g bed, snoring.

"Get up!" She seized him by the shoulder and shook him.

His hair stood up like bristles around his forehead. [Pg 27] "How
horrible he looked!" she thought. And what did the room smell of?
Drink. That disgusting smell came from him.

No feeling of compassion softened her eyes. She stood bolt upright at
the side of the bed and scanned him from top to toe with sparkling
eyes. He would soon lie there again.

A triumphant cry rose to her lips, but she suppressed it. Silence,
silence. What would that inquisitive maid think if she rejoiced in this
way? She seized hold of her husband once more with renewed strength,
and shook him so vigorously that he started up.

Mr. Tiralla stared around with eyes that were still quite dim. Who was
there? Why didn't they leave him in peace? He wanted to sleep longer.

"Get up!" she shouted to him. "You've to go out. It is time, high
time!"

"Who must go out? Not I," he stammered drowsily, and fell back on his
pillow.

He was so heavy that she could not lift him; her shaking and her cry
of "Get up!" were of no avail. Then, in her anger, she poured some
icy-cold water on his face. That helped.

He opened his eyes, suddenly quite wide awake. "Ah, my dove, are you
coming to me?" he said tenderly, and stretched out his arms.

She hit him across his fingers. "Leave that nonsense!" she said coldly.
But then her voice grew softer. "You've promised to drive to Gnesen,
remember. It's time!"

"To Gnesen--Gnesen? I'm not going there. What have I to do there?" He
had no idea of what he had said. What he had promised the day before in
his transport of joy was now quite forgotten.

She saw with despair that she would have to start [Pg 28] afresh. She
sat down on his bed, and, clenching her teeth, threw her arms round him
and began to coax him. "You promised me--to go--to the chemist's--about
the rats--you remember--the rats."

"What do I care for rats?" he exclaimed, laughing boisterously. "As
long as the rats don't jump on my bed they don't disturb me." And he
gave her a resounding kiss.

She submitted to it with closed eyes; she was deadly pale. Suddenly she
twisted herself out of his arms, and, looking at him fixedly with her
black eyes, she said slowly and very softly, but every syllable was
distinct: "If you don't go to Gnesen now, I'll jump into the Przykop.
I'll drown myself in that big pool under the firs. I can't stand this
any longer. If _you_ don't go, then _I_