De Dødes Rige: Torben og Jytte 1.2 Königreich der Toten: Torben und Jytte 1.2 The Kingdom of the Dead: Torben and Jytte 1.2 Ölüler Diyarı: Torben ve Jytte 1.2

Så hændte det ud på efteråret, at der uventet kom fremmede til gården. Then it happened in the fall that strangers unexpectedly came to the farm. Det var en mørk dag med en tung skyhimmel på vandring ud mod øst. It was a dark day with heavy clouds moving towards the east. Era un día oscuro con un cielo de nubes espesas que caminaba hacia el este. Den syge havde haft en dårlig nat; endnu ved middagstid var han ikke stået op. The sick person had a bad night; by midday he had not yet gotten up.

Gamle Barbara stod inde i opholdsstuen og lagde et par tørv til ilden, da hun til sin forskrækkelse hørte en vogn rumle ind i slotsgården. Old Barbara was inside the living room adding a couple of peat bricks to the fire when to her surprise she heard a carriage rumble into the castle courtyard. Hun åbnede et vindu på klem. She opened a window slightly. en nedslået kalesjevogn med to herrer holdt nedenfor trappen. a downtrodden carriage with two gentlemen stopped below the stairs.

Den ene af herrerne kendte hun; det var doktoren fra Randers. She knew one of the gentlemen; it was the doctor from Randers. Men hvem var den skægløse fremmede, der sad ved siden af? But who was the beardless stranger sitting next to? Og hvad vilde det menneske her? And what did that person want here?

"Er Mikkelsen da bleven ren tumpet!" "Has Mikkelsen turned into a complete fool!" udbrød hun pludselig og trak vinduet til med et smæld. she suddenly exclaimed and slammed the window shut. Hun havde set begge herrerne stå ud af vognen og følges op ad trappen. She had seen both gentlemen get out of the carriage and follow each other up the stairs. hun havde også set kusken lange en håndkuffert ned. she had also seen the coachman hand over a suitcase.

Hun skyndte sig ud for at standse dem i forstuen. She hurried out to stop them in the hallway. helt ophidset sagde hun her den fremmede lige i ansigtet, at han kunde ikke komme ind. completely excited she said right in the face of the stranger that he couldn't come in.

Doktoren trådte imellem. The doctor stepped in.

"Hør nu her, Søster Barbara! "Listen, Sister Barbara! Denne herre er professor i medicin ved Københavns Universitet ... er altså læge ... Og desuden en ungdomsven af godsejeren. This gentleman is a professor of medicine at the University of Copenhagen ... meaning he is a doctor ... And also a childhood friend of the landowner. Professoren er rejst hertil fra København for at hilse på ham. The professor has come here from Copenhagen to greet him. Vil De øjeblikkelig gå ind og melde, at professoren er her." "Will you please go in immediately and announce that the professor is here."

Men den gamle stod som en mur. But the old man stood like a wall.

"A hår min instruks," sagde hun på et fremmedartet Jysk. "Follow my instructions," she said in a foreign-sounding Jutlandic. "Det veed De jo å så møj godt, Mikkelsen." "You know that very well too, Mikkelsen."

"Men her skal jeg dog vel i alle tilfælde ikke blive stående," sagde nu professoren – en lille blond mand med et rødkindet barneansigt. "But I suppose I shouldn't stay here in any case," said the professor - a small blond man with a rosy-cheeked child's face.

Noget i hans tone gjorde Barbara betænkelig. Something in his tone made Barbara uneasy. Han havde talt som den, der er vant til at blive adlydt. He spoke as one accustomed to being obeyed. Med en mistroisk skulen førte hun de to mænd gennem gangen ind i sin herres værelse, der tilligemed spisestuen og sovekamrene var de eneste af husets mange rum, der var i beboelig stand. With a suspicious scowl, she led the two men through the corridor into her master's room, which along with the dining room and bedrooms were the only rooms in the house that were habitable.

Den unge professor blev et øjeblik stående midt på gulvet og så sig tavs omkring i det store, mørke sygeværelse med det røgsværtede loft, det falmede tapet og de andre triste vidnesbyrd om opløsning og forfald. The young professor stood for a moment in the middle of the floor and looked around silently in the large, dark sick room with the smoke-darkened ceiling, the faded wallpaper, and the other sad signs of dissolution and decay. Så vendte han sig mod Barbara, der var bleven stående ved døren, og sagde med uvilkårligt dæmpet stemme: Then he turned to Barbara, who had remained standing by the door, and said in an involuntarily subdued voice:

"Vær så god at gå ind og sig til godsejeren, at Asmus Hagen er her. "Please go in and tell the landowner that Asmus Hagen is here. Vil De sige ham, at jeg har glædet mig til endelig at se ham igen." Would you please tell him that I have been looking forward to finally seeing him again.

