Page:The Jail, Experiences in 1916.pdf/164

 and could or might choose only a single book as my companion, that it would be Shakespeare. Well, he shall follow me here.

Warder Sponner conﬁded a secret to me; that day a new fellow-countryman was to come into our cell, a doctor, he said, and a bank manager—

Name?

He did not know. A short name, something like—

Dr. Preiss?

Yes, yes.

Then he was there too. I was glad that he was coming to us. I reflected that the superintendent would have to provide one more bed. And I would initiate our dear manager into the prevailing usages, as Dušek had previously done for me. Papa Declich would have one boarder more. So I waited—

Meanwhile, towards noon Papa Declich mounted on to the straw mattresses, his observation post, and called me.

In the large courtyard, he said, two strange people were exercising. Lo and behold,—Dr. Preiss. And the second one the censorists recognized as their Professor Braun, who had been put there for the same business as they were. They were walking together, with their overcoats thrown across their shoulders, and had obviously become acquainted. I beckoned to Preiss,—he smiled.

I jumped down and lay in wait by the door for Sponner's footstep. What was the matter? Dr. Preiss was there, but where had they put him?

At the last moment, it appeared, orders had been given to put him into the tower.

I was summoned to the Tigergasse. Two defence-corps men again went with me, I felt how in the air and sunshine my head was turning and reeling, as it were, and how my step was uncertain.