安妮日记英文版_安妮·弗兰克-第52章

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oot…　steps　on　the　stairs；　then　a　rattling　at　the　bookcase。　this　moment　is　indescribable。

〃now　were　done　for；〃　i　said；　and　i　had　visions　of　all　fifteen　of　us　being　dragged　away　by　the　gestapo　that　very　night。

more　rattling　at　the　bookcase；　twice。　then　we　heard　a　can　fall；　and　the　footsteps　receded。　we　were　out　of　danger；　so　far！　a　shiver　went　though　everyones　body；　i　heard　several　sets　of　teeth　chattering；　no　one　said　a　word。　we　stayed　like　this　until　eleven…thirty。

there　were　no　more　sounds　in　the　house；　but　a　light　was　shining　on　our　landing；　right　in　front　of　the　bookcase。　was　that　because　the　police　thought　it　looked　so　suspicious　or　because　they　simply　forgot？　was　anyone　going　to　e　back　and　turn　it　off？　we　found　our　tongues　again。

there　were　no　longer　any　people　inside　the　building；　but　perhaps　someone　was　standing　guard　outside。　we　then　did　three　things：　tried　to　guess　what　was　going　on；　trembled　with　fear　and　went　to　the　bathroom。　since　the　buckets　were　in　the　attic；　all　we　had　was　peters　metal　wastepaper　basket。　mr。　van　daan　went　first；　then　father；　but　mother　was　too　embarrassed。　father　brought　the　waste…　basket　to　the　next　room；　where　margot；　mrs。　van　daan　and　i　gratefully　made　use　of　it。　mother　finally　gave　in。

there　was　a　great　demand　for　paper；　and　luckily　i　had　some　in　my　pocket。

the　wastebasket　stank；　everything　went　on　in　a　whisper；　and　we　were　exhausted。　it　was　midnight。

〃lie　down　on　the　floor　and　go　to　sleep！〃　margot　and　i　were　each　given　a　pillow　and　a　blanket。　margot　lay　down　near　the　food　cupboard；　and　i　made　my　bed　between　the　table　legs。　the　smell　wasnt　quite　so　bad　when　you　were　lying　on　the　floor；　but　mrs。

van　daan　quietly　went　and　got　some　powdered　bleach　and　draped　a　dish　towel　over　the　potty　as　a　further　precaution。

talk；　whispers；　fear；　stench；　farting　and　people　continually　going　to　the　bathroom；　try　sleeping　through　that！　by　two…thirty；　however；　i　was　so　tired　i　dozed　off　and　didnt　hear　a　thing　until　three…thirty。　i　woke　up　when　mrs。　van　d。　lay　her　head　on　my　feet。

〃for　heavens　sake；　give　me　something　to　put　on！〃　i　said。　i　was　handed　some　clothes；　but　dont　ask　what：　a　pair　of　wool　slacks　over　my　pajamas；　a　red　sweater　and　a　black　skirt；　white　understockings　and　tattered　kneesocks。

mrs。　van　d。　sat　back　down　on　the　chair；　and　mr。　van　d。　lay　down　with　his　head　on　my　feet。　from　three…　thirty　onward　i　was　engrossed　in　thought；　and　still　shiver…　ing　so　much　that　mr。　van　daan　couldnt　sleep。　i　was　preparing　myself　for　the　return　of　the　police。　wed　tell　them　we　were　in　hiding；　if　they　were　good　people；　wed　be　safe；　and　if　they　were　nazi　sympathizers；　we　could　try　to　bribe　them！

〃we　should　hide　the　radio！〃　moaned　mrs。　van　d。

〃sure；　in　the　stove；〃　answered　mr。　van　d。　〃if　they　find　us；　they　might　as　well　find　the　radio！鈥�

〃then　theyll　also　find　annes　diary；〃　added　father。

〃so　burn　it；〃　suggested　the　most　terrified　of　the　group。

this　and　the　police　rattling　on　the　bookcase　were　the　moments　when　i　was　most　afraid。　oh；　not　my　diary；　if　my　diary　goes；　i　go　too！　thank　goodness　father　didnt　say　anything　more。

theres　no　point　in　recounting　all　the　conversations；　so　much　was　said。　i　forted　mrs。　van　daan；　who　was　very　frightened。　we　talked　about　escaping；　being　interrogated　by　the　gestapo；　phoning　mr。　kleiman　and　being　courageous。

〃we　must　behave　like　soldiers；　mrs。　van　daan。　if　our　time　has　e；　well　then；　itll　be　for　queen　and　country；　for　freedom；　truth　and　justice；　as　theyre　always　telling　us　on　the　radio。　the　only　bad　thing　is　that　well　drag　the　others　down　with　us！鈥�

after　an　hour　mr。　van　daan　switched　places　with　his　wife　again；　and　father　came　and　sat　beside　me。　the　men　smoked　one　cigarette　after　another；　an　occasional　sigh　was　heard；　somebody　made　another　trip　to　the　potty；　and　then　everything　began　allover　again。

four　oclock；　five；　five…thirty。　i　went　and　sat　with　peter　by　his　window　and　listened；　so　close　we　could　feel　each　others　bodies　trembling；　we　spoke　a　word　or　two　from　time　to　time　and　listened　intently。　next　door　they　took　down　the　blackout　screen。

