'I shall make a real man of him. I will let him see some day what being in love really means, and then he will cast it from him altogether.'
And Pluizer laughed heartily. Death again fixed his black eyes on poor Johannes, who had some difficulty in refraining from sobbing. But he was ashamed to cry in the presence of Death.
Death suddenly rose. 'I must be going,' said he. 'I am wasting my time in talk, and there is much to be done. Good-bye, Johannes!--We shall meet again. But you must not be afraid of me.'
'I am not afraid of you; I wish you would take me with you.'
But Death gently pushed him away; he was used to such entreaties.
'No, Johannes.--Go now to your work in life; seek and see! Ask me no more. _I_ will ask you some day, and that will be quite soon enough.'
When he had disappeared Pluizer again began to behave in the wildest fashion. He leaped over the seats, turned somersaults, climbed up the cupboard and chimney-shelf, and played break-neck tricks at the open window.
'Well, that was Hein, my good friend Hein!' said he. 'Did you not like him greatly? A little unattractive and bony-looking, perhaps. But he can be very jolly too, when he takes pleasure in his work. Sometimes it bores him; it is rather monotonous.'
'Pluizer, who tells him where he is to go next?'
Pluizer stared at Johannes with a look of cunning inquiry.
'What makes you ask?--He goes where he pleases--He takes those he can catch.'
Later, Johannes came to see that it was not so. But as yet he knew no better, and thought that Pluizer was always right.
They went out and up the street, moving among the swarming throng. The men in their black clothes bustled about, laughing and talking so gaily that Johannes could not help wondering. He saw how Pluizer nodded to several, but no one returned the greeting; they all looked in front of them as if they did not even see him.
'They go by and laugh now,' said Pluizer, 'as if they none of them knew me. But that is only make-believe. When I am alone with one of them they cannot pretend not to know me, and then they are not so light-hearted.'
And as they went on Johannes was presently aware of some one following them. When he looked round he saw that the tall pale figure was striding on among the people, with long noiseless steps. He nodded to Johannes.