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.She looked about her nervously.For all she knew she might run intoher husband, so she began to fly along the pavement with the nimble-ness of a child.She did not feel the impact of her feet on the flag-stones she was soaring onwards like a bird.She was eager to get past the zoological gardens before closing time,when the wives of the wealthy diamond merchants would come troop-ing out into the streets.For this green and shady retreat was theirhabitual rendezvous in the summer.Too late.They were coming outnow, all smiles, all jewels, all flesh.Some of them were so fat, theycould scarcely waddle along.None the less, they looked immenselypleased with themselves.Deborah gave them a hurried look, thenTHE DANCE OF THE DEMONS 253turned her gaze on the younger women, those with flashing eyes eyesfull of sensual greed, of unquenchable voluptuousness.As they trippedalong they conversed with many a coquettish gesture and mannerism.They contrived to vary the curves of their warm, pulsating bosoms,without ever losing their graceful poise.They were not women, butgoddesses, for each held lightning in her hands, and when, thought-lessly, the goddess raised her slender fingers, a streak of summer light-ning flashed forth upon the world from great and lustrous diamonds.They minced along at their leisure, for unlike herself they were notrunning away.No, of course not, they were only going home to meettheir perfumed husbands who had spent the day speculating and profit-making on the Bourse.What was the matter with her? She must hurry.She had no time tostand and stare.She quickened her pace.Her hands fluttered excitedly.She scurried along like a frightened rabbit.Thank heavens, here was the pawnbrokers shop and the door hadclosed behind her.She laid out her possessions on the counter, andgazed through the wire netting, which carved up the young assistant sface into a pattern of squares as he peered back at her. I don t know how much to ask, really I don t.Give me whateveryou can, but please hurry.The young man s criss-cross, wire netting wrinkles widened out ashe bent his head forward, and he repeated in a friendly voice: How much?She pushed the bundle towards him, and he carefully examined allher gowns, then placed her golden chain on the scales. All right, she said,  I ll take 130 francs. Very well! said the wrinkled young man, pushing a wad of bank-notes towards her under the wire netting.She hurried to the station. Number two platform.The train that sjust come in over there.See it? It s due to leave at seven past.Change atBrussels. Yes please, a single ticket to Berlin, said Deborah, almost in a voiceof entreaty, and her left eyelid flickered uncontrollably as if she werewinking at the clerk behind the grating in the brightly lit, square littlebooking office.Thank heavens, the train had started and she was in it, with hersuitcase upon her trembling knees, and with her buoyant head turnedtowards the window, through which she could see the flaming sun as it254 ESTHER SINGER KREITMANburst through the trees and enveloped the treetops, touched the pondsand the meadows with crimson fire, gilded the hillocks, the churchspires, the peasant huts, the bogs, the fallen leaves.Her spirits began torise; the gloom that had weighed so heavily on her heart was dispelled,and life became like a song.The train pulled up.Deborah was jerked forward.She got out ontothe platform with all the other passengers.At a tiny canteen she boughtherself a cup of coffee, two cakes and a small bag of acid drops.Howdelicious! What lovely cakes! And the flavor of the coffee surpassedanything she had ever tasted before.Once more she was ensconced in a corner seat by the window.Thiswas her favorite seat, the same as she had had on the outward journeya year ago.Only now everything was different.She was not travellingto Berlin to get married now oh, no! and she was so happy, so ter-ribly happy.It was a boundless happiness such as she had never knownbefore.Ah, the train was beginning to move.And all the newsboys andcigarette-vendors were hurriedly jumping off onto the platform.Thetrain was crowded to suffocation, but surely no one was as happy asherself.She, and she alone, was possessed of that wild spirit of abandonthat lifted her high above mortal cares and mortal responsibilities, shealone was experiencing that frenzy of joyous escape, which made heroblivious of the past and even of the future.It gave her strength andcourage [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]