METROPOLIS servants, who seemed to be born mutes, and who never raised their eyes. Although the room in which we were all gathered was as large as the nave of a church, an unbearable heat prevailed, as though the Hoor were glowing hot, as though the walls, were glowing hot, and all this in spite of the fact that, as one could see, the wide door leading to the street stood open. "Suddenly one of the servants came up from the door to our host, with soundless step, and seemed wordlessly, with his silent presence, to give him some infonnation. Our host inquired: "Are we all met?' The servant inclined his head. "Then close the door.' It was done. The servants swept aside and lined themselves up. Our host stepped into the middle of the great room. At the same moment so perfect a silence prevailed that OIle heard the noise of the street roaring like breakers against the walls of the house. .. 'Ladies and gentlemen: said the old man courteously, ·may I have the honour of presenting my daughter to youl' "He bowed to all sides, and then he twned his back. Everyone waited. No one moved. " 'WeH, my daughter: said the old man, with a gentle, but somehow horrible voice, softly clapping his hands. "Then she"appeared on the stairs and came slowly down the room ... Jan gulped. His fingers, which still held Freder's wrist in their clutch, gripped tighter, as though they wished to crush the bones. "Why am I telling you this?" he stammered. "Can Olle describe lightning? Or music? Or the fragrance of a flower? All the women in the hall suddenly blushed violently and feverishly and all the men turned pale. Nobody seemed capable of making the least movement or of saying a single word.... You know Rainer? You know his young wife? You know how they loved each other? He was standing behind her. She was sitting, and he had laid his hands on her shoulders with a gesture of passionate and protective affection. As the girl walked by them-she walked, led by the hand of the old man, with gentle ringing step, slowly through the hall-Rainer's hands slipped from his wife's shoulders. She 133