Med ny forskrækkelse i sine små, mørke øjne så den Gamle hen på Randersdoktoren og tilbage igen på den fremmede mand. With new alarm in his small, dark eyes, the Old Man looked at the doctor from Randers and back at the stranger.

"Herren veed så ikke, hvordan det er fat med godsejeren?" "Does the gentleman not know how the squire is doing?"

"Vist så! "Certainly so!" Doktor Mikkelsen har elskværdigt givet mig al fornøden underretning," sagde han. "Doctor Mikkelsen has kindly provided me with all the necessary information," he said. Og da Barbara endnu tøvede, tog han sin tegnebog frem og skrev et par linjer bag på et visitkort. And when Barbara hesitated, he took out his wallet and wrote a few lines on the back of a business card. "Vil De bringe godsejeren dette. "Will you bring this to the landlord.", De forstår, at her er tale om en ordre." You understand that this is an order."

"Men godsejeren ligger tilsengs." "But the landlord is in bed."

"Så bring ham det på sengen. "So bring it to him in bed." Og nu må det være nok med indvendinger." And now, that's enough objections."

Endnu nølede den gamle. |hesitated|| The old man hesitated once more. hun var bragt ganske ud af fatning ved dette besøg. She was completely thrown off guard by this visit. Alene det at høre en fremmed røst i disse rum fyldte hende med onde anelser. Just hearing a stranger's voice in these rooms filled her with sinister premonitions.

"Hvad pokker er det for et spøgelse, min kære ven her har anskaffet sig?" "What kind of ghost has my dear friend acquired here?" spurgte professoren, da hun endelig var gået. asked the professor, when she had finally left. "Skal det forestille en sygeplejerske?" "Is it supposed to be a nurse?"

Doktor Mikkelsen trak på skuldren. Doctor Mikkelsen shrugged.

"Det er en forhenværende vågekone herinde fra herredet. It is a former midwife from the district. Jeg har gentagne gange foreslået at skaffe en ordenlig, hospitalsuddannet plejerske hertil; men godsejeren vil ikke have nogen anden om sig. I have repeatedly suggested getting a proper, hospital-trained nurse here; but the landowner does not want anyone else around him. Det gamle enfoldige menneske har ligefrem fået en sær magt over hans syge sind. The old simple person has even gained a strange power over his sick mind. – Nå, men nu vil jeg altså trække mig tilbage. Well, now I will withdraw. Godsejeren sætter ikke pris på at se mig, når han ikke udtrykkeligt har sendt bud." The landowner does not appreciate seeing me when he has not specifically sent for me."

"Ja ja. "Yes, yes. Der bliver forhåbentlig senere lejlighed til en konference her. Hopefully there will be another opportunity for a conference here later. Jeg siger Dem nu tak for ledsagelsen." I now thank you for the company.

"Ingen årsag. No problem. Jeg har som sagt et par patienter her i nærheden, som jeg dog skulde se til." ||||||patients||||||||| As I mentioned, I have a few patients nearby whom I should attend to.

Da Asmus Hagen var bleven alene, lod han igen sit hurtige blik løbe rundt i stuen og faldt i tanker. When Asmus Hagen was alone, he let his quick gaze run around the room again and fell into thought. Det var bleven ham fuldkommen klart, at vennens sindstilstand foreløbigt var en større fare for ham end den egenlige sygdom. It had become perfectly clear to him that his friend's state of mind was currently a greater danger to him than the actual illness. Han var derfor glad ved, at han ikke havde opsat rejsen en eneste dag længer. He was therefore happy that he had not postponed the trip for a single day longer. Por lo tanto, se alegró de no haber pospuesto el viaje ni un solo día más. Det var åbenbart på høje tid han kom med hjælpen. It was obviously high time for him to come with help.

