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05 - The Scorpion. · The Scorpion by Anna Elisabet Weirauch.

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Three weeks passed, four weeks, five weeks. Nothing was seen
• 0:03
  Speaker 1: nor heard of Olga Rado. In desperation, Myra resumed her
• 0:08
  Speaker 1: long-neglected friendship with the Mobius girls. She endured the torture
• 0:12
  Speaker 1: of a few boring afternoons without finding the courage to
• 0:15
  Speaker 1: inquire about Olga. And when finally she did ask, no
• 0:19
  Speaker 1: one knew anything about her. But one afternoon Emmy burst
• 0:23
  Speaker 1: into the room just as Fanny was telling Myra the
• 0:25
  Speaker 1: highly exciting story of a letter to her which her
• 0:28
  Speaker 1: mother had opened. Myra was not especially clever at such things,
• 0:32
  Speaker 1: but she had achieved some sort of ability to say yes? Oh, really?
• 0:38
  Speaker 1: At suitable places, without once understanding what the whole business
• 0:42
  Speaker 1: was about. Tossing a couple of little packages onto the table,
• 0:46
  Speaker 1: Emmy cried. Guess whom I saw, girls? Olga! Joy and
• 0:51
  Speaker 1: anguish contended in Myra's breast. So she was here. There
• 0:55
  Speaker 1: was the possibility of meeting her. Of coming face to
• 0:58
  Speaker 1: face with her quite suddenly and unexpectedly. That was her
• 1:02
  Speaker 1: first thought. But her second was. She is back and
• 1:06
  Speaker 1: hasn't told me. She doesn't want to see me. She
• 1:09
  Speaker 1: went away without telling me. She has returned without telling me.
• 1:13
  Speaker 1: I am so irksome to her that she has gone
• 1:15
  Speaker 1: to some trouble to be rid of me. What can
• 1:18
  Speaker 1: I do? Oh what can I do? Between the sisters
• 1:22
  Speaker 1: there developed a long conversation about Olga. She takes humors,
• 1:26
  Speaker 1: said Fanny. For a while she'll come and see you
• 1:29
  Speaker 1: every three days, and then again you won't catch a
• 1:32
  Speaker 1: glimpse of her for three months. She doesn't want to
• 1:35
  Speaker 1: meet me, thought Myra bitterly. That is why she won't
• 1:38
  Speaker 1: come here. But she's been traveling all this time, said
• 1:43
  Speaker 1: Emmy in extenuation. Yes? And before that, asked Fanny, what
• 1:49
  Speaker 1: about the three months before this trip? Did she bother
• 1:52
  Speaker 1: her head about us? I suppose she had no time
• 1:55
  Speaker 1: for us then either. But for me, thought Myra with
• 1:59
  Speaker 1: proud anguish. Oh, for me she had time every day,
• 2:02
  Speaker 1: every day. You make me think of Aunt Sophie, said
• 2:06
  Speaker 1: Emmy and strove to distort her doll's face to imitate
• 2:09
  Speaker 1: her aunt. This Olga is a very dangerous person. She
• 2:13
  Speaker 1: plays with people as though they were puppets. When she
• 2:16
  Speaker 1: is tired of them she throws them to one side.
• 2:19
  Speaker 1: At the same time she's fascinating, I admit it, positively fascinating. Yes,
• 2:26
  Speaker 1: thought Myra. Your Aunt Sophie may be as imbecilic as
• 2:29
  Speaker 1: you like about everything else. But she's right. In this
• 2:33
  Speaker 1: she's right. Olga is fascinating. Oh so fascinating. And she
• 2:38
  Speaker 1: has thrown me aside. What can I do? What can
• 2:41
  Speaker 1: I do? Myra brooded for days and nights trying to
• 2:45
  Speaker 1: think of some way out. She felt that she would
• 2:48
  Speaker 1: not be able to persist in her pride and say.
