"Yes, I do." "But what he told me! Please realize that it was equivalent to ... it was as if some one should remove the floor from under you this minute, and you and all here on the desk, the papers, the ink ... the ink would splash out and cover everything with blots...." "What else? What further? Hurry up, others are waiting!" Then stumbling, muttering, I told him everything that is recorded in these pages.... About my real self, and about my hairy self, and about my hands ... yes ... exactly that was the beginning. And how I would not do my duty then, and how I lied to myself, and how she obtained false certificates for me, and how I grew worse and worse, every day, and about the long corridors underground, and there beyond the Wall.... All this I threw out in formless pieces and lumps. I would stutter and fail to find words. The lips double-curved in a smile would prompt me with the word I needed and I would nod gratefully: "Yes, yes!".... Suddenly, what was it? He was talking for me and I only listened and nodded: "Yes, yes," and then, "Yes, exactly so, ... yes, yes...." I felt cold around my mouth as though it were wet with ether, and I asked with difficulty: "But how is it.... You could not learn anywhere...." He smiled a smile growing more and more curved; then: "But I see that you do want to conceal from me something. For example, you enumerated everything you saw beyond the Wall but you failed to mention one thing. You deny it? But don't you remember that once, just in passing, just for a second you saw me there? Yes, yes _me_!" Silence. Suddenly, like a flash of lightning, it became shamelessly clear to me: he--he too--. And all myself, my torment, all that I brought here, crushed by the burden, plucking up my last strength as if performing a great feat, all appeared to me only funny,--like the ancient anecdote about Abraham and Isaac; Abraham all in a cold sweat, with the knife already raised over his son, over himself--and suddenly a voice from above: "Never mind.... I was only joking." Without taking my eyes from the smile which grew more and more curved, I put my hands on the edge of the desk and slowly, very slowly pushed myself with my chair away from him. Then instantly gathering myself into my own hands, I dashed madly out, past loud voices, past steps and mouths.... I do not remember how I got into one of the public rest-rooms at a station of the Underground Railway. Above, everything was perishing; the greatest civilization, the most rational in human history was crumbling,--but here, by some irony everything remained as before, beautiful. The walls shone; water murmured cosily and like the water,--the unseen, transparent music.... Only think of it! All this is doomed; all this will be covered with grass, some day; only myths will remain....