Barbara vendte nu tilbage med den Besked fra sin herre, at han var i færd med at stå op og vilde komme om et øjeblik. Barbara now returned with the message from her master that he was getting up and would come in a moment. Asmus Hagen forlangte imidlertid at blive ført ind til ham med det samme; men da gjorde den gamle sig igen stiv som en huggeblok og spærrede ham vejen, og da han trængte på, fik hun det indfald at fortælle, at godsejeren var gået ud på natskrinet. However, Asmus Hagen demanded to be brought in to see him at once; but then the old woman stiffened up like a block of wood and blocked his way, and when he insisted, she had the whim to tell him that the landowner had gone out to the outhouse. Hun havde lige været vidne til den voldsomme sindsbevægelse, hendes herre var kommen i blot ved at læse den fremmedes navn på kortet. She had just witnessed the violent emotional reaction her master had when he saw the stranger's name on the card. Skulde han nu ovenikøbet overraskes under påklædningen? Was he now going to be caught off guard even during dressing?

Asmus Hagen måtte slå sig tiltåls og gik på undersøgelse omkring i stuen, mens han ventede. Asmus Hagen had to content himself and wandered around the room while he waited. På en hylde over skrivebordet fandt han en gammel støvet foliant i svinelædersbind, som han forresten havde lagt mærke til straks ved sit komme. On a shelf above the desk, he found an old dusty folio in a pigskin binding, which he had incidentally noticed immediately upon his arrival. Det viste sig at være en snurrig tysk bearbejdelse af nogle oldtidsværker om lægekunsten. It turned out to be a quirky German adaptation of some ancient works on the art of medicine. Både Hippokrates' og Aretæus' navne spøgede i rødt tryk på de mørnede blade. Both Hippocrates' and Aretaeus' names haunted in red print on the decayed pages. Men hvad der især fik ham til at gøre store øjne var, at der rundt om i bogen lå løse papirer med optegnelser og citater skrevne med vennens hånd. But what particularly made him widen his eyes was that scattered throughout the book were loose papers with notes and quotes written in his friend's hand.

Han gav sig til at undersøge også de andre bøger på hylden. He began to examine the other books on the shelf as well. Der var et stort astronomisk værk i flere bind og et skrift om jordmagnetisme. There was a large astronomical work in several volumes and a treatise on geomagnetism. Desuden fandt han en fransk oversættelse af en arabisk sundhedslære fra middelalderen forfattet af en mand, der kaldte sig "Den troldkyndige i Cordova". In addition, he found a French translation of an Arabic health doctrine from the Middle Ages written by a man who called himself "The Sorcerer's Apprentice in Cordova." Også denne var fuld af noter. This one was also full of notes.

Hvad i alverden! What on earth! Hvordan var al denne gamle galskab kommen her? How had all this old madness come here?

Uvilkårlig vendte han sig mod Barbara, der lå på knæ foran kakkelovnen og livede ilden med en fjervinge. Involuntarily, he turned to Barbara, who was on her knees in front of the stove, fanning the fire with a feather. Men i det samme blev en dør bag ham åbnet. But at that moment a door behind him opened. Torben Dihmer trådte besværligt over tærskelen. Torben Dihmer awkwardly stepped over the threshold.

Asmus Hagen blev et øjeblik stående uden at sige noget. Asmus Hagen stood still for a moment without saying anything. Så vel forberedt han havde været, studsede han dog nu ved synet. As well prepared as he had been, he was still taken aback by the sight.

"Hvordan kommer du her?" "How did you get here?" spurgte Torben og blev stående i døren, idet han støttede sig til karmen med den ene hånd. |||||||as||||||||| asked Torben, standing in the doorway, leaning on the frame with one hand. Han stod der med sænket hoved i en falmet slåbrok af brunt klæde og havde store, grå filtsko på fødderne. He stood there with his head bowed in a faded robe made of brown cloth and was wearing large, gray felt shoes on his feet.

"Torben! "Torben! Gamle ven!" Old friend!" udbrød Asmus og gik hen imod ham med udbredte arme. Asmus exclaimed and walked towards him with outstretched arms.

"Kom mig ikke for nær!" "Don't come too close to me!" sagde Torben og holdt en hånd ud fra sig. said Torben and held a hand out in front of him. "Jeg stinker allerede!" I already stink!

"Å snak! Oh please! Jeg er netop ganske overrasket over, hvor rask du ser ud. I am quite surprised by how healthy you look. Du har sandelig holdt dig tapper!" You have truly been brave!