• 2:51
  Speaker 1: She does not want me. Therefore she no longer exists
• 2:54
  Speaker 1: as far as I am concerned. To be sure, she
• 2:57
  Speaker 1: told herself so not once but a hundred times. But
• 3:00
  Speaker 1: a much stronger feeling said to her, It is misunderstandings
• 3:04
  Speaker 1: that are separating us, it is impediments that a frank
• 3:08
  Speaker 1: word could remove. I must speak to her, I must
• 3:11
  Speaker 1: ask her. She has courage enough and hardness enough to
• 3:15
  Speaker 1: tell me the truth. I will make it easier for her.
• 3:18
  Speaker 1: I'll ask in such a way that she can tell me,
• 3:21
  Speaker 1: that she'll have to tell me. And if she says
• 3:23
  Speaker 1: to me, Go and never come back again. Then I'll
• 3:27
  Speaker 1: go and never come back again. I'll endeavor to order
• 3:30
  Speaker 1: my life without her somehow. I'll be proud to but first. First.
• 3:36
  Speaker 1: Myra purchased a bouquet of white roses of a peculiarly
• 3:39
  Speaker 1: stiff and melancholy beauty and took them to Olga. The
• 3:43
  Speaker 1: maid who led her and received her. Beaming with joy.
• 3:47
  Speaker 1: It's so long since you've been here Miss Rudloff. Miss
• 3:50
  Speaker 1: Rado is up in her room. You know your way.
• 3:54
  Speaker 1: It seemed impossible to Myra that she should be announced
• 3:57
  Speaker 1: by the maid. If Olga were not at home to her,
• 4:01
  Speaker 1: it might lead to an extremely painful situation. If Olga
• 4:04
  Speaker 1: were not in a mood to see her, it would,
• 4:07
  Speaker 1: at any rate, be much better to say so to
• 4:09
  Speaker 1: her face rather than to learn it from the maid.
• 4:12
  Speaker 1: She stepped quickly and firmly along the endless corridor. But
• 4:16
  Speaker 1: her heart beat a little faster as she went. She
• 4:20
  Speaker 1: rapped lightly on the door and pressed down the latch.
• 4:23
  Speaker 1: Olga was sitting at her writing table, just as she
• 4:26
  Speaker 1: always sat. One hand on her open book, her forehead
• 4:29
  Speaker 1: supported in the palm of the other, the fingers of
• 4:32
  Speaker 1: which held a cigarette. As the door opened, she turned
• 4:36
  Speaker 1: her head somewhat unwillingly, her brows knitted. Recognition passed like
• 4:41
  Speaker 1: a bright gleam over her features. Myra, she said. You
• 4:45
  Speaker 1: here again? Where did you come from? What do you want?
• 4:50
  Speaker 1: Myra tore the paper from the roses, Tossed it in
• 4:53
  Speaker 1: the wastebasket and laid the flowers on the writing table.
• 4:56
  Speaker 1: What do I want? She said, meanwhile without taking her
• 5:00
  Speaker 1: eyes from what she was doing. To visit you. To
• 5:04
  Speaker 1: see how things are with you. But if you wish,
• 5:07
  Speaker 1: I can go again. No. With a sudden, almost violent gesture,
• 5:12
  Speaker 1: Olga stretched her hand after her. Myra laid one finger
• 5:16
  Speaker 1: in it, which Olga clasped tightly. But remember, I did
• 5:20
  Speaker 1: not call you. She glanced up at Myra with a
• 5:23
  Speaker 1: strangely compulsive and almost threatening expression of the brow and eyes.
