so not too late

7/27/2019 so not too late

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On his left, at the window, two gentlemen were sitting opposite each other,carriage door and sat down on the last little free bit of a light-brown wooden seat. He

respectable businessman! Do you think I didn't love you, I, from whom you are

about eye level, and the many raindrops on the glass were white, often single onesstrutting through the world, finishing off deals that I had prepared for him, bursting

sprung?"the pupils, overlarge, fixedly looking at him from the corners of the eyes.

reason one mustn't miss it. But if there is no such sight to be seen, then there will be

and complain anywhere. Only just now Herr Pirkershofer -- if you please, that's theand since he found no guard, he climbed up the steps of the nearest coach by himself,

the fact that there was nothing he wanted to find out from me and that he himself still86

stirring, dripped slowly through a crack into the carriage.

slammed down on the counter the ticket he had been asked for and the change. Nowhimself for having been neglectful. It should have certainly been his duty to see that

porter who was walking nearby hurried him through a glass door onto the platform.

who could show me how his crops are doing or show me a quarry he is working there.tired, yes, I'll go all right. If a telegram came, they'd get a fright, into the bargain. --

had something else to do. But now all of a sudden he has gone away, and yet I can'tletter or books and are delighted by this news. Well, it is not difficult to protect oneself

Pagesays, that need not be a disadvantage at all. One will spend more time in the rooms

on the seat opposite. It was bright enough, the darkness outside made it appear as

but that was only natural, that can't have offended him, for he is a sensible person."bride-to-be what arrangements should be made for his father in the future, for they

only has to send the maid into the others' apartments, where they are sitting over ashouted at in a muffled voice, began to pull, and the water on top of the bus, now set

junior assistant clerk -- had come in and had said he thought a small fair man had

railings into the street, crossed it, leapt through the station entrance, after a whileshould certainly feel much better. If the scenery does turn out to be boring, as Lement

impossible for him to take a look outside then, still, he did not mean to abuse anyoneeveryone!"

was no need to think that there were wheels under the floor and in front the horse

sure! I am still much the stronger of us two. All by myself I might have had to give way,And what for, where would we go, anyway?"

saw many people's backs, and the backs of their heads, and between them theeasy as I imagine it now when I am still alone and can still do everything, can still go

one. If a stick or the metal-covered corner of a suitcase stuck out, then the ownerBut then, later, you got on with him very well. I was proud because you listened to himdoorpost with his right hand, the left hand held open, close to his mouth.

The rain gushed down the back of his neck, inside his collar.room. I could quite well understand your dislike of him, my friend has his peculiarities.

"That's quite easy, send a telegram."

meant to lavish there on his father might come too late.Meanwhile Georg had succeeded in lowering his father down again and

84passengers would change places, discussing these changes with each other, or they

found the booking office, and had to knock for a while on the iron shutter. Then the

with triumphant glee, and stalking away from his father with the closed face of abalcony who cut a broad cross in blood on the palm of his hand and held the hand up

you."


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he at once come and asked?

expression! What other comfort was left to a poor old widower? Tell me -- and whilethe reflection of his stable lantern jumping through the puddles at his feet. Irritably he

pipes and cigars, in one place drifting limply past the face of a girl. Often the

Wrapped in the canvas of two sacks that had been cut up, the driver came over,"Yes, that could be done -- but it wouldn't be very nice if I didn't go -- and I'm

bethought himself and pushed his suitcase under his seat.would have his attention drawn to this. He would go over and straighten it. Raban also

against such invitations. And yet I don't know whether I shall be able to, for it is not so

and nodded and asked him questions. If you think back you're bound to remember. Heno discussion beforehand either, for all will be expected to get together quite easily if

These words went hissing through his mind."Yes, of course I've been playing a comedy! A comedy! That's a good

Georg knelt down at once beside his father, in the old man's weary face he saw

His father leaned forward but did not topple. Since Georg did not come anyand really never know for certain where all the others are, for if there is a ruin in the

used to tell us the most incredible stories of the Russian Revolution. For instance,

had been cleared up, I were to arrive in this station again on my way back, then Italking about the price of goods. "They're commercial travelers," Raban thought and,

room, plagued by a disloyal staff, old to the marrow of my bones? And my sondistrict, there will probably be a walk all together to that ruin; it will have been agreed

The lantern was attached to the end of the shaft; the horse, having beenthere was anyone in the bus he might say so. "Yes, yes, and he would like to start now,

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"But your friend hasn't been betrayed after all!" cried his father, emphasizingNow he'll lean forward, thought Georg, what if he topples and smashes himself!

go with you today, as I'm sleepy, I forgot to tell you that. And now I shall say goodbye,been wanting to go by the omnibus. Well, so he had at once come and asked, or hadn't

have offended him even with a single word. I did refuse to spend the evening in town,

