"What is it?" he said at last quietly enough. "Are you keeping something from me? I would rather have it from you than from anyone else."
"Poor old man!" Walter could not hold back a groan as his eye travelled to the paper on the floor.
Bauer saw his glance. "What is it? Read it for me."
Walter put his hands over his face and muttered.
"Oh, I can't, Felix, it's too cruel."
"Nothing's too cruel if you're used to it." He started to get up from the couch, but Walter prevented him.
"Lie down there. I'll read it to you if I must, simply because someone will have to do it sometime. But I would rather be hanged than do it."
He hardly ventured to look at Bauer when he had finished the newspaper account. When he did look at him, he saw him sitting up on the couch, his hands clasped over his knees, a slight increase of colour on his face but no mark of any unusual anger or feeling.
"How could he do it! How could he!" Bauer whispered to himself, looking off into the distance as if Walter were not present. His whole attitude affected Walter more deeply than if he had given way to a violent passion.
"It's an outrage! There ought to be some way to get the money. You could have him arrested when he———"