It sounds preposterous, but I did exactly as I was
bid. But Im afraid I need rather morethan sixpence.
If you understand a mans work well enoughyou can
guess pretty accurately what hell look like. Then I realised what an immense amount
of care and solidthought he had expended on me.
I found that I had no more than one
solitarysixpence. It may have been fancy, but I thoughtthat I saw something stir in
the darkness. You know the wayhe looks at you with his solemn grey
eyes.
I feelquite friendly towards Reinmar, whoever she
may be.
He was certainly mad, but I was fascinated by this
wisp ofhumanity.
It was long ere Icould screw up courage to look
again, but I did it.
But he confessed himself absolutely beaten.
Christoph had a modest kurhaus at a placecalled Rosensee in the Sächischen
Sweitz.
It was a blue eye, and, as I looked, it winked at
me. I was getting abominably wet, and yet I submitted to be cross-examined by this
waif.
By this time I wasgetting pretty desperate, so I
packed a bag and set off forRosensee.
It happened a good many years ago, just when I was
beginning to geton at the Bar.
I havent had so many romantic events inmy life that
I want to forget this. Oh yes, and hes just been adopted as a prospective
Liberalcandidate.
Thomsons emotion overcame him, and he accepted a
stiff drinkfrom my flask. Why dont you, who have a largeacquaintance and far more
authority, take the thing up?
I pitied the poor devils to whom it was theonly
home.
Perhaps she is insome old schloss in the
neighbourhood, waiting for you like theSleeping Beauty. Then they left me to myself,
and I lay down and slept for a roundof the clock.