• 5:28
  Speaker 1: I know it, said Myra with a bitter smile. It
• 5:31
  Speaker 1: had not even occurred to you to call me. I
• 5:34
  Speaker 1: feel myself that I am intruding. You hardly need tell
• 5:38
  Speaker 1: me so flatly. She wanted to retract her hand, but
• 5:42
  Speaker 1: Olga held it fast and smiled. Child, she said, little girl,
• 5:47
  Speaker 1: you make me very, very happy, more than you can
• 5:50
  Speaker 1: ever imagine. I think if you knew how happy I am,
• 5:54
  Speaker 1: you would become quite conceited. But remember I did not
• 5:57
  Speaker 1: call you. Yes, said Myra almost impatiently. I don't know
• 6:02
  Speaker 1: why you attach so much importance to that statement. But
• 6:06
  Speaker 1: I know, said Olga quietly. I don't want you ever
• 6:09
  Speaker 1: to be able to reproach me with being egoistic. Ah,
• 6:13
  Speaker 1: said Myra. That's hilarious. So that I may never reproach you. Incidentally,
• 6:19
  Speaker 1: I do not know for what. You let me go
• 6:21
  Speaker 1: and die and never trouble your head about me. No,
• 6:24
  Speaker 1: you are not a bit egoistic. Olga laughed. I give up.
• 6:29
  Speaker 1: It always comes back on me. One way or the other.
• 6:33
  Speaker 1: So let us bear what we can as long as
• 6:35
  Speaker 1: we act sincerely. It's like a fall day outside. It
• 6:39
  Speaker 1: is good to have you here. Light the samovar and
• 6:42
  Speaker 1: bring us a cup of tea. We'll call Peterkin to
• 6:45
  Speaker 1: come and play something for us. Once as Myra entered
• 6:49
  Speaker 1: the room she saw Olga hastily conceal an open letter
• 6:52
  Speaker 1: she had been holding in her hand, under the books
• 6:55
  Speaker 1: on her desk. Myra thought that Olga seemed distracted during
• 6:59
  Speaker 1: their greeting, rather vexed and embarrassed. What is the matter?
• 7:03
  Speaker 1: she asked without relinquishing Olga's hand. Has something provoked you?
• 7:08
  Speaker 1: You look so comical today. Aye, Olga flushed. Again that
• 7:13
  Speaker 1: sudden dark wave of blood overspread her features, making them
• 7:17
  Speaker 1: appear all the paler the next moment. What are you
• 7:20
  Speaker 1: thinking of? What could have provoked me? Quite the contrary.
• 7:25
  Speaker 1: Quite the contrary, said Myra with a somewhat forced gaiety.
• 7:30
  Speaker 1: Is it pleasure that is making you like this? Then
• 7:33
  Speaker 1: it would be indiscreet to question further. Let's talk of
• 7:36
  Speaker 1: something else. I've brought back your chamberlain, and also your hearse.
• 7:41
  Speaker 1: Father has him in the library. They talked of this
• 7:45
  Speaker 1: and that. But Myra could not forget the letter. While
• 7:49
  Speaker 1: they were speaking, her thoughts kept straying into other channels.
• 7:53
  Speaker 1: What can it be? She thought. Jealousy? Have I any
• 7:57
  Speaker 1: right to be jealous? What do I mean by being hurt, suspicious, yes,
• 8:01
  Speaker 1: actually angry, because this woman receives a letter which she
• 8:04
  Speaker 1: does not want to let me see. Good God in heaven,
• 8:07
  Speaker 1: she is not bound nor obligated to me in any way.
• 8:11
  Speaker 1: She may be secretly engaged, may have a dozen love affairs.
• 8:15
  Speaker 1: Why should I expect her to tell me everything or
• 8:17
  Speaker 1: make me her confidant? What business is it of mine
• 8:20
  Speaker 1: what letters she receives? Myra was vexed and scolded herself.
• 8:25
  Speaker 1: And all the while she fretted and was sad and
• 8:28
  Speaker 1: struggled against her feelings and could not conquer them. It
• 8:31
  Speaker 1: isn't jealousy, she thought. It isn't an insane desire to possess.