Han lagde sine hænder op på vennens skuldre; men ved denne fortrolige berøring kom Torben til at skælve. He placed his hands on his friend's shoulders; but at this familiar touch, Torben began to tremble. Det såe et øjeblik ud, som om han skulde overvældes af sin bevægelse; men han mandede sig op og slap dørkarmen for at gå ind i stuen. |||||||||||||||||||let go||||||| For a moment it looked as if he would be overwhelmed by his emotion; but he gathered himself and let go of the door frame to go into the living room. Han kom dog ikke langt, før det svimlede for ham. He did not get far before he became dizzy. Han havde undset sig ved at vise sig for vennen med sin gammelmandskæp, og nu kunde han pludselig ikke komme af pletten. He had made an effort by showing himself to his friend with his old man stick, and now he suddenly couldn't move from the spot. Asmus Hagen måtte tage ham under armen og føre ham hen til hans lænestol ved kakkelovnen, hvor Barbara i forvejen havde lagt et par puder tilrette. Asmus Hagen had to take him under his arm and lead him to his armchair by the fireplace, where Barbara had already arranged a couple of cushions.

I den følgende time sad de to venner og talte sammen, mens Barbara idelig gjorde sig et ærende ind i stuen og i stigende uro kresede omkring sin herre med en svag klynken som en skinsyg hund. In the following hour, the two friends sat and talked together, while Barbara constantly made her way into the living room and with increasing unease circled around her master with a faint whimper like a jealous dog.

Asmus Hagen vovede sig foreløbig ikke til at stille spørgsmål; han fortalte løst og fast om sine egne oplevelser, mens han i det skjulte gjorde sine Iagttagelser. Asmus Hagen did not yet dare to ask questions; he spoke loosely about his own experiences while secretly making his observations. Han bragte hilsen fra fælles venner, og da Torben Dihmer mistænksom spurgte ham, hvad der havde ført ham til Jylland på denne tid af året, gav han en historie tilbedste om, at han var bleven kaldt til en patient i Århus og nu havde benyttet lejligheden til endelig at gøre ham et besøg. He brought greetings from mutual friends, and when Torben Dihmer suspiciously asked him what had brought him to Jutland at this time of year, he concocted a story that he had been called to a patient in Aarhus and had now taken the opportunity to finally pay him a visit.

"Du kunde forresten have svaret på dine Venners breve, så havde du nu vidst mere om os, end jeg sådan i hast kan fortælle. "You could have answered your friends' letters, then you would know more about us than I can tell you in haste now." Mon du veed, at det er over to år siden jeg hørte fra dig?" Do you know that it's been over two years since I heard from you?"

Torben Dihmer nikkede. Torben Dihmer nodded.

"Jamen det er absolut højst utilstedeligt – som vor gamle rektor sa'. "But that is absolutely highly inappropriate – as our old rector used to say." Har du virkelig gået her og glemt alle dine venner?" "Have you really walked here and forgotten all your friends?"

"Det har jeg naturligvis ikke. "Of course, I haven't." Men jeg har jo kun haft min sygdom at skrive om. But I have only had my illness to write about. Hvorfor skulde jeg plage jer med den?" Why should I bother you with that?

"Nå, til mig kunde du da egenlig nok have skrevet om den." "Well, you could actually have written about it to me."

"Jeg vilde netop, at I allesammen skulde tænke på mig som på en, der er død – for det er jeg jo i virkeligheden. "I wanted you all to think of me as someone who is dead - for that is what I really am. Det troede jeg forresten, I havde forstået." By the way, I thought you understood that."

"Nå, hør nu! "Well, listen now! Du tager virkelig lovlig tungt på din tilstand, kære ven! You really take your condition quite heavily, dear friend! At du er syg, er jo sikkert nok, men –." That you are sick is certainly true enough, but -.

"Anstreng dig ikke! Don't strain yourself! Den trøsterige tale ved båren kan du gerne spare dig. You can spare the comforting speech at the coffin. Jeg er kaput, du! I'm kaput, you! Det har jeg længe vidst. I've known that for a long time. – Og nu har vi talt nok om mig." – And now we have talked enough about me.

Asmus Hagen såe ud af vinduet og overvejede et øjeblik. Asmus Hagen looked out the window and contemplated for a moment. Så gav han sig igen til at snakke i øst og vest om København og fælles bekendte. Then he resumed talking all over the place about Copenhagen and mutual acquaintances. Blandt andre nævnede han – ligesom tilfældigt – sin kusine, den smukke Jytte Abildgård; men da han såe, hvordan vennen ved den blotte lyd af navnet lukkede øjnene som for et altfor pludseligt og voldsomt lys, bøjede han straks af og gjorde ham et par spørgsmål om hans søvn og appetit. Among other things, he mentioned – seemingly by chance – his cousin, the beautiful Jytte Abildgård; but when he saw how his friend closed his eyes at the mere sound of the name, as if from an overly sudden and violent light, he immediately changed the subject and asked him a couple of questions about his sleep and appetite.

