’s taken care of. Where is she supposed to go? Do you want to drag her along all up and down across Germany? Be reasonable, will you? I find it very egotistical of you that you’re willing to put your wife in danger just because you’re in danger yourself. That you won’t allow her to stay with us simply because you can’t. No, Otto, I would have expected you to be more—manly.”

“Are you trying to teach me about character? Elfriede has been married to me for over twenty years. Why don’t you ask her if I’ve ever knowingly exposed her to any danger?”

“I realize that, Otto. Don’t get angry. Understand that it just won’t work! You’re putting us in jeopardy! Elfriede can stay. She’s my sister after all, but you … That’s something entirely different.”

“Good-bye,” said Silbermann and hung up.

“I’m putting them in jeopardy,” he mumbled, helpless. “Jeopardy.” He repeated the word so often that it began to lose sense. Then he rushed out of the booth and walked up to the stationmaster.

“When’s the next train to Berlin?” He was shouting.

“In ten minutes,” said the official, who stopped and looked at him as though he expected some explanation for Silbermann’s unusual behavior.

Silbermann didn’t pay him any attention. He dashed through the gate and hurried to the ticket counter.

“One ticket to Berlin,” he shouted. “One to Hamburg, one to Cologne. One to … what else is there? Well come on, make a suggestion!”

The clerk stared at him, frightened.

Silbermann tossed down a thousand-mark bill and shouted, “Tickets, tickets! Did you not understand? I want tickets!”

“Second class to Berlin?” the clerk asked, trying to facilitate the matter.

“I couldn’t care less, just give me some tickets.”

The clerk looked around for help.

He thinks I’m crazy, thought Silbermann. Maybe he’s right, maybe I’ve already gone mad. He regained his composure and tried to laugh.

“Just give me the ticket to Berlin,” he managed to blurt out, since the clerk was staring at him as though he might call for help at any minute. The man shook his head and attended to the ticket Silbermann had requested.