• 8:36
  Speaker 1: It is simply the understanding that life is only bearable
• 8:39
  Speaker 1: when people go hand in hand. It is the consciousness
• 8:43
  Speaker 1: that I can only go on if Olga takes my
• 8:45
  Speaker 1: hand and leads me. Now I have a feeling as
• 8:48
  Speaker 1: if she had let go my hand, that a door
• 8:50
  Speaker 1: has shut between us, that I am left alone, helpless,
• 8:54
  Speaker 1: in the dark, and that she is going laughingly along.
• 8:57
  Speaker 1: I don't know with whom. Olga was called to the telephone.
• 9:01
  Speaker 1: It was some time before she returned. Myra was sitting
• 9:05
  Speaker 1: a few feet from the desk. One corner of the
• 9:08
  Speaker 1: letter was peeping out from beneath a pile of books.
• 9:11
  Speaker 1: If she stretched out her hand, she could touch it,
• 9:14
  Speaker 1: could draw it out, without rising from her chair. It
• 9:17
  Speaker 1: was a painful struggle. She would have liked to slap
• 9:20
  Speaker 1: herself because she could think of but one thing to do.
• 9:23
  Speaker 1: She meant to commit a crime. Oh, it was worse
• 9:26
  Speaker 1: than that, was indelicate, tactless, contemptible. But she thought of
• 9:30
  Speaker 1: a thousand excuses for herself. It isn't just curiosity, a
• 9:35
  Speaker 1: voice cried within her. Whom will I be hurting by it?
• 9:39
  Speaker 1: Who will it make suffer? Nobody. Neither her nor the
• 9:43
  Speaker 1: person who wrote the letter. And it is of such
• 9:46
  Speaker 1: immense importance to me. Here I cling to her with
• 9:50
  Speaker 1: every fiber of my body, and yet I do not
• 9:52
  Speaker 1: really know what kind of person she is. Why is
• 9:55
  Speaker 1: she so reserved? If I can arrive at some certainty
• 9:59
  Speaker 1: that will alter my whole life at one stroke, I
• 10:02
  Speaker 1: will do it at any cost, even at the cost
• 10:04
  Speaker 1: of a crime. With one twitch she had drawn out
• 10:07
  Speaker 1: the letter. Her heart was pounding like mad. There was
• 10:11
  Speaker 1: a thick film over her eyes so that the letters
• 10:13
  Speaker 1: danced on the paper. There was the letterhead of some firm.
• 10:17
  Speaker 1: A few words. Pay. Myra heard Olga's voice at the
• 10:21
  Speaker 1: door and hastily crammed the letter into her pocket. Olga
• 10:25
  Speaker 1: would probably never miss it. And although she had hardly
• 10:29
  Speaker 1: read it, hardly understood what it contained, Myra already had
• 10:33
  Speaker 1: a plan. She was extraordinarily anxious to get home that day,
• 10:37
  Speaker 1: and so abstracted and laconic that Olga finally asked, What
• 10:41
  Speaker 1: is the matter with you today? Has something happened? Are
• 10:45
  Speaker 1: you in a bad humor? Myra was amused as she
• 10:48
  Speaker 1: recalled the conversation when she arrived. Quite the contrary, she
• 10:53
  Speaker 1: said with an exaggerated emphasis that escaped Olga. I'm in
• 10:57
  Speaker 1: an unusually good humor. Myra locked herself into her room
• 11:01
  Speaker 1: and studied the letter as if it were a momentous document.
• 11:05
  Speaker 1: So this was the love letter which had been kept
• 11:07
  Speaker 1: secret from her. The company again requested a payment of
• 11:11
  Speaker 1: several hundred marks. In default whereof we regret that we
• 11:15
  Speaker 1: shall have to place the matter in the hands of
• 11:17
  Speaker 1: our attorney. Myra's heart was filled to overflowing with a
• 11:21
  Speaker 1: tender pity. Poor dear pet, she thought. So that's how
• 11:25
  Speaker 1: they plague you. She raised the letter and was tempted
• 11:29
  Speaker 1: for a moment to carry it to her lips. Then
• 11:31
  Speaker 1: she began to calculate. The few marks that she could
• 11:35
  Speaker 1: save from her pocket money. No, that would never be enough.
