'But small?'
'He is a little small, perhaps. But the small ones are often a lot tougher than the big ones. Just imagine, Frau Hitler, this time next year he will be almost learning how to walk. Isn't that a lovely thought?'
She didn't answer this.
'And two years from now he will probably be talking his head off and driving you crazy with his chatter. Have you settled on a name for him yet?'
'A name?'
'Yes.'
'I don't know. I'm not sure. I think my husband said that if it was a boy we were going to call him Adolfus.'
'That means he would be called Adolf.'
'Yes. My husband likes Adolf because it has a certain similarity to Alois. My husband is called Alois.'
'Excellent.'
'Oh no!' she cried, starting up suddenly from the pillow. 'That's the same question they asked me when Otto was born! It means he is going to die! You are going to baptise him at once!'
'Now, now,' the doctor said, taking her gently by the shoulders. 'You are quite wrong. I promise you you are wrong. I was simply being an inquisitive old man, that is all. I love talking about names. I think Adolphus is a particularly fine name. It is one of my favourites. And look - here he comes now.'
The innkeeper's wife, carrying the baby high up on her en
ormous bosom, came sailing across the room towards the bed. 'Here is the little beauty!' she cried, beaming. 'Would you like to hold him, my dear? Shall I put him beside you?'
'Is he well wrapped?' the doctor asked. 'It is extremely cold in here.'
'Certainly he is well wrapped.'
The baby was tightly swaddled in a white woollen shawl, and only the tiny pink head protruded. The innkeeper's wife placed him gently on the bed beside the mother. 'There you are,' she said. 'Now you can lie there and look at him to your heart's content.'
'I think you will like him,' the doctor said, smiling. 'He is a fine little baby.'
'He has the most lovely hands!' the innkeeper's wife exclaimed. 'Such long delicate fingers!'
The mother didn't move. She didn't even turn her head to look.
'Go on!' cried the innkeeper's wife. 'He won't bite you!'
'I am frightened to look. I don't dare to believe that I have another baby and that he is all right.'
'Don't be so stupid.'
Slowly, the mother turned her head and looked at the small, incredibly serene face that lay on the pillow beside her.
'Is this my baby?'
'Of course.'
'Oh... oh... but he is beautiful.'
The doctor turned away and went over to the table and began putting his things into his bag. The mother lay on the bed gazing at the child and smiling and touching him and making little noises of pleasure. 'Hello, Adolfus,' she whispered. 'Hello, my little Adolf...'
'Ssshh!' said the innkeeper's wife. 'Listen! I think your husband is coming.'
The doctor walked over to the door and opened it and looked out into the corridor.