IV.

Daily a gendarme visits[1] their lodgings, inspects[2] the premises when and how he pleases[3], and now[4] and then makes some mysterious entry in his note book. Should[5] any of their number carry a warm dinner, a pair of newly-mended boots, or a change of linen to some passing exile lodged for the moment in the police-ward, it is just as likely as not marked against him as a crime. It is a crime to[6] come and see a friend off, or accompany[7] him a little on the way. In[8] fact, should the Ispravnik feel[9] out of sorts—the effect of cards[10] and drink—he[11] vents his bad temper on the exiles; and as[12] cards and drink are the only amusements in these dreary regions, crimes[13] are often marked down against the exiles in astonishing numbers, and[14] a report of them sent to the Governor of the province.

Winter lasts eight months, a[15] period during which the surrounding[16] country presents the appearance of a noiseless[17], lifeless, frozen marsh. No roads, no communication with the outer world, no means of[18] escape. In course of time almost every exile is attacked[19] by nervous convulsions, soon[20] followed by prolonged apathy and complete prostration. Some of them contrive[21] to forge passports, and by a miracle, as[22] it were, make their escape; but the great majority of these victims of the Third Section[23] either go mad, commit suicide, or die of[24] delirium tremens.—JAMES ALLEN.

[1] visits = comes into.

[2] = who inspects (+untersu´chen+) the house.

[3] Do as you please, +thun Sie, wie es Ihnen beliebt+.

[4] now and then, +dann und wann+, or +von Zeit zu Zeit+, after which insert the adverbs +auch wohl+; some = a; to make an entry in a book, +eine Bemerkung in ein Buch eintragen+.

[5] Arrange this period in the following manner: ‘Should one of them to a for the moment in the police-ward lodged (+untergebracht+) _and_ passing (+durchreisend+) exile ever (+je+) a warm dinner, a pair _of_ newly-soled boots, or some clean linen (+Wäsche+, f.) bring, then (+so+) is (Passive) to him this very (S. 161, N. 2) likely as a crime ascribed (+zur Last geschrieben+)’.

[6] He came and saw his friend off, +er sagte seinem abreisenden Freunde Lebewohl+.

[7] Will you accompany me a little on my way? +Wollen Sie mich auf meinem Wege eine kleine Strecke begleiten?+

[8] = In short, +Kurz+.

[9] to feel out of sorts, +übler Laune sein+. Insert the adv. +einmal+ after the subject.

[10] = card-playing; see S. 3, N. 2, and S. 10, N. 9.

[11] he — exiles, +so müssen ihm die Verbannten dafür büßen+.

[12] The adverbial circumstance of place ‘in — regions’ is best placed immediately after the conj.

[13] crimes — numbers = an astonishing number of crimes is often ascribed to the exiles. Read App. § 5.

[14] and — sent to = and reported (+melden+) to.

[15] a — which = during which time.

[16] = whole.

[17] See S. 71, N. 2, which rule applies likewise to adjectives; ‘frozen’, here +zu Eis erstarrt+.

[18] +zu+, contracted with the art.

[19] ‘to be attacked’, here +heimgesucht werden+.

[20] = upon which soon follows a state (+Zustand+, m.) of prolonged (+dauernd+) apathy (+Stumpfsinn+, m.) and complete (+gänzlich+) prostration (+Hinfälligkeit der Lebenskräfte+).

[21] He contrived to forge a passport, +es gelang ihm, einen falschen Paß herzustellen+.

[22] as it were, +gleichsam+, which place after ‘and’; by = through, +durch+; to make one’s escape, +entkommen+, insep. comp. str. v. intr.

[23] +‘Die dritte Abteilung’ nennt man in Rußland das gefürchtete Departement des Polizeiministeriums, welches mit der geheimen Polizei betraut ist.+

[24] +an+, contracted with the Dat. of the def. art.

_Section 169._

Tahiti[1].