• 11:39
  Speaker 1: She had squandered too much, namely for the flowers. But
• 11:43
  Speaker 1: hadn't she something else? Her roving glance searched the room. Books? No,
• 11:49
  Speaker 1: she would give them up only in case of extreme necessity.
• 11:52
  Speaker 1: But her jewelry? All that trash for which she cared
• 11:56
  Speaker 1: absolutely nothing. No one would ever ask what had become
• 11:59
  Speaker 1: of bracelets and rings, necklaces and scarf pins. She never
• 12:04
  Speaker 1: wore such things. At worst she could pretend she had
• 12:07
  Speaker 1: lost them. Or she could redeem this or that bauble
• 12:10
  Speaker 1: from her pocket money. She wrapped the entire contents of
• 12:14
  Speaker 1: her jewel case in tissue paper and thrust it deep
• 12:17
  Speaker 1: into the pocket of her coat. The way to the
• 12:19
  Speaker 1: pawn shop was not hard to find. Myra recalled almost
• 12:23
  Speaker 1: with pleasure that she was not unpracticed in enterprises of
• 12:27
  Speaker 1: this nature. It was much harder to take the money
• 12:30
  Speaker 1: to the fashion shop. In doing so, Myra had a
• 12:33
  Speaker 1: feeling that she was perpetrating some dreadful deception. After all,
• 12:37
  Speaker 1: she had a perfect right to pawn whatever jewelry had
• 12:40
  Speaker 1: been given to her. but to act for Olga Rado,
• 12:43
  Speaker 1: to do something in Olga Rado's name, that seemed an
• 12:47
  Speaker 1: unheard of piece of daring to her. And it was
• 12:49
  Speaker 1: so difficult to assume the correct tone. To have debts was,
• 12:53
  Speaker 1: according to everything that Myra had ever heard or been told,
• 12:57
  Speaker 1: something very dishonorable, almost unclean. Therefore, when one came at
• 13:02
  Speaker 1: last to pay a debt after many dones, one must
• 13:05
  Speaker 1: be humble, must sue for pardon. But it was different
• 13:09
  Speaker 1: when one came for Olga Rado. Then one could come
• 13:12
  Speaker 1: only in the manner of a princely emissary, and with
• 13:15
  Speaker 1: majestic superiority discharge the forgotten trifle. Myra put on her
• 13:20
  Speaker 1: best dress and her top loftiest expression. It all went
• 13:24
  Speaker 1: much better than she had expected. The people really did
• 13:27
  Speaker 1: treat her like a princely emissary, and she was very
• 13:30
  Speaker 1: proud about it, doubly proud because she felt that their
• 13:34
  Speaker 1: all but obsequious amiability was meant for Olga Rado. Yes,
• 13:38
  Speaker 1: all that was very easy. But now that she had
• 13:41
  Speaker 1: the receipted bill in her pocket, nothing in the world
• 13:44
  Speaker 1: could have given her the courage to return it to Olga.
• 13:47
  Speaker 1: She consoled herself with the thought that it probably wasn't necessary.
• 13:51
  Speaker 1: The shop would not done her any further, and Olga
• 13:54
  Speaker 1: would forget the affair. After a week, Myra was still
• 13:58
  Speaker 1: secretly triumphant and thought that all perils were happily averted.
• 14:03
  Speaker 1: But one day she was received by Olga with a
• 14:05
  Speaker 1: stony face. What on earth can be in your mind?
