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Back The Woman on the Stairs Save as PDF
Chapters (83)
  1. Cover
  2. Also by Bernhard Schlink
  3. Title Page
  4. Copyright
  5. Part One
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. 12
  18. 13
  19. 14
  20. 15
  21. 16
  22. 17
  23. 18
  24. 19
  25. 20
  26. 21
  27. 22
  28. 23
  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. Part Two
  33. 1
  34. 2
  35. 3
  36. 4
  37. 5
  38. 6
  39. 7
  40. 8
  41. 9
  42. 10
  43. 11
  44. 12
  45. 13
  46. 14
  47. 15
  48. 16
  49. 17
  50. 18
  51. 19
  52. 20
  53. 21
  54. 22
  55. 23
  56. 24
  57. 25
  58. Part Three
  59. 1
  60. 2
  61. 3
  62. 4
  63. 5
  64. 6
  65. 7
  66. 8
  67. 9
  68. 10
  69. 11
  70. 12
  71. 13
  72. 14
  73. 15
  74. 16
  75. 17
  76. 18
  77. 19
  78. 20
  79. 21
  80. 22
  81. Author’s Note
  82. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  83. What’s next onyour reading list?

“It is not. But I can’t write off the picture. And maybe…” He sat there, quietly. His face changed, and all its despair, contempt and outrage fell away; it became childlike, and the big man with the big face and big hands looked at us trustingly. “You know, maybe the damage to the leg really was an accident. When Gundlach saw it, he didn’t like the damaged painting any more. Then he thought that the damage kept his memories at bay, and that his life was easier without those memories. That’s why he defaced the painting again. But when he sees it restored to its original beauty, he loves it again.”

“I don’t get the impression that Gundlach’s a man who can be seduced by art.” I looked at her questioningly, but she said nothing – didn’t nod, didn’t shake her head, only looked lovingly at Schwind, as if bemused and enchanted by his childlike nature. I tried again. “You’re playing into his hands. He can deface the painting again and again. You will never be able to do your own work.”

He looked at me sadly. “In the last six months I haven’t finished a single painting.”

8

He’d estimated it would take a month or two to restore the picture, and I was sure I would see him back in my office afterwards. But summer went by and he didn’t come. In October I had an important case, and thought no more about him.

But one morning the firm’s manager announced the arrival of Irene Gundlach. She came wearing a jacket, blouse, and jeans, and at first I thought she was underdressed for the autumn day, but then I looked out the window. The morning clouds had passed, the sky was blue, and the sun had lit the leaves of the chestnut tree with a golden glow.

She gave me her hand and sat down. “I’m coming on Karl’s behalf. He would thank you personally, but he’s in a phase of utter concentration. Gundlach was in the US for the last few months and left him alone. Karl didn’t just restore my picture, he also started a new one.” She laughed. “You wouldn’t recognize him. Now that the burden of my painting has been lifted from his shoulders, he’s a whole new man.”

“That’s good to hear.”