Herr Settembrini’s literary soul was pleased. He answered: “ ‘Adam’s first wife is she.’ ”

Besides themselves there was only Dr. Blumenkohl at the table, sitting in his place at the other end. Everyone else, even Joachim, was now in the drawing-rooms. Hans Castorp said⁠—and he too addressed his companion with the licence of the season, and said “thou” to him: “Dear me, you’re full of poetry tonight. What Lily do you mean? Did Adam marry more than once? I didn’t know it.”

“According to the Hebraic mythus, Lilith became a night-tripping fairy, a ‘ belle dame sans merci ,’ dangerous to young men especially, on account of her beautiful tresses.”