• 14:09
  Speaker 1: said Olga instead of her usual greeting. What right have
• 14:12
  Speaker 1: you to do a thing like that in my name? I,
• 14:16
  Speaker 1: said Myra, struggling to assume an innocent expression. What have
• 14:20
  Speaker 1: I done? You know very well what you've done, said
• 14:24
  Speaker 1: Olga harshly. You've acted irresponsibly. Irresponsibly. I won't tolerate any
• 14:30
  Speaker 1: meddling with my affairs, least of all from you. Can't
• 14:34
  Speaker 1: you see the unheard of presumption in your conduct? Are
• 14:38
  Speaker 1: you going to appoint yourself my guardian? Or do you
• 14:41
  Speaker 1: intend to support me? What on earth can you be
• 14:44
  Speaker 1: thinking of? She paced to and fro with long strides.
• 14:48
  Speaker 1: Her tone became more and more heated, more violent. Suddenly,
• 14:52
  Speaker 1: she stopped short, leaning against the desk, stood arms akimbo
• 14:56
  Speaker 1: and asked very quietly, with simply a gentle movement of
• 15:00
  Speaker 1: her hand, How did you get hold of the bill anyway?
• 15:03
  Speaker 1: Myra was terrified. This was the moment she had dreaded.
• 15:07
  Speaker 1: All the rest might have been foolish, but it was
• 15:10
  Speaker 1: generously and unselfishly done. She could defend it with an
• 15:14
  Speaker 1: appearance of rectitude, at least in her own eyes. But
• 15:18
  Speaker 1: to this question she had no excuse to offer. Now
• 15:22
  Speaker 1: the game was up. No lie could save her now.
• 15:25
  Speaker 1: So she resolved defiantly, desperately, to tell the truth. She
• 15:30
  Speaker 1: threw back her head and glanced at Olga with an
• 15:32
  Speaker 1: expression that seemed to say, I deserve death, but I
• 15:36
  Speaker 1: do not fear it. I stole it, she said, from
• 15:39
  Speaker 1: your desk. Olga remained quite calm. She merely knitted her
• 15:44
  Speaker 1: brows a little as if trying to recollect. It came
• 15:48
  Speaker 1: while you were there, didn't it? Yes. But I didn't
• 15:52
  Speaker 1: leave it lying open. Now I remember very well. I
• 15:56
  Speaker 1: pushed it somewhere under the books. Yes, said Myra, gritting
• 16:00
  Speaker 1: her teeth. But I took it out from under the books. When?
• 16:05
  Speaker 1: asked Olga genuinely astonished. While you were telephoning, Olga did
• 16:10
  Speaker 1: not answer. She bowed her head and stared in silence
• 16:14
  Speaker 1: at the floor. Myra saw that her mouth was tightly shut,
• 16:18
  Speaker 1: but she was biting her lower lip. Her silence was
• 16:21
  Speaker 1: more dreadful than the harshest words. Myra felt that she
• 16:25
  Speaker 1: was really incredibly depraved, and the inquisition was by no
• 16:29
  Speaker 1: means at an end. Many more questions followed, much more terrifying.
• 16:34
  Speaker 1: After a while, Olga raised her head. But you had
• 16:38
  Speaker 1: no way of knowing what it was. It might just
• 16:40
  Speaker 1: as well have been a personal letter. Myra's forehead began
• 16:44
  Speaker 1: to burn. Now I will have to lie, she thought
• 16:48
  Speaker 1: for a moment. I'll have to say I saw the
• 16:50
  Speaker 1: figures or the letterhead. But she could not lie. She
• 16:54
  Speaker 1: had done something so contemptible that she had no right
• 16:57
  Speaker 1: to purchase Olga's forgiveness with a lie. She must confess, apologize, atone.
• 17:03
  Speaker 1: That is what I thought too, she said as if
• 17:06
  Speaker 1: with sudden resolution, but she could not look at Olga's
• 17:09
  Speaker 1: face while she said it. She stared past her at
• 17:12
  Speaker 1: the window, but without looking, she saw Olga make a
• 17:16
  Speaker 1: sudden angry gesture which she instantly controlled. So that is
• 17:20
  Speaker 1: what you thought, she said. To Myra it seemed as
• 17:24
  Speaker 1: if she made this effort, as if she forced herself
• 17:27
  Speaker 1: to speak so softly in order not to scream. But
• 17:30
  Speaker 1: tell me you must have had some reason. I can't
• 17:33
  Speaker 1: believe that you would go rummaging in every strange letter,
• 17:37
  Speaker 1: like a maid, out of mere curiosity. No, said Myra.
