How had she known? Mrs. Wladek had made no sound in walking to the desk. Yet the girl had known someone was there, and who that someone was, before her head had been raised. Truly, the girl was frightening.
Mrs. Wladek eased herself, feeling her bones creak, into a chair at the side of the desk. She said nothing.
"How are things going?" the girl said in her pleasant smooth voice.
"I am fine," Mrs. Wladek said deliberately. She did not inquire about the girl's health. That would show her; that impoliteness would show her what an old woman thought of her!
"That's good," the girl said. "That's very good. And how is Rudi?"
"Rudi is my son," Mrs. Wladek said.
"I know that," the girl said, and smiled. "We met last week, don't you remember?"
"I remember you," Mrs. Wladek said. Then, grudgingly, she added: "Rudi is the same. He is fine."
"That's fine," the girl said. "And has he found a job yet?"
Here it was necessary to lie, Mrs. Wladek knew. One could not say that Rudi did not look for work. One had to say: "Work is difficult to find. He tries, but there is no job."