The World's Illusion, Volume 1 (of 2): EvaWassermann, Jakob
General
The World's Illusion, Volume 1 (of 2): Eva
Wassermann, Jakob
German fiction -- Translations into English
Again Amadeus Voss read in the Scripture: “What mean ye that ye beat
my people to pieces, and grind the faces of the poor? Because the
daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with stretched forth necks and
wanton eyes, walking and mincing as they go, and making a tinkling
with their feet: Therefore the Lord will strike with a scab the crown
of the head of the daughters of Zion, and the Lord will discover their
secret parts. In that day will the Lord take away the bravery of their
tinkling ornaments about their feet, and their cauls, and their round
tires like the moon, the chains, and the bracelets, and the mufflers,
the bonnets, and the ornaments of the legs, and the headbands, and the
tablets, and the earrings, the rings, and nose jewels, the changeable
suits of apparel, and the mantles, and the wimples, and the crisping
pins, the glasses, and the fine linen, and the hoods and the veils.
And it shall come to pass, that instead of sweet smell there shall be
stink; and instead of a girdle a rent; and instead of well set hair
baldness; and instead of a stomacher a girding of sack-cloth; and
burning instead of beauty. Thy men shall fall by the sword, and thy
mighty in the war. And her gates shall lament and mourn; and she being
desolate shall sit upon the ground.”
On the same evening he left for Berlin.
XI
Lorm and Judith had a magnificent apartment near the Tiergarten in
Berlin.
Edgar Lorm flourished. Order and regularity ruled his life. With
childlike boastfulness he spoke of his home. His manager and friend,
Dr. Emanuel Herbst, congratulated him on his visible rejuvenation.
He introduced to Judith the people whom he had long valued; but she
judged most of them sharply and without sympathy. Her characteristic
arrogance drove away many who meant well. But under the sway of his new
comforts Lorm submitted to her opinions.
But he would not give up Emanuel Herbst. When Judith mocked at his
waddling gait, his homeliness, his piping voice, his tactless jokes,
Lorm grew serious. “I’ve known him for over twenty years. The things
that annoy you endear him to me quite as much as those precious
qualities in him which I know well, and which you’ve had no chance to
discover.”
“No doubt he’s a monster of virtue,” Judith replied, “but he bores me
to extinction.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account