“Yes, Castorp,” he said⁠—this was the first time he had called the young man simply by his last name⁠—“the thing works out praeter propter as I thought it would. I had my suspicions⁠—I can tell you now⁠—from the first day I had the undeserved honour of making your acquaintance; I made a pretty shrewd guess that you were one of us and that you would find it out, like many another who has come up here on a lark and gone about with his nose in the air, only to discover, one fine day, that it would be as well for him⁠—and not only as well, mark that⁠—to make a more extended stay, quite without reference to the beauties of the scenery.”

Hans Castorp had flushed; Joachim, in act to button his braces, paused as he stood, and listened.