pot, like a kick in her stomach. A
commissionaire passes me at the entrance. He touches his hat; I take no
notice; he applies to her; and I hear that he inquires for me, but I do
not turn round. A couple of steps outside the door he overtakes and
stops me. He hands me an envelope. I tear it open, roughly and
unwillingly. It contains half-a-sovereign--no note, not a word. I look
at the man, and ask:

"What tomfoolery is this? Who is the letter from?"

"Oh, that I can't say!" he replies; "but it was a lady who gave it to
me."

I stood still. The commissionaire left.

I put the coin into the envelope again, crumple it up, coin and
envelope, wheel round and go straight towards the landlady, who is
still keeping an eye on me from the doorway, and throw it in her face.
I said nothing; I uttered no syllable--only noticed that she was
examining the crumpled paper as I left her.... Ha! that is what one
might call comporting oneself with dignity. Not to say a word, not to
mention the contents, but crumple together, with perfect calmness, a
large piece of money, and fling it straight in the face of one's
persecutor! One might call that making one's exit with dignity. That
was the way to treat such beasts I....

When I got to the corner of Tomtegaden and the railway place, the
street commenced suddenly to swim around before my eyes; it buzzed
vacantly in my head, and I staggered up against the wall of a house. I
could simply go no farther, couldn't even straighten myself from the
cramped position I was in. As I fell up against it, so I remained
standing, and I felt that I was beginning to lose my senses. My insane
anger had augmented this attack of exhaustion. I lifted my foot, and
stamped on the pavement. I also tried several other things to try and
regain my strength: I clenched my teeth, wrinkled my brows, and rolled
my eyes despairingly; it helped a little. My thoughts grew more lucid.
It was clear to me that I was about to succumb. I stretched out my
hands, and pushed myself back from the wall. The street still danced
wildly round me. I began to hiccough with rage, and I wrestled from my
very inmost soul with my misery; made a right gallant effort not to
sink down. It was not my intention to collapse; no, I would die
standing. A dray rolls slowly by, and I notice there are potatoes in
it; but out of sheer fury and stubbornness, I take it into my head to
assert that they are not potatoes, but cabbages, and I swore frightf