Bertrand, who found himself in a position to extend his industrial commitments in Bohemia, suddenly remembered Ruzena in Prague, felt a sort of homesickness for her, and wished he could say something kind to comfort her. And as he did not know her address he wrote to Pasenow, saying that in grateful recollection of their last meeting he hoped to meet him again when he stopped at Berlin on his way back to Hamburg, and added his kindest regards to Ruzena, praising up her beautiful country. Then he took a stroll through the town.
After the evening when Bertrand and Ruzena had met, Pasenow had expected something unexpected and solemn, something perhaps even dreadful, to happen; for example that Bertrand might repay in the same coin the privilege and confidence into which he had been admittedthat evening, though an abduction of Ruzena also did not lie beyond the sphere of possibility; for business men were conscienceless. But when neither the one thing nor the other happened, and Bertrand simply departed according to programme, not even sending a line, Joachim actually felt hurt. Then quite unexpectedly came the letter from Prague; he showed it to Ruzena and said hesitatingly: “You seem to have made an impression on Bertrand.” Ruzena made a grimace: “Not care. Not like your friend; he’s ugly man.” Joachim defended Bertrand, saying that he wasn’t ugly. “Not know: not like him: says such things,” Ruzena decided, “mustn’t come again.” Joachim was very well pleased by her words, though he felt urgently in need of Bertrand’s help, especially when she added: “To-morrow I go to dramatic school.” He knew that she would not go unless he conducted her, for of course she couldn’t very well, but how could he conduct her there? How did one set about such a thing? Ruzena was quite resolved to “work,” and the planning of an occupation for her provided a new subject of conversation with the unusual charm of seriousness, although Joachim felt quite helpless in front of all the questions it threw up. Perhaps he felt that an ordinary vocation would rob her of the exotic grace with which she hovered between two worlds, and cast her back into her native barbarism; and it was indeed for this reason that his imagination stopped at the idea of a part as an actress, an idea with which Ruzena concurred enthusiastically: “You see how famous will I be! You love me then.” But the prospect was a distant one, and nothing happened. Bertrand had once spoken of the vegetative indolence in which most people lived; probably it was much the same as that inertia of feeling he had talked about. Yes, if Bertrand were only here: with his knowledge of the world and his practical experience, perhaps he might be of some help. And so when Bertrand reached Berlin he found an urgent invitation from Pasenow awaiting him in reply to his friendly note.
It could be managed, Bertrand said, to the great astonishment of both of them, it could be managed, though they mustn’t imagine that the stage provided either an easy career or one with a particularly brilliant future. Of course he had better connections in Hamburg, but he would be glad to do what he could here. And then things developed far more quickly than they had hoped for; in a few days Ruzena was summoned to a voice test which she stood not too badly, and shortly after that she was engaged as a chorus girl. Joachim’s suspicion that his friend’s suddenreadiness to oblige sprang from his designs on Ruzena could not hold out against Bertrand’s benevolently indifferent, one might almost say clinical, attitude. It would all have been much clearer if Bertrand had made his efforts on Ruzena’s behalf a pretext for openly declaring his love for her. In his heart Joachim was now seriously offended with Bertrand, who had indeed spent three evenings in his and Ruzena’s company talking in his usual irrepressible way, but had showed nothing except the old friendly reserve of which Joachim
After the evening when Bertrand and Ruzena had met, Pasenow had expected something unexpected and solemn, something perhaps even dreadful, to happen; for example that Bertrand might repay in the same coin the privilege and confidence into which he had been admittedthat evening, though an abduction of Ruzena also did not lie beyond the sphere of possibility; for business men were conscienceless. But when neither the one thing nor the other happened, and Bertrand simply departed according to programme, not even sending a line, Joachim actually felt hurt. Then quite unexpectedly came the letter from Prague; he showed it to Ruzena and said hesitatingly: “You seem to have made an impression on Bertrand.” Ruzena made a grimace: “Not care. Not like your friend; he’s ugly man.” Joachim defended Bertrand, saying that he wasn’t ugly. “Not know: not like him: says such things,” Ruzena decided, “mustn’t come again.” Joachim was very well pleased by her words, though he felt urgently in need of Bertrand’s help, especially when she added: “To-morrow I go to dramatic school.” He knew that she would not go unless he conducted her, for of course she couldn’t very well, but how could he conduct her there? How did one set about such a thing? Ruzena was quite resolved to “work,” and the planning of an occupation for her provided a new subject of conversation with the unusual charm of seriousness, although Joachim felt quite helpless in front of all the questions it threw up. Perhaps he felt that an ordinary vocation would rob her of the exotic grace with which she hovered between two worlds, and cast her back into her native barbarism; and it was indeed for this reason that his imagination stopped at the idea of a part as an actress, an idea with which Ruzena concurred enthusiastically: “You see how famous will I be! You love me then.” But the prospect was a distant one, and nothing happened. Bertrand had once spoken of the vegetative indolence in which most people lived; probably it was much the same as that inertia of feeling he had talked about. Yes, if Bertrand were only here: with his knowledge of the world and his practical experience, perhaps he might be of some help. And so when Bertrand reached Berlin he found an urgent invitation from Pasenow awaiting him in reply to his friendly note.
It could be managed, Bertrand said, to the great astonishment of both of them, it could be managed, though they mustn’t imagine that the stage provided either an easy career or one with a particularly brilliant future. Of course he had better connections in Hamburg, but he would be glad to do what he could here. And then things developed far more quickly than they had hoped for; in a few days Ruzena was summoned to a voice test which she stood not too badly, and shortly after that she was engaged as a chorus girl. Joachim’s suspicion that his friend’s suddenreadiness to oblige sprang from his designs on Ruzena could not hold out against Bertrand’s benevolently indifferent, one might almost say clinical, attitude. It would all have been much clearer if Bertrand had made his efforts on Ruzena’s behalf a pretext for openly declaring his love for her. In his heart Joachim was now seriously offended with Bertrand, who had indeed spent three evenings in his and Ruzena’s company talking in his usual irrepressible way, but had showed nothing except the old friendly reserve of which Joachim
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