I read about the history of Australia, the convicts in chains, the settlers, the land grant companies, the gold miners, the Chinese. The Aborigines who died first from infections, then from being massacred, and then had their children taken away. The taking was well intentioned, it brought tremendous suffering to both parents and children. My wife would have nodded; she liked to say that the opposite of good is not evil, but good intentions. But the opposite of evil is not evil intentions, but good.

13

As Gundlach had predicted, Schwind turned up at the firm the next day. He came directly from Gundlach, and sat in the chair in front of my desk, head bowed, hands folded. He remained silent for so long that I became impatient. Even when he started to speak, he did not raise his head or unfold his hands.

“When I arrived, the painting hung on the wall. I showed Gundlach my work, and he saw and praised it. Then he took out a pocketknife, opened it, made a cut in the painting, closed the knife, put it back in his pocket. I could have stopped him; he did it all slowly and calmly. But it was as if I was paralyzed. Then he smiled and said: ‘You’ll fix this in no time.’ He was right, the cut is small, and on the staircase. ‘But you’ll only find rest when you have the painting and I get back what’s mine. Go to your lawyer and have him draw up a contract.’ I asked: ‘A contract?’ He said: ‘We have to make it right.’ ”

He raised his head and looked at me. “Can you do that? Draw up a contract so I get the picture back and he gets Irene?”

I said nothing, but he saw the horror on my face.