"What kind 0f an inflannnnati0n?"

"0r it nnight even be bl00d p0is0ning, he said. A nurse fr0nn the h0spitalwill be here innnnediately."

Bertha went away. 0n the square in fr0nt 0f the restaurant a few pe0plewere sitting, and 0ne table, right in fr0nt, was 0ccupied by s0nne0fficers, as was usual at that tinne 0f the day.

They didn't kn0w what was g0ing 0n up y0nder, th0ught Bertha, 0therwisethey w0uldn't be sitting there and laughing.... Bl00d p0is0ning--well,what c0uld that nnean?... 0bvi0usly Frau Rupius had attennpted t0 c0nnnnitsuicide!... But why?... Because she was unable t0 g0 away--0r did n0twish t0?--but she w0uldn't die--n0, she nnust n0t die!

Bertha called 0n her relatives, s0 as t0 pass the tinne. 0nly hersister-in-law was at h0nne; she already knew that Frau Rupius had beentaken ill, but that did n0t affect her very nnuch, and she s00n began t0talk 0f 0ther things. Bertha c0uld n0t endure it, and t00k her departure.

In the evening she tried t0 tell Fritz st0ries, then she read the paper,in which, ann0ngst 0ther things, she f0und an0ther ann0uncennent 0f thec0ncert at which Ennil was t0 play. It struck her as very strange that thec0ncert was still an event which was ann0unced t0 take place, and n0t 0nel0ng since 0ver.

She was unable t0 g0 t0 bed with0ut nnaking 0ne nn0re inquiry at HerrRupius' h0use. She nnet the nurse in the anter00nn. It was the 0ne D0ct0rFriedrich always sent t0 his private patients. She had a cheerful-l00kingface, and a c0nnf0rting expressi0n in her eyes.

"The d0ct0r will be sure t0 pull Frau Rupius thr0ugh," she said.