After some time he began to wonder at the total silence in the house,
or, rather, the silence which was carefully provided for in the
conservatory impressed itself upon him for the first time. It was
strange, he thought, that no one came to put out the lamps. He thought
of looking out into the vestibule beyond, to see whether the lights were
still burning there. To his great surprise he found the door securely
fastened. Keyork Arabian had undoubtedly locked him in, and to all
intents and purposes he was a prisoner. He suspected some treachery,
but in this he was mistaken. Keyork’s sole intention had been to insure
himself from being disturbed in the course of the night by a second
visit from the Wanderer, accompanied perhaps by Kafka. It immediately
occurred to the Wanderer that he could ring the bell. But disliking the
idea of entering into an explanation, he reserved that for an emergency.
Had he attempted it he would have been still further surprised to find
that it would have produced no result. In going through the vestibule
Keyork had used Kafka’s sharp knife to cut one of the slender
silk-covered copper wires which passed out of the conservatory on
that side, communicating with the servants’ quarters. He was perfectly
acquainted with all such details of the household arrangement.
Keyork’s precautions were in reality useless and they merely illustrate
the ruthlessly selfish character of the man. The Wanderer would in all
probability neither have attempted to leave the house with Kafka that
night, nor to communicate with the servants, even if he had been left
free to do either, and if no one had disturbed him in his watch. He was
disturbed, however, and very unexpectedly, between half-past one and a
quarter to two in the morning.
More than once he had remained seated for a long time, but his eyes
were growing heavy and he roused himself and walked again until he
was thoroughly awake. It was certainly true that of all the persons
concerned in the events of the day, except Keyork, he had undergone the
least bodily fatigue and mental excitement. But even to the strongest,
the hours of the night spent in watching by a sick person seem endless
when there is no really strong personal anxiety felt. He was undoubtedly
interested in Kafka’s fate, and was resolved to protect him as well as
to hinder him from committing any act of folly. But he had only met him
for the first time that very afternoon, and under circumstances which
had not in the first instance suggested even the possibility of a
friendship between the two. His position towards Israel Kafka was
altogether unexpected, and what he felt was no more than pity for his
sufferings and indignation against those who had caused them.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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