they　made　a　list　of　everything　they　were　planning　to　tell　mr。　kleiman　over　the　phone；　because　they　intended　to　call　him　at　seven　and　ask　him　to　send　someone　over。　they　were　taking　a　big　chance；　since　the　police　guard　at　the　door　or　in　the　warehouse　might　hear　them　calling；　but　there　was　an　even　greater　risk　that　the　police　would　return。

im　enclosing　their　list；　but　for　the　sake　of　clarity；　ill　copy　it　here。

buralary：　police　in　building；　up　to　bookcase；　but　no　farther。　burglars　apparently　interrupted；　forced　warehouse　door；　fled　through　garden。　main　entrance　bolted；　kugler　must　have　left　through　second　door。

typewriter　and　adding　machine　safe　in　black　chest　in　private　office。

mieps　or　beps　laundry　in　washtub　in　kitchen。

only　bep　or　kugler　have　key　to　second　door；　lock　may　be　broken。

try　to　warn　jan　and　get　key；　look　around　office；　also　feed　cat。

for　the　rest；　everything　went　according　to　plan。　mr。　kleiman　was　phoned；　the　poles　were　removed　from　the　doors；　the　typewriter　was　put　back　in　the　chest。　then　we　all　sat　around　the　table　again　and　waited　for　either　jan　or　the　police。

peter　had　dropped　off　to　sleep　and　mr。　van　daan　anne　frank　and　i　were　lying　on　the　floor　when　we　heard　loud　footsteps　below。　i　got　up　quietly。　〃its　jan！鈥�

〃no；　no；　its　the　police！〃　they　all　said。

there　was　a　knocking　at　our　bookcase。　miep　whis…　tled。　this　was　too　much　for　mrs。

van　daan；　who　sank　limply　in　her　chair；　white　as　a　sheet。　if　the　tension　had　lasted　another　minute；　she　would　have　fainted。

jan　and　miep　came　in　and　were　met　with　a　delightful　scene。　the　table　alone　would　have　been　worth　a　photograph：　a　copy　of　cinema　&。。　theater；　opened　to　a　page　of　dancing　girls　and　smeared　with　jam　and　pectin；　which　wed　been　taking　to　bat　the　diarrhea；　two　jam　jars；　half　a　bread　roll；　a　quarter　of　a　bread　roll；　pectin；　a　mirror；　a　b；　matches；　ashes；　cigarettes；　tobacco；　an　ashtray；　books；　a　pair　of　underpants；　a

flashlight；　mrs。　van　daans　b；　toilet　paper；　etc。

jan　and　miep　were　of　course　greeted　with　shouts　and　tears。　jan　nailed　a　pinewood　board　over　the　gap　in　the　door　and　went　off　again　with　miep　to　inform　the　police　of　the　break…in。　miep　had　also　found　a　note　under　the　ware…　house　door　from　sleegers；　the　night　watchman；　who　had　noticed　the　hole　and　alerted　the　police。　jan　was　also　planning　to　see　sleegers。

so　we　had　half　an　hour　in　which　to　put　the　house　and　ourselves　to　rights。　ive　never　seen　such　a　transformation　as　in　those　thirty　minutes。　margot　and　i　got　the　beds　ready　downstairs；　went　to　the　bathroom；　brushed　our　teeth；　washed　our　hands　and　bed　our　hair。　then　i　straightened　up　the　room　a　bit　and　went　back　upstairs。　the　table　had　already　been　cleared；　so　we　got　some　water；　made　coffee　and　tea；　boiled　the　milk　and　set　the　table。　father　and　peter　emptied　our　improvised　potties　and　rinsed　them　with　warm　water　and　powdered　bleach。　the　largest　one　was　filled　to　the　brim　and　was　so　heavy　they　had　a　hard　time　lifting　it。　to　make　things　worse；　it　was　leaking；　so　they　had　to　put　it　in　a　bucket。

at　eleven　oclock　jan　was　back　and　joined　us　at　the　table；　and　gradually　everyone　began　to　relax。　jan　had　the　following　story　to　tell：

mr。　sleegers　was　asleep；　but　his　wife　told　jan　that　her　husband　had　discovered　the　hole　in　the　door　while　making　his　rounds。　he　called　in　a　policeman；　and　the　two　of　them　searched　the　building。　mr。　sleegers；　in　his　capacity　as　night　watchman；　patrols　the　area　every　night　on　his　bike；　acpanied　by　his　two　dogs。　his　wife　said　he　would　e　on　tuesday　and　tell　mr。　kugler　the　rest。　no　one　at　the　police　station　seemed　to　know　anything　about　the　break…in；　but　they　made　a　note　to　e　first　thing　tuesday　morning　to　have　a　look。

on　the　way　back　jan　happened　to　run　into　mr。　van　hoeven；　the　man　who　supplies　us　with　potatoes；　and　told　him　of　the　break…in。　〃i　know；〃　mr。　van　hoeven　calmly　replied。

〃last　night　when　my　wife　and　i　were　walking　past　your　building；　i　saw　a　gap　in　the　door。　my　wife　wanted　to　walk　on；　but　i　peeked　inside　with　a　flashlight；　and　thats　when　the　burglars　must　have　run　off。　to　be　on　the　safe　side；　i　didnt　call　the　police。　i　thought　it　wouldnt　be　wise　in　your　c