The Doll - Bolesaw Prus [235]
‘Around one million francs.’
‘A million!’ Geist repeated, clutching his head. ‘I’ll be back in two hours. God grant that I become as necessary to you, as you are to me.’
‘In that case, be so kind, professor, as to come to my room on the third floor. This is a public room.’
‘I prefer the third floor…I’ll be back in two hours,’ replied Geist, and he quickly hurried out of the room. A moment later Jumart appeared: ‘The old fellow bored you,’ he said to Wokulski, ‘eh?’
‘What sort of man is he?’ Wokulski asked casually.
Jumart stuck out his lower lip. ‘He’s a madman,’ he replied, ‘but when I was still a student, he was a great chemist. Well, then he produced some invention or other, he’s said to have some strange objects to display, but…’ He tapped his forehead with one finger.
‘Why do you call him a madman?’
‘What other epithet can you give to a man’, replied Jumart, ‘who believes he has succeeded in decreasing the specific gravity of bodies, or is it of metals—I don’t recall?’
Wokulski bade him good-bye and went to his room: ‘What a strange city,’ he thought, ‘where there are to be found treasure-seekers, hired defenders of a man’s honour, distinguished ladies who trade in secrets, waiters who discuss chemistry and chemists who want to decrease the specific gravity of bodies…’
Towards five, Geist appeared in his room: he was somehow agitated and locked the door behind him. ‘Mr Suzin,’ he said, ‘it is very important to me that we should understand one another. Tell me—do you have obligations: a wife, children? Although it doesn’t seem to me…’
‘I have no one.’
‘But you have a fortune? A million…’
‘Very nearly.’
‘And tell me,’ said Geist, ‘why you are thinking of killing yourself?’
Wokulski shuddered. ‘That was temporary,’ he said, ‘I felt giddy in the balloon.’
Geist shook his head. ‘You have a fortune,’ he muttered, ‘you are not striving for fame, or at least not yet…There must be a woman in it,’ he cried.
‘Possibly,’ replied Wokulski, highly embarrassed.
‘It’s a woman!’ said Geist. ‘That’s bad. One can never know what she will do and what she will lead to. In any case, listen,’ he added, looking into his eyes, ‘if you ever again feel the need to try…Do you understand? Don’t kill yourself, but come to me.’
‘Perhaps I’ll come right away,’ said Wokulski, looking down.
‘Not right away!’ Geist replied vivaciously. ‘Women never destroy men right away. Have you already settled your accounts with that individual?’
‘It seems to me…’
‘Aha, it only seems so. That’s bad. In any case, bear my advice in mind. It is very easy to destroy yourself in my laboratory, I assure you!’
‘What have you brought, professor?’ Wokulski asked him.
‘That’s bad, that’s bad!’ Geist muttered. ‘I have to find a buyer for my explosive material. But I thought we would combine…’
‘First, sir, show me what you’ve brought,’ Wokulski interrupted.
‘You are right,’ replied Geist, and he brought a medium-sized box out of his pocket. ‘Look,’ he said, ‘this is why people call me mad!’
The box was of metal, shut in a singular manner. Geist in turn touched pins fixed in various places, casting feverish and suspicious glances at Wokulski from time to time. Once he even hesitated and made a gesture as if to put the box away: but he collected himself, touched a few pins and the lid shot up.
At this moment he was seized by another attack of suspicion. The old man sank to the couch, hid the box behind his back and fearfully gazed around the room, then at Wokulski. ‘I’m committing a folly!’ he muttered. ‘What madness to risk everything for the first person I happen upon.’
‘Don’t you trust me, sir?’ asked Wokulski, no less moved.
‘I trust no one,’ said the old man viciously, ‘for what assurance can anyone give me? A promise or his word of honour? I’m too old to believe in promises. Only mutual profit can insure against the vilest treachery, and even that not always…’
Wokulski shrugged and sat down. ‘I’m not forcing you,