Lidt efter sagde han: A little later he said:

"Jeg skrev på det kort, jeg sendte ind til dig, at jeg kom med godt nyt. "I wrote on the card I sent to you that I was bringing good news. Er du ikke det mindste nysgerrig?" Are you not the least bit curious?"

"Ikke stort. "Not much. Når man hænger i galgen, går nysgerrigheden af en – veed du nok." When you're hanging in the gallows, curiosity goes away – you know that well."

"Jeg siger dig, Torben, du er altfor mistrøstig! "I tell you, Torben, you are far too pessimistic!" På den måde kan du aldrig blive rask. That way you can never get well. Nu skal jeg minde dig om et andet gammelt ord: Håbet må man aldrig slippe!" Now I must remind you of another old saying: One must never give up hope!"

"Det vil jeg dog netop helst. "That is exactly what I prefer. Og det er jo bare jammerlig fejghed af mig, at jeg ikke for længe siden har gjort ende på misèren med et skud krudt. And it is just pitiful cowardice on my part that I did not end the misery with a shot of gunpowder a long time ago. Men jeg gør det også en dag. But I will do it one day. Dette her er ikke til at udholde!" This is unbearable!

De sidste ord blev stikkende i struben. The last words stuck in the throat. Han bøjede sig frem og lagde hovedet i sin hånd for at skjule, at han måtte kæmpe med gråden. He leaned forward and rested his head in his hand to hide that he was struggling with tears.

Der blev nogle øjeblikkes stilhed, så rejste Asmus Hagen sig. There was a moment of silence, then Asmus Hagen stood up. Han gik lidt frem og tilbage over gulvet, satte sig så hen på sidestykket af vennens lænestol og lagde armen om hans skulder. He walked a little back and forth across the floor, then sat down on the arm of his friend's armchair and put his arm around his shoulder.

"Gamle ven! "Old friend!" Hør nu, hvad jeg er kommen for at sige dig! Listen now, to what I have come to tell you! ... Du skal være ved godt mod. ... You must keep your spirits up. Du har glemt, at vi lever i en stor tid, da videnskaben – og jo ikke mindst min egen – gør et nyt mirakel hver dag. You have forgotten that we live in a great time, when science - and not least my own - performs a new miracle every day. Der er grund til at tro, at din sygdom ikke er så farlig, som vi allesammen har ment ..... Ja, du ser på mig! There is reason to believe that your illness is not as dangerous as we all thought ..... Yes, you are looking at me! Men du kan jo nok forstå, at jeg ikke her siger noget uovervejet. But you can probably understand that I am not saying anything reckless here. Dit tilfælde falder rigtignok ganske udenfor mit eget område; men jeg har pålidelige erfaringer at støtte mig til." Your case indeed falls quite outside my own area; but I have reliable experiences to rely on.

Torben havde forsøgt at afbryde ham. Torben had tried to interrupt him. Nu klappede han vennens hånd, som lå på hans skulder, og sagde: Now he clasped his friend's hand, which was resting on his shoulder, and said:

"Jeg kender dit gode hjerte, Asmus! "I know your good heart, Asmus! Du vil så gerne hjælpe. You are so eager to help. Men lad det nu være nok! But let that be enough now! Du veed dog, at jeg har gjort, hvad der står i menneskelig magt for at blive rask. You know, after all, that I have done what is within human power to regain my health. Jeg har søgt Evropas berømteste specialister, både Professor Hermann i Wien og Schinders i Nauheim –." I have searched for Europe's most famous specialists, both Professor Hermann in Vienna and Schinders in Nauheim –.

"Ja, og gamle kvaksalvere og troldkarle har du selv studeret," sagde Asmus med et nap i hans øre og lo. "Yes, and you have yourself studied old quacks and magicians," Asmus said with a tug at his ear and laughed. "Du ser, jeg har allerede ransaget din lektyre. "You see, I have already rummaged through your reading. Men nu skal du være fornuftig, Junker Torben! But now you must be sensible, Junker Torben! Så skal jeg fortælle dig, hvordan det er gået til, at jeg har fået mistanke til vor gamle diagnose." Then I will tell you how it has come to pass that I have developed doubts about our old diagnosis.

Han gik igen ud på gulvet. He went out onto the floor again. Med tommelfingrene i ærmegabet og de andre otte fingre spillende på sit høje fuglebryst gav han sig til at berette. With his thumbs in his armpits and the other eight fingers playing on his high bird chest, he began to tell.

