“Where is my wife?” he asked.
Philippina’s face betrayed an abysmally mean smile, but she never said a word.
“Where is my wife?” he asked a second time, after a pause.
Philippina’s smile became brighter. “Is it cold out?” she asked, and in a moment she had left the room. Daniel stared at her as if he feared she had lost her mind. In a few minutes she came back. In the meantime she had put on a cloak that was much too short for her, and beneath which the loud, freakish skirt of her checkered dress could be seen.
“Daniel, come along with me,” she said in an anxious voice. To Daniel her voice sounded mysterious and fearful. “Come along with me, Daniel! I want to show you something.”
He turned pale, put on his hat, and followed her. They crossed the square in silence, went through Binder Street, Town Hall Street, and across the Market. Daniel stopped. “What are you up to?” he asked with a hoarse voice.
“Come along! You’ll see,” whispered Philippina.
They walked on, crossed the Meat Bridge, went through Kaiser Street and the White Tower to St. James’s Place. Some people looked at the odd couple in amazement. When they reached Frau Hadebusch’s little house, it was dark. “Listen, Philippina, are you ever going to talk?” said Daniel, gritting his teeth.
“Psh!” Philippina knew what she was doing. She put her mouth to Daniel’s ear, and whispered: “Go up two flights, quick, you know the house, bang on the door, and if it’s locked, bust it in. In the meantime I’ll go to Frau Hadebusch so that she can’t interfere.”
Then Daniel understood.