• 17:41
  Speaker 1: I did have a reason, of course I had a reason.
• 17:44
  Speaker 1: But I can't tell you what it is. If you
• 17:47
  Speaker 1: can't tell me what it is, said Olga with a
• 17:50
  Speaker 1: gentle smile, then I will not ask you either. But
• 17:53
  Speaker 1: reason or no reason, do you think it was a
• 17:55
  Speaker 1: very pretty thing to do? No, said Myra honestly. No,
• 18:00
  Speaker 1: I don't think so either. said Olga quickly, but after
• 18:04
  Speaker 1: a pause she added reflectively, almost as if it hurt her,
• 18:08
  Speaker 1: but understandable. If I wanted to keep anything secret, my
• 18:12
  Speaker 1: dear child, I would do it so artfully that you
• 18:15
  Speaker 1: and your silly little tricks would never even find it out.
• 18:19
  Speaker 1: It was said in a tone of such scornful superiority
• 18:22
  Speaker 1: that Myra blenched. She felt the truth of those words,
• 18:25
  Speaker 1: she felt that Olga was as if surrounded by a wall,
• 18:29
  Speaker 1: one through which she, stupid little Myra, could never penetrate
• 18:32
  Speaker 1: to the heart of this being, even by tracking her
• 18:35
  Speaker 1: like a criminal and reading her letters. It seemed as
• 18:38
  Speaker 1: if Olga sensed Myra's dumb terror. For she said suddenly
• 18:42
  Speaker 1: in her deep warm voice, For the rest, I never
• 18:45
  Speaker 1: conceal things from you, nothing that could be of any
• 18:48
  Speaker 1: interest to you. I write no love letters and receive none.
• 18:52
  Speaker 1: But if there is ever anything that you are itching
• 18:55
  Speaker 1: to find out, ask me. It is the easiest way.
• 18:59
  Speaker 1: Her kindly, cordial tone did Myra no end of good,
• 19:02
  Speaker 1: tenfold good after all the anxiety she had endured. She
• 19:06
  Speaker 1: made an involuntary movement. A feeling that welled up hotly
• 19:10
  Speaker 1: within her drove her to Olga, to kiss her hands
• 19:13
  Speaker 1: in gratitude. Olga saw or sensed this emotion and averted it.
• 19:18
  Speaker 1: It was a barely perceptible twitching of her eyebrows that
• 19:21
  Speaker 1: frightened Myra back and held her spellbound where she stood.
• 19:25
  Speaker 1: It was not until Myra had put on her hat
• 19:28
  Speaker 1: and was going that Olga asked suddenly, Will you do
• 19:31
  Speaker 1: me a favor, Myra? Anything, said Myra with conviction. But
• 19:36
  Speaker 1: this is no easy task, aye. So much the better. No, no,
• 19:41
  Speaker 1: it's nothing heroic in the romantic style. Something quite unpleasant
• 19:45
  Speaker 1: in a paltry way. She bit her lip and hesitated.
• 19:50
  Speaker 1: I should prefer to do it in any other way
• 19:52
  Speaker 1: but I don't know how. I want you to do
• 19:54
  Speaker 1: something that you have certainly never done before in all
• 19:57
  Speaker 1: your life, to pawn something for me. Myra broke into
• 20:01
  Speaker 1: a laugh. There you underestimate me considerably. The pawn shop
• 20:06
  Speaker 1: is one of the commonest of my childhood memories. Why, Myra?
• 20:11
  Speaker 1: It's a long story. I must tell it to you sometime.
• 20:15
  Speaker 1: But first you tell me what it is you want.
• 20:18
  Speaker 1: I want you to take this and pawn it for me.
