And she had almost caught him! To make things more mysterious, he started to crawl instead of walk--now the alleys seemed full of danger.

Thus a long time went by--according to his own calculations at the time, ten years went by, and he was still hiding and going ever farther away from the people.

And thus he went so far that he was seized with dread--between him and the past, when he was walking like everybody else, an abyss was formed over which it seemed to him impossible to cross.

Now he would have come out into the light but he was afraid--it was impossible; all was lost.

And the music was still playing, and everybody had forgotten him, even mamma.