unlocked the gate.
“I’ve shut her in there and unplugged the phone, but we’ll have to hurry.”
Even with the two of them supporting her, one on each side, Catharina was terribly slow. After they had gone a little way, Milos stopped, took her glasses off her, draped her around his shoulders like a scarf, and set off again, striding vigorously. They started over the bridge under the indifferent gaze of the four stone horse-men.
“Watch out!” breathed Helen. “There’s a boat going under the bridge.”
“What’s it doing here in the middle of the night?” Milos wondered, and he moved a little way back from the parapet to escape the eyes of the oarsman, who seemed to be watching him.
They went up Donkey Road as fast as they could. The street was dark and silent. Soon they reached the place where they had met for the first time a week earlier.
“Do you remember?” Helen ventured to ask.Their situation didn’t prevent her from feeling romantic.
“Could I forget it?” replied Milos breathlessly.
Still on his back, Catharina was muttering disjointedly.
“What’s she saying?” Helen asked.
“She’s delirious. She’s talking about matches, a piano, spiders, I think. Do you know who her consoler is? And where she lives?”
“Yes, her name’s Emily. I think I can find the house. Can you make it to the top of the hill?”
“I can make it.”
Once they reached the fountain, they went around it and on up the road, which now ran straight ahead of them.
“This is it,” said Helen, stopping outside a brick house with blue shutters. She knocked on the door three times. “Open the door! Please open the door!” she called. “We have Catharina here!”
“Just coming,” a faint voice replied from the second floor.
They waited. Milos, dripping with sweat and still out of breath, stood the sick girl on her feet, put her glasses back on her, and held her upright, close to him. He could feel her burning in his arms. At last the door was opened by a woman in her dressing gown. She was so tiny and delicate that you couldn’t help thinking of a mouse. Her eyebrows shot up, revealing large eyes full of surprise and concern. She clasped her hands in front of herbreast. “Catharina, my poor child! What have they done to you?”
“She’s been in the detention cell,” Helen replied.
“Oh, Holy Virgin Mary! Come in, quick, come in!”
Milos carried Catharina to the bedroom and laid her down in the warm bed that the little mouse had just left.
“I’ll give her something to bring her temperature down. My God, how can people be such savages? How they can do it I don’t know! Do you know?”
Milos and Helen had no answer. The little woman was bustling eagerly about Catharina. She washed her face and hands, caressed her, breathed softly on her forehead, murmured comforting words. A few minutes later, Catharina was fast asleep. Her consoler sat with her for a little longer and then came downstairs to sit at the kitchen table, where the two young people were talking in low voices.
“Can you keep her here, Emily?” asked Helen.
“You know my name?” said the consoler, surprised.
“Yes, Catharina’s often talked to me about you.”
“She’s a good girl. I’ll keep her here until she’s better. I’ll hide her; don’t worry. But what about you two? You have to be back before dawn, don’t you?”
“We ought to be back by dawn, yes,” said Helen gloomily.
In the silence that followed, they thought they heard sounds out in the street, and a man’s muted voice giving orders.
“Put the light out! Quick!” Milos ordered.
Emily ran for the switch at once and turned the light off. They waited, keeping absolutely still, and then cautiously ventured over to the window. Gray shadows hovered like ghosts in the twilight. They were slowly moving away. One of them, lagging behind the others and passing close to the window, showed his long profile: a dog’s muzzle.
“The Devils!” whispered
“I’ve shut her in there and unplugged the phone, but we’ll have to hurry.”
Even with the two of them supporting her, one on each side, Catharina was terribly slow. After they had gone a little way, Milos stopped, took her glasses off her, draped her around his shoulders like a scarf, and set off again, striding vigorously. They started over the bridge under the indifferent gaze of the four stone horse-men.
“Watch out!” breathed Helen. “There’s a boat going under the bridge.”
“What’s it doing here in the middle of the night?” Milos wondered, and he moved a little way back from the parapet to escape the eyes of the oarsman, who seemed to be watching him.
They went up Donkey Road as fast as they could. The street was dark and silent. Soon they reached the place where they had met for the first time a week earlier.
“Do you remember?” Helen ventured to ask.Their situation didn’t prevent her from feeling romantic.
“Could I forget it?” replied Milos breathlessly.
Still on his back, Catharina was muttering disjointedly.
“What’s she saying?” Helen asked.
“She’s delirious. She’s talking about matches, a piano, spiders, I think. Do you know who her consoler is? And where she lives?”
“Yes, her name’s Emily. I think I can find the house. Can you make it to the top of the hill?”
“I can make it.”
Once they reached the fountain, they went around it and on up the road, which now ran straight ahead of them.
“This is it,” said Helen, stopping outside a brick house with blue shutters. She knocked on the door three times. “Open the door! Please open the door!” she called. “We have Catharina here!”
“Just coming,” a faint voice replied from the second floor.
They waited. Milos, dripping with sweat and still out of breath, stood the sick girl on her feet, put her glasses back on her, and held her upright, close to him. He could feel her burning in his arms. At last the door was opened by a woman in her dressing gown. She was so tiny and delicate that you couldn’t help thinking of a mouse. Her eyebrows shot up, revealing large eyes full of surprise and concern. She clasped her hands in front of herbreast. “Catharina, my poor child! What have they done to you?”
“She’s been in the detention cell,” Helen replied.
“Oh, Holy Virgin Mary! Come in, quick, come in!”
Milos carried Catharina to the bedroom and laid her down in the warm bed that the little mouse had just left.
“I’ll give her something to bring her temperature down. My God, how can people be such savages? How they can do it I don’t know! Do you know?”
Milos and Helen had no answer. The little woman was bustling eagerly about Catharina. She washed her face and hands, caressed her, breathed softly on her forehead, murmured comforting words. A few minutes later, Catharina was fast asleep. Her consoler sat with her for a little longer and then came downstairs to sit at the kitchen table, where the two young people were talking in low voices.
“Can you keep her here, Emily?” asked Helen.
“You know my name?” said the consoler, surprised.
“Yes, Catharina’s often talked to me about you.”
“She’s a good girl. I’ll keep her here until she’s better. I’ll hide her; don’t worry. But what about you two? You have to be back before dawn, don’t you?”
“We ought to be back by dawn, yes,” said Helen gloomily.
In the silence that followed, they thought they heard sounds out in the street, and a man’s muted voice giving orders.
“Put the light out! Quick!” Milos ordered.
Emily ran for the switch at once and turned the light off. They waited, keeping absolutely still, and then cautiously ventured over to the window. Gray shadows hovered like ghosts in the twilight. They were slowly moving away. One of them, lagging behind the others and passing close to the window, showed his long profile: a dog’s muzzle.
“The Devils!” whispered
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