but all the same—yet I won’t dare to advance it on my own unsupported word. Mizzi,” he called, and then: “But what are you doing?”
Mizzi and the assistants, left so long unnoticed, had clearly not found the paper they were looking for, and had then tried to shut everything up again in the cabinet, but on account of the confusion and superabundance of papers had not succeeded. Then the assistants had hit upon the idea which they were carrying out now. They had laid the cabinet on its back on the floor, crammed all the documents in, then along with Mizzi had knelt on the cabinet door and were trying now in this way to get it shut.
“So the paper hasn’t been found,” said the Superintendent. “A pity, but you know the story already; really we don’t need the paper now, besides it will certainly be found sometime yet; probably it’s at the teacher’s place, there’s a great pile of papers there too. But come over here now with the candle, Mizzi, and read this letter for me.”