"Dr. März arrested?" whispered the lawyer anxiously, looking up at Petroff in open-mouthed astonishment.
Michael Petroff laughed.
"Arrested? No, of course not. I go on to explain in the article that Dr. März is going to be arrested, and that the only way for him to escape arrest is to give Michael Petroff his discharge immediately."
The lawyer nodded. "I see," said he, smiling because he saw Petroff looking so cheerful. And yet he was not thinking anything about Petroff's article, but only that he must give the birds their water. He grew restless and started to rise.
"Just a moment, please!" said Michael Petroff eagerly. "Yes, it is really an excellent idea," he continued rapidly, while his cheeks flushed with joy. "In my article I emphasize the fact that Dr. März is an honorable man and a highly prized and respected physician, so that his conduct in this particular case causes widespread astonishment. I should like to ask you, my friend, what he will do when he reads this article? Ha, ha, ha! They will find out something, my dear fellow. I am not going to be unkind to him, not in the least. Well, in fact, in fact, I shall say, my dear Doctor, ha, ha! But just look at this too, in the Non-Partisan. Only look at this title, will you please!"
"Which one—?"
"Why, this one!"
"An interrogation point?"
"Yes! Ha, ha—Simply an interrogation point! And beneath that: Where is Michael Petroff? An appeal to the public! But look at this, in the little Feuilleton: Michael Petroff, a Captain in the Russian army, has just completed his six-volume work on Shooting Stars. All the scientific journals are praising the clearness and acumen of this epoch-making work. Ha, ha, ha, didn't I tell you that there was news, my friend?"
The lawyer crouched in the sofa corner and made such an effort to think, that he held his breath.