ed, heavy window shades; then suddenly, after a certain turn it
grew dark, and only by this could they guess that they had turned into
deserted streets in the outskirts of the city and that they were nearing
the S. railroad station. Sometimes during sharp turns, Werner's live,
bent knee would strike against the live, bent knee of the gendarme, and
it was hard to believe that the execution was approaching.

"Where are we going?" Yanson asked suddenly. He was somewhat dizzy from
the continuous turning of the dark box and he felt slightly sick at his
stomach.

Werner answered and pressed the Esthonian's hand more firmly. He felt
like saying something especially kind and caressing to this little,
sleepy man, and he already loved him as he had never loved anyone in his
life.

"You don't seem to sit comfortably, my dear man. Move over here, to me."

Yanson was silent for awhile, then he replied:

"Well, thank you. I'm sitting all right. Are they going to hang you
too?"

"Yes," answered Werner, almost laughing with unexpected jollity, and
he waved his hand easily and freely, as though he were speaking of some
absurd and trifling joke which kind but terribly comical people wanted
to play on him.

"Have you a wife?" asked Yanson.

"No. I have no wife. I am single."

"I am also alone. Alone," said Yanson.

Werner's head also began to feel dizzy. And at times it seemed that they
were going to some festival; strange to say, almost all those who went
to the scaffold experienced the same sensation and mingled with sorrow
and fear there was a vague joy as they anticipated the extraordinary
thing that was soon to befall them. Reality was intoxicated with madness
and Death, united with Life, brought forth apparitions. It seemed very
possible that flags were waving over the houses.

"We have arrived!" said Werner gayly when the carriage stopped, and he
jumped out easily. But with Yanson it was a rather slow affair: silently
and very drowsily he resisted and would not come out. He seized the
knob. The gendarme opened the weak fingers and pulled his hand away.
Then Yanson seized the corner of the carriage, the door, the high wheel,
but immediately let it go upon the slightest effort on the part of the
gendarme. He did not exactly seize these things; he rather cleaved to
each object sleepily and silently, and was torn away easily, without any
effort. Finally he got up.

There were no flags. The railroad station was dark, dese