"Ser du, da jeg i foråret var i Paris og besøgte hospitalerne, talte jeg også med den berømte overlæge Dr. de Bèze, og han gjorde mig bekendt med nogle undersøgelser, han netop var i færd med. "You see, when I was in Paris last spring visiting the hospitals, I also spoke with the famous chief physician Dr. de Bèze, and he made me aware of some investigations he was currently engaged in. Han var kommen til den overbevisning, at visse sygelige tilstande, som man hidtil har tilskrevet inkurable forandringer i hjertets væv, i flere tilfælde har som tilgrundliggende eller i hvert fald som medvirkende årsag et skjult myxødem. He had come to the conviction that certain pathological conditions, which have thus far been attributed to incurable changes in the heart tissue, in several cases have as an underlying or at least as a contributing cause a hidden myxedema. Había llegado a la convicción de que ciertas condiciones mórbidas, que hasta ahora se han atribuido a cambios incurables en los tejidos del corazón, en varios casos tienen como causa subyacente o al menos como contribuyente un mixedema oculto. Du kender den sygdom – en destruktion af skjoldbruskkirtlen; den må jo ganske vist i øjeblikket siges at være uhelbredelig, men dens virkninger har den moderne lægevidenskab så at sige fuldstændig formået at ophæve, ganske simpelt ved at tilføre legemet det manglende kirtelsekret i kunstig form. You know the disease – a destruction of the thyroid gland; it may indeed currently be said to be incurable, but its effects have, so to speak, been completely managed by modern medical science, simply by supplying the body with the missing glandular secretion in artificial form. Under en stuegang fik jeg lejlighed til selv at undersøge hans patienter og læse journalerne, og det slog mig straks, hvor det hele sygdomsbillede lignede dit. During a ward round, I had the opportunity to examine his patients myself and read the medical records, and it struck me immediately how the entire clinical picture resembled yours. Jeg har nu stået i brevveksling med Dr. de Bèze, og for et par uger siden skrev han til mig, at resultatet af behandlingen fuldt ud havde svaret til forventningen. I have now been corresponding with Dr. de Bèze, and a couple of weeks ago he wrote to me that the result of the treatment had fully met expectations. Af hans patienter var 87 pCt. Of his patients, 87 percent. udskrevne som helbredede. discharged as cured. En af dem, en forhenværende slørugle, var endogså kommen sådan til hægterne, at hun havde genoptaget sin profession på selve hospitalet og for velanstændighedens skyld måtte fjernes i utide. |||||||||||the gallows||||||||||||||||| One of them, a former barn owl, had even come to such a recovery that she had resumed her profession at the very hospital and for the sake of propriety had to be removed prematurely. Og nu må jeg gøre dig en tilståelse, kære ven! And now I must make a confession to you, dear friend! Samtidig har jeg korresponderet med Schinders i Nauheim, og også med din nuværende læge, den vistnok højst fortræffelige Doktor Mikkelsen, har jeg stået i forbindelse bag din ryg. At the same time, I have corresponded with Schinders in Nauheim, and I have also been in touch with your current doctor, the supposedly most excellent Doctor Mikkelsen, behind your back. Og for at drive frækheden til det yderste er jeg altså nu kommen i højstegen person for med din tilladelse at foretage en sidste undersøgelse." And to push the audacity to the utmost, I have now come in person to conduct a final examination with your permission.

Torben, der flere gange under vennens tale havde slået afvisende ud med hånden, sad nu stille og såe ned for sig. Torben, who had repeatedly waved dismissively during his friend's speech, now sat silently looking down.

"Det er jo umuligt", sagde han tonløst. "It is impossible," he said tonelessly.

"Der er ingenting umuligt." "Nothing is impossible."

"Men jeg føler det dog bedst selv. "But I still feel best myself. Se på mig! Look at me! Jeg er jo allerede et halvt opløst kadaver." I'm already half-decomposed carcass.

"Snak! Talk! Der er meget mere liv i dig, end du bilder dig ind. There is much more life in you than you imagine. Men du har handlet ilde med dig selv. But you have treated yourself poorly. Du har for tidligt gravet dig ned i mørket. You have buried yourself in darkness too soon. Hvem skulde have tænkt det om dig? Who would have thought that about you? ... Men vent! ... But wait! Du kan endnu blive den lykkeligste af os alle!" You can still become the happiest of us all!