THE EUROPEAN LIBRARY
EDITED BY J. E. SPINGARN
THE WORLD’S
ILLUSION
BY
JACOB WASSERMANN
AUTHORIZED TRANSLATION BY
LUDWIG LEWISOHN
THE SECOND VOLUME:
RUTH
NEW YORK
HARCOURT, BRACE AND HOWE
1920
CONTENTS OF THE SECOND VOLUME
When Wolfgang visited his home during the Christmasvacation he congratulated his father on the latter’s accessionto a new dignity; Albrecht Wahnschaffe had been madea Privy Councillor.
He found the house changed—silent and dull. From abrief conversation with his father he learned that Christianwas causing anxiety and excitement. He listened avidly, butdid not succeed in gathering any details. Strangers had toldhim of Christian’s sale of his properties; but he had nonotion of the meaning of this step.
He had but one long talk with his mother. She seemedto him to be morbid and to treat him with an indifferencethat wounded him.
Rumours of all kinds reached him. The major-domo informedhim that Herr von Crammon had spent a couple of daysat the castle, almost constantly closeted with its mistress.They had sent an enormously long telegram to Berlin, offeringsome one a bribe of forty or fifty thousand marks. Thetelegram had not been addressed directly to the person inquestion, but to an intermediary. The reply must have beenunfavourable, for on its receipt Herr von Crammon had announcedthat he himself would proceed to Berlin.
Wolfgang decided to write to Crammon, but his letterremained unanswered.
Since, at bottom, he took very little interest in Christian’sdoings, he refrained from any further investigation, and at[2]the beginning of January returned to Berlin. From the behaviourof his acquaintances it was evident that a secret inwhich he was concerned weighed on their minds. In manyeyes there was an indefinite