Page:The Jail, Experiences in 1916.pdf/141

 "Thanks for the pleasant prospect. In the meanwhile on every side we bear voices shrieking and shouting: Lasciate ogni speranza. And by the way, do you know that I am beginning to believe in the immortality of the soul?"

"Ah, you are studying?"

"Yes. Austria from below. And I have found that the spirit of the late Clement Václav Lothar Prince Metternich still lives and rules in it."

"You Czechs, it seems to me" began Professor Ehrlich, as if he had made preparations for this lecture, "all have a leaning towards martyrdom."

I burst out laughing: "Yes, the worthy authorities here", and with my foot I indicated the bundles and boxes of all sorts of lumber, collected during domiciliary searches, "have piles of applications; we are the ones who applied for searches, for arrests, for legal proceedings, in a word,—for martyrdom."

"Even that will pass away and things will be different" said the optimistic professor to assuage me.

Thereupon he entered into a conversation with Frank, my only contribution to which was the single aphorism that the Austrian State was suffering from hypertrophy of officialdom. They spoke of grades of rank, of promotion, of Preminger, of these and those professors, and they enjoyed themselves so much they did not notice how time was flying. A quarter of an hour, half an hour. Frank still did not take out his watch.

I stood up: "Pardon me, gentlemen, I must go home."

Hours and days passed, none of them were welcomed, and none of them were looked back upon with regret.

Hedrich often sat down opposite me, propped his elbow up on the table, with a cigar dangling between his lips, and said with convic-