For one isn't at all sure even of acquaintances of long standing. Wasn't Lement nice toand appealed to the mob. You've told that story yourself once or twice since."

though the omnibus had black distempered walls and no glass in the windows. There"Stay where you are, I don't need you! You think you have strength enough to

have here, and he would be getting there soon enough anyway, so that he need not go

From a little distance Lement then called back: "I say, Eduard, can you hearnearer, as he had expected, he straightened himself again.

back if I want to, for I shall have no one there whom I could pay calls on whenever Ileast twice I kept you from seeing him, although he was actually sitting with me in my

suddenly, against all the usual practice, a larger expedition is considered right, for onecan't believe it."own future establishment. It almost looked, on closer inspection, as if the care he

any rate seem to me that the whole enterprise had begun, and if later, after the mistakehad both of them silently taken it for granted that the old man would go on living

done and, his eyes starting in his head, bit his tongue back, only too late, till the pain

will appear to me. He came up and spoke to me and then walked with me, in spite of93

Raban tried to count his change quickly, thinking he ought to be getting more, but ahis father had clean changes of underwear. He had not yet explicitly discussed with his

haven't even shrunk from pulling my leg. How could you have a friend out there! I

no half-measures, and it was hard to see what business a gentleman like this couldbegan an explanation: listen here, he said, he had been playing cards with Lebeda and

who did not understand that. Apart from that, this place here was a filthy dump, and


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the point with stabs of his forefinger. "I've been representing him here on the spot."

connection with your friend and I have your customers here in my pocket!""Adieu." Raban said.

between the shafts. Raban rubbed his feet thoroughly on the seat, pulled on clean

"Then it's really better for you to go. I was only thinking. . . Anyway I couldn't"Georg," said his father in a low voice, without moving.

would move. Raban could hear the noise from the platform even when he had shut thesocks. The not particularly clean appearance of his underwear made him reproach

The station clock struck, it was a quarter to six. Raban stopped because he had

108amount of light from the main hall of the station, in which it was standing; in front of

booking clerk looked out, said it was really high time, took the bank note, andwith the other. The coach that he entered was brightly illuminated by the great

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The road was perhaps hilly; there was surely mud flying up into the spokes;Page

There Raban looked around, while calling out "Thank you, thank you!" to the porter,

would transfer their luggage, which lay in a narrow blue net over a seat, to anothera short thread through the eye of a needle.

me? Do shut your umbrella; it stopped raining ages ago. I didn't have a chance to tellpalpitations, then he walked quickly along the park pool, went along a narrow, badly

fans of puddle water formed, with a rushing sound, behind the turning wheels; it waslighted path between large shrubs, rushed into an open place with many empty

"You have no friend in St. Petersburg. You've always been a leg-puller and you

each time putting the suitcase on the step above and then following himself,you're answering me be you still my living son -- what else was left to me, in my back

upturned faces of people on the seat opposite. In some places smoke was curling fromcome over here and that you're only hanging back of your own accord. Don't be too

"Just think back a bit, Father," said Georg, lifting his father from the chair and

for the most part with loose reins that the driver guided the dripping horse. -- Couldfor a moment Raban was walking against Lement's outstretched arm.

many a windowpane -- all were shut right up to the top -- a hissing arc lamp hung atwhen he was on a business trip to Kiev and ran into a riot, and saw a priest on a

upon some time before. Then, however, one must look forward to it; for that very

like, and no one with whom I could make more strenuous expeditions, no one theretoo," Raban answered, leaning out of the door, which he had opened, holding on to the

Raban did not answer, shut his umbrella, and the sky closed over him in pallidpeople you know fairly well. Addio. Well, a good journey, and remember me to

for I don't want to go through the wet park with you, as I should like to drop in atbut your mother has given me so much of her strength that I've established a finemy friend came to see us last. I remember that you used not to like him very much. At

Lement turned to the right and held out his right hand to say goodbye, so thatalone in the old house. But now he made a quick, firm decision to take him into his

"If at least," Raban thought, "I were to get into a wrong train. Then it would at

they had just been getting on fine when the train came. It would really have beenbenches leaning against little trees, then went more slowly through an opening in the

darkness."He has pockets even in his shirt!" said Georg to himself, and believed that with

socks, and sat up straight. Then he heard someone from the station shouting: "Hi!" if

made his knees give.me today? -- he explained some things to me, didn't he, and described everything as it

Gillemann's, after all. It's a quarter to six, so not too late, after all, for paying calls on


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"You comedian!" Georg could not resist the retort, realized at once the harm

supporting himself on his umbrella with one hand, and on the handle of the suitcasecarefully taking off the woolen drawers he wore over his linen underpants and his

slipping off his dressing gown as he stood feebly enough, "it'll soon be three years since

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so not too late

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