“ ‘Don’t behave like that,’ he tells them,” Joachim answered. “At least, that is what he told somebody lately⁠—we heard it from the Directress, who was present and helped to hold the man. He was one of those who make a regular scene at the end, and simply won’t die. So Behrens brought him up with a round turn: ‘Do me the favour not to behave like that,’ he said to him; and the patient became quite calm and died as quietly as you please.”

Hans Castorp slapped his thigh and threw himself back against the bench, looking up at the sky.

“I say, that’s pretty steep,” he cried. “Goes at him like that, and simply tells him not to behave that way! To a dying man! But after all, a dying man has something in a way⁠—sacred about him. One can’t just⁠—perfectly coolly, like that⁠—a dying man is sort of holy, I should think!”

“I don’t deny it,” said Joachim. “But when one behaves as feebly as that⁠—”