
A strikingly intimate stage opens in the modest boudoir of a young actress, where the ordinary rituals of dressing and phone‑talk give way to a strange, almost theatrical choreography. The room is described in meticulous detail, its muted surfaces offset by a jumble of personal objects that seem to pulse with hidden meaning. From the first line, the dialogue crackles with a mix of polite banter and an undercurrent of unease, hinting at secrets that linger just beyond the mirror’s reflection.
Jeanne’s conversation with a distant friend, the sudden arrival of a nervous visitor named Rainer, and the cryptic messages delivered by a trembling maid create a web of intrigue that feels both familiar and grotesquely exaggerated. Their exchange teeters between courteous politeness and barely restrained tension, raising questions about past relationships, concealed motives, and the fragile balance of public image versus private desire. The scene captures a moment of fragile suspense, inviting listeners to linger in the charged atmosphere before the story unfolds further.
Language
de
Duration
~1 hours (59K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Jens Sadowski
Release date
2013-08-27
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
Subjects

1893–1970
A sharp-eyed German journalist and travel writer, he spent much of his life on the move, turning exile and long stays abroad into books about politics, society, and the wider world. Writing as L. L. Matthias, he became especially known for lively, skeptical portraits of countries he knew firsthand.
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