The Waterbury Democrat., 1932-07-11
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way the Bojan spoken went through him. It was Is if his naked heart were being rubbed with grater, He did nothing. But even though he did nothing, he sudden | ly had the Bojan in his arms. Whh the Bojan, what she acted and what she dimly felt ran into each other, and she began to sob and to laugh and rose rapidly to a pitch of hysteria.
 Martin was greatly frightened. He let her go and came to his senses. He found himself leaning dazed against the trunk of a tree with the baron in front of him. Dobbersberg was quietly holding a small lantern in his hand and smil- ing A wry, tortured smile. Martin graspe dior breath. The Bjan gave a little scream, hesitated a moment as to whether she shoulf faint or run away, and then, with speedy decision, picked up her dress of the eighties, and took to her heels. "I've brought you the boathouse key" the baron said affably in his high-pitched, pleasant voice.
 Martin had vaguely anticipated something dreadful-a shot, a box on the ears, an outburst, a catas- trophe. The baron's careless amia- bility made him feel as if he were falling into an abyss, down and down, deeper and deeper. He stumbled along dizzily beside the baron toward the boathouse. Good heavens, what am I to say now? he thought, as the perspira- | tion ran down his back. He could feel it distinctly. I am at your dis posal, came into his mind. He was still in the eighties. and the phrase suggested itself of its own accord as the appropriate formality. am at your disposal. -.
 He opened his mouth twice be- fore a sound came, and then he was surprised to hear himself say: II don't know how it is-but I seem to get into most absurd situ- ations here at your place. ..." situations that are more flat | tering to you than to me, but one must not take such matters more seriously than they deserve" the baron put in amiably. You too, my dear doctor, must not overestimate | this-these. :. My wife is extreme | ly irritable when she is not at work, and she indulges herself In what little alleviaotion she can find. It is really my fault if do | not appear at the right moment to give her cue. In any case, as you are we'll aware, philosophers are always comic figures on the stage. | They forget their umbrellas, stuff their table napkins in their pock- cts instead of their handkerchiefs, | hrook tho china p
 Martin listened with embarrass- nent to the easy flow of talk, but when the baron opened the boat house and lighted the small lam tern, Martin observed that he was very yellow al lthe same, with "a shrunken look as if a fresh attack of ague was coming on. Martin be- gan to feel bitterly ashamed of ing stage where Puck had laid him the day sch rescued him from the lake.
 "You see, jealousy is now a nec- essity of the human soul. It is not a primitive emotion. It is a matter of convention, something superin- duced and superimposed," said Baron Dobbersberg, as Martin put the oars in the rowlocks. Wait a moment, doctor. till loose the chain. Pull with your right, doctor, or you'll be into the sailing boat Are you all right?"
 "Yes-quite. Thank you very much" said Martin, as he plunged the oars into the water.
 The baron still held the chain in his hand. He went on:" II have no wish to act inhospitably toward you. Therefore perhaps it would be as well if you came over no more to us from the other side. Good l night, Dr Heil. He threw in the chain-in a way that marked the limit of his self-control-and show ed the boat off from the landing stage with a vigorous kick.
 Well. there 1 got my box on the oars, thought Martin, as the boat put out into the lake, and he felt again tiny cold trickle of sweat on his burning back. Inside the boathouse the baron put out the lantern and stood for some time in the darkness with his face pressed against a beam, alone with those suppressed secrets which are in every human heart and cannot be exercised by any philosophy.
 After this day of many meals and many experiences bad time be- gan for Martin. It rained. It rained in steady, heavy downpour, day and night day and night, without the slightest pause. The mountains ] vanished, the shore of the lake