• 20:21
  Speaker 1: With a sudden gesture Olga swept the cigarette case from
• 20:24
  Speaker 1: the desk and gave it to Myra, who took it, shocked,
• 20:27
  Speaker 1: in both hands. But you can't do that, Olga. Olga
• 20:31
  Speaker 1: gazed out the window. Don't discuss it, please, she said
• 20:35
  Speaker 1: in a hard voice without turning her head. I alone
• 20:38
  Speaker 1: know what I can and what I must do. Myra
• 20:42
  Speaker 1: was silent. There was no contradicting that tone. But she
• 20:46
  Speaker 1: was not convinced. Myra kept remembering the tender gesture with
• 20:50
  Speaker 1: which Olga had once pressed the cigarette case to her cheek,
• 20:54
  Speaker 1: and then she recalled the pawnbroker's hairy hand with its flattened,
• 20:57
  Speaker 1: dirt-rimmed nails. No, she could not lay the scorpion in
• 21:01
  Speaker 1: those hands. She took the case to a jeweler and
• 21:05
  Speaker 1: had it appraised. She did not have enough money in
• 21:08
  Speaker 1: her possession to accomplish the pious deception which she had
• 21:11
  Speaker 1: in mind. But she knew how to remedy that. Not
• 21:15
  Speaker 1: in vain had she been Frida Ellert's pupil. She knew
• 21:18
  Speaker 1: very well how to get at the silverware, in which
• 21:21
  Speaker 1: cases contained the most valuable pieces. As Myra stole secretly
• 21:26
  Speaker 1: to the sideboard, she thought of a dozen years before
• 21:29
  Speaker 1: and smiled. It was no longer as exciting as it
• 21:32
  Speaker 1: had seemed then. Although, if Aunt Emily were to discover it,
• 21:36
  Speaker 1: it would lead to precisely the same unpleasantness. Her aunt
• 21:40
  Speaker 1: was prepared to call in a psychiatrist again. What a
• 21:44
  Speaker 1: ridiculous farce the whole business really was. In a year
• 21:48
  Speaker 1: she would be of age, and free to dispose of
• 21:50
  Speaker 1: her grandmother's legacy, and yet for the sake of a
• 21:53
  Speaker 1: hundred marks today, she had to steal in her own
• 21:56
  Speaker 1: father's house. Will you let me have the ticket? asked
• 22:00
  Speaker 1: Olga when they met. The ticket! Myra grew a trifle
• 22:04
  Speaker 1: embarrassed and rummaged in her pocket. Yes, just a minute.
• 22:09
  Speaker 1: What did I do with it? Don't worry, it's here somewhere.
• 22:12
  Speaker 1: But first I'll count out the money. Not necessary, said
• 22:17
  Speaker 1: Olga emphatically. The money is just where it belongs. No scenes, please.
• 22:22
  Speaker 1: I have given you no right to insult me. I
• 22:25
  Speaker 1: don't understand, said Myra disconcerted. What does it all mean?
• 22:31
  Speaker 1: It means that I would far rather sit at a
• 22:33
  Speaker 1: street corner and beg than to be obligated to you
• 22:36
  Speaker 1: for money. I sent you to the pawn shop simply
• 22:39
  Speaker 1: so that the money would be given into your own hands. Otherwise,
• 22:42
  Speaker 1: I should have had to force it on you and
• 22:44
  Speaker 1: I hate such scenes. Now that's enough, I don't want
• 22:48
  Speaker 1: to hear another word about it. But... Not another word,
• 22:53
  Speaker 1: I said. As for the ticket, you can keep it
• 22:55
  Speaker 1: and redeem it for me later. I would rather not
• 22:58
  Speaker 1: see in whose hands it had been. I'll give you
• 23:01
  Speaker 1: the money for it the first chance I get. She
• 23:04
  Speaker 1: laughed quickly. When the gods alone know. Come let's play
• 23:08
  Speaker 1: a game of chess. I'll concede you a castle.