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German Gothic Board
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Zitat:
The remarks grew ever more debased and treacherous, so that Mr. Charles - or at least so he claimed - was obliged to intervene with the suggestion that such talk was bad form. This view was contradicted with such energy that Mr. Charles, quite aside from worrying that he would become the next focus of the gentlemen's attention, actually thought himself in danger of physical assault. But then suddenly, following a particularly heinous insinuation against his employer, my father brought the car to an abrupt halt. It was what happened next that had made such an indelible impression upon Mr. Charles.
The rear door of the car openend and my father was observed to be standing there, a few steps back from the vehicle, gazing steadily into the interior. As Mr. Charles described it, all three passengers seemed to be overcome as one by the realization of what an imposing physical force my father was. Indeed, he was a man of some six feet three inches, and his countenance, though reassuring while one knew he was intent on obliging, could seem extremely forbidding viewed in certain other contexts. According to Mr. Charles, my father did not display any obvious anger. He had, it seemed, merely opened the door. And yet there was something so powerfully rebuking, and at the same time something so unassailable about his figure looming over them that Mr. Charles's two drunken companions seemed to cower back like small boys caught by the farmer in the act of stealing apples.
Zitat:
My father had proceeded to stand there for some moments, saying nothing, merely holding open the door. Eventually, either Mr Smith or Mr Jones had remarked: "Are we not going on with the journey?"
My father did not reply, but continued to stand there silently, neither demanding disembarkation nor offering any clue as to his desires or intentions. I can well imagine how he must have looked that day, framed by the doorway of the vehicle, his dark, severe presence quite blotting out the effect of the gentle Hertfordshire scenery behind him. Those were, Mr Charles recalls, strangely unnerving moments during which he too, despite not having participated in the preceding behaviour, felt engulfed with guilt. The silence seemed to go on interminably, before either Mr Smith or Mr Jones found it in him to mutter: "I suppose we were talking a little out of turn there. It won't happen again."
Zitat:
Und am nächsten Mittag trafen vier Postkarten ein: von jeder größeren Station eine – bis nach Stockholm. Auf der letzten stand folgendes:
„Liebe Toni!
Laß Dich auf keinen Fall auf die Polizei bestellen wegen der falschen Eintragung im Hotel - vom 15.! Bleibe eventuell fest und steif dabei, daß du meine Tochter wärst!
Lieber Freund, ehe ich heute abend fortfuhr, habe ich Dich noch einmal von der Seite angesehen und muß sagen, daß ich aufrichtig erschrocken war. Ich glaube, Dir fallen die Haare aus. Lieber Freund! Das ist mehr als ein Anzeichen – das ist ein Symptom!
Sucht nicht vergeblich nach dem zweiten Kanarienvogel – ich habe ihn für meine lieben Kinderchen mitgenommen. Wo ist der Esel?
Liebe Marie, sieh doch bitte sofort nach, wo mein Siegelring geblieben ist – er muß unter Deinem Kopfkissen liegen. Ich weiß es bestimmt.
Schade um meinen vertanenen Urlaub!