with a girl . . . one I knew in the old days. . . . Find out what's become of her, will you?"
"What's her name and where does she hang out?"
He reflected:
"Her name . . . her name's Pauline."
"And where does she live?"
"In . . .in the Frederikstraat."
Van der Welcke made enquiries, but said nothing, next time he came. The sick man remembered, however:
"I say, Van der Welcke."
"Yes, Gerrit?"
"Did you ask about that for me?"
"Yes," Van der Welcke answered, hesitatingly.
"Well?"
"The girl's dead, old chap."
"Did she drown herself?"
"Yes."
"They took the body to the cemetery?"
"Yes."
"Oh, then I wasn't dreaming! You see for yourself. . . . And your wife came and fetched me there. . . ."
"No, no."
"Yes, she did."
"No, no, old chap."
The sick man reflected:
"I no longer know," he said, "what I've lived
