To our stupefaction he quickly replied,
“No, no, not him, the other.”
“What other? What do you mean?”
“The one who was there a little while ago,” he said, pointing in the direction of the consulting room.
Then we understood that there was a confusion of generations in his brain. He felt that he had lost his support, and very naturally our father had become his.
Much affected by his confusion of mind, I became more just to him. Together we had lost the empire of liberty.
The evening before my departure I went to my mothers room. I had expected to lend her courage for our parting, and behold I was weaker and more agitated than she.
“I shall come back,” I said positively, “and I shall try to follow him.”
We never spoke of him otherwise, among ourselves.
“Yes,” she replied, “your turn has come.”