58
PARTISAN REVIEW
their chiefs. Lower down-the event is obviously taking place on the
topmost deck of the ship--are standing long rows of sailors at salute,
which are cut off by the edge of the picture. Gradually Blumfeld ex–
amines the photograph with greater interest; then holds it a little
distance away and looks at it with blinking eyes. He has always had
a great feeling for such magnificent scenes. That the principal persons
clasp each other's hands with such ease, so cordially and carelessly, he
finds very true to life. And equally correct that their companions–
naturally very high personages in other respects, whose names are
recorded below-preserve in their bearing the seriousness of the his–
torical moment.
Instead of getting down everything he needs, Blumfeld sits
m~
tionless and stares into the bowl of
his
still unlighted pipe. He
is
on the lookout. Suddenly, quite unexpectedly,
his
rigidity gives way,
and with a jerk of his chair he whirls about. But either the balls are
correspondingly on the watch or follow instinctively the law tha:t
controls them, for simultaneously with Blumfeld's turning round
they, too, change place and hide behind
his
back. Blumfeld now
sits with his back to the table, his cold pipe in
his
hand. The balls
at the moment are bouncing under the table, and since there is a
rug there, are only barely audible. That is a great advantage. The
noises are quite weak and muffled; indeed, one has to give particular
heed to detect them. Blumfeld, of course, is very attentive and hears
them distinctly. But this is only for the moment; in a little while
he will probably not be able to hear them at all. It seems to Blum–
feld to
be
a great failing on the part of the balls that they can
be–
come so little noticeable on rugs. One has only to shove under them
one--or better still-two
ru~
and they are practically powerless.
Only for a time, of course; and over and above that, their very exist–
ence already indicates a certain power.
At the moment Blumfeld could well use a dog; such a fierce,
young animal would soon make short work of the balls. He imagines
how this dog would swipe at them with his paws, how he would
drive them from their place, chase them back and forth through the
room, and finally get them between his teeth. It is quite possible that
Blumfeld will get a dog very soon now.
For the time being, however, the balls have only Blumfeld to
fear, and he has no desire at the moment to disturb them; or perhaps
he simply lacks the resolution for it. He comes home in the evening
tired from work, and now just when he needs quiet, this surprise
is
awaiting him. For the first time he feels how tired he really is. He
will positively destroy the balls, and very quickly, too; but not this
moment, and probably not till the next day.
If
one looks at the whole
