The Tanners

“I wish you well but I fear that something unfortunate will befall you. You interest me, that’s why I’ve been listening — otherwise I wouldn’t have wasted so much time on you. Perhaps you haven’t found your calling, perhaps you’ll amount to something yet. In any case, I hope things will go well for you.”

With a nod of the director’s head Simon was dismissed and soon found himself on the street outside. He observed a man pacing up and down in front of a pastry shop, probably he was waiting for someone, perhaps a woman, who could say? But the man aroused his interest. He was, at first glance, horrifically ugly, with a quite unusually large curved skull, a full beard and a rather weary, even animal, expression in his eyes. He had a mincing walk that was nonetheless noble, and his clothes were of good quality and tasteful. In his hand he held a yellow walking stick; he appeared to be a scholar, but one who was still young. There was something gentle, even heart-stirring about this man and his bearing. It seemed as though one might venture to address him freely — and Simon did:

“Forgive me, sir, for speaking to you in this way. The moment I set eyes on you something about you appealed to me. I would like to make your acquaintance. Shouldn’t such a heartfelt wish be sufficient grounds for addressing a few words to a person like yourself in the middle of the street? You seem as if you’re searching for someone, as if you suspect there might be someone waiting for you here on this square. But with this crowd of people milling about it will be difficult for you alone to discover the individual in question. I’ll help you look if you are willing to confide a few details of the person you hope to meet. Is it a lady?”

“Yes, most assuredly a lady,” the gentleman replied, smiling.

“What does she look like?”

“Dressed in black from head to foot. A tall slender creature. Large eyes that, when you see them, will follow you for a long, long time, even if they aren’t still gazing at you at all. About her neck she wears a necklace of large white pearls, and on her ears long dangling earrings. Her joints are circled by simple gold hoops — I mean her wrist joints, of course. Her face has something full, oval, voluptuous about it. You’ll see. About her mouth, though this is deceptive, there is a trace of something cagey and crafty, it’s a rather shut-tight mouth. By the way, she likes to wear a broad-brimmed hat with drooping feathers: The hat appears to have just flown up and landed on her head and hair. If this description isn’t yet sufficient, let me also draw your attention to the fact that she is accompanied by a greyhound on a thin black leash. She never goes out without him. I shall remain standing here at my post and await your report. I am grateful for your offer, quite aside from the fact that, based on the words you’ve addressed to me, I find you quite interesting: And indeed the crowd of people swarming about keeps increasing in size. There appears to be some sort of festival in progress.”

“Yes — something of that sort. I don’t generally pay much attention to these things.”

“Why not?”

“Oh, you know, each person has his own path to follow. Goodbye for now!”

And with this, Simon went off as quickly as possible through the thick crowd of people. From all sides he was pressed and shoved, almost lifted into the air. But he pushed back as well, finding it highly amusing to pass slowly through the mass of bodies and faces in this way. Finally he reached a sort of island, that is, a small empty space, and, glancing about, he suddenly caught sight of Frau Klara. She really did have a dog with her. Since moving into her house, he hadn’t paid her much attention, and so didn’t know she was in the habit of going out with her dog at her side.

“There’s a man looking for you,” he said when she noticed him.

“My husband, no doubt,” she replied. “Come with me, we’ll go together. He’s suddenly returned from his journey without writing me so much as a line. It’s always like this. How did you make his acquaintance, and how do you come to be tracking down ladies on his behalf? You are certainly a strange person, Simon. What’s that? You’ve given up your job? So what are you planning to do now? Come with me, this way. We can get through more easily over here. I’ll introduce you to my husband.”