Three Comrades

by Erich Maria Remarque

“May our children have rich parents.”

“Could, could,” answered Jaffé. “Haven’t you ever observed how we live in an age of self-persecution? What a lot of things there are one might do that one doesn’t—and yet why, God only knows.

“Does he belong to us?” “So far as any living creature can belong to another, yes.”

I stood by and listened to her and laughed and thought what a damned business it was to love a woman and yet be poor.

Once more she had someone to hand over her money to, so that he could drink it and then beat her afterwards. She was happy.

Besides my head was still muddled from the afternoon sleep—that sleep that brings a man near to suicide when he wakes.

and each time as I glided down the slope and prepared for the swing and relaxed my body, I would think: If I do it this time without falling, Pat will get better.