Suddenly he was awakened from his dreams by the stench of his burnt cottage; he looked up, and everything he saw became abominable to him. The frozen river, into which his child would never gaze again; the empty, hideous homestead; he longed to escape from it all and go far away and forget Stasiek and Maciek and the whole accursed gospodarstwo. He could buy land more cheaply elsewhere with the money he would get from the Germans. What was the good of the land if it was ruining the people on it?
He went into the stable and lay down near his wife, who was moaning deliriously, and soon fell asleep.
At noon old Hamer appeared, accompanied by a German woman who carried two bowls of hot soup. He stood over Slimak and poked him with his stick.
'Hey, get up!'
Slimak roused himself and looked about heavily; seeing the hot food he ate greedily. Hamer sat down in the doorway, smoking his pipe and watching Slimak; he nodded contentedly to himself.
'I've been down to the village to ask Gryb and the other gospodarze to come and help you, for that is a Christian duty….'
He waited for the peasant's thanks, but Slimak went on eating and did not look at him.
'I told them they ought to take you in; but they said, God was punishing you for the death of the labourer and the child and they didn't wish to interfere. They are no Christians.'
Slimak had finished eating, but he remained silent.
'Well, what are you going to do?'