《安妮日记》第68章

ening　peter　couldnt　take　his　balli；　because　the　washtub　was　down　in　the　office　kitchen；　filled　with　laundry。　the　two　of　us　went　to　the　front　attic　together；　and　in　order　to　be　able　to　sit　fortably；　i　took　along　the　only　cushion　i　could　find　in　my　room。　we　seated　ourselves　on　a　packing　crate。　since　both　the　crate　and　the　cushion　were　very　narrow；　we　were　sitting　quite　close；　leaning　against　two　other　crates；　mouschi　kept　us　pany；　so　we　werent　without　a　chaperon。　suddenly；　at　a　quarter　to　nine；　mr。　van　daan　whistled　and　asked　if　we　had　mr。　dussels　cushion。　we　jumped　up　and　went　downstairs　willi　the　cushion；　the　cat　and　mr。　van　daan。　this　cushion　was　the　source　of　much　misery。　dussel　was　angry　because　id　taken　the　one　he　uses　as　a　pillow；　and　he　was　afraid　it　might　be　covered　with　fleas；　he　had　the　entire　house　in　an　uproar　because　of　this　one　cushion。　in　revenge；　peter　and　i　stuck　two　hard　brushes　in　his　bed；　but　had　to　take　them　out　again　when　dussel　unexpectedly　decided　to　go　sit　in　his　room。　we　had　a　really　good　laugh　at　this　little　intermezzo。
but　our　fun　was　short…lived。　at　nine…thirty　peter　knocked　gently　on　the　door　and　asked　father　to　e　upstairs　and　help　him　with　a　difficult　english　sentence。
〃that　sounds　fishy；〃　i　said　to　margot。　〃its　obviously　a　pretext。　you　can　tell　by　the　way　the　men　are　talking　that　theres　been　a　break…in！〃　i　was　right。　the　warehouse　was　being　broken　into　at　that　very　moment。　father；　mr。　van　daan　and　peter　were
downstairs　in　a　flash。　margot；　mother；　mrs。　van　d。　and　i　waited。　four　frightened　women　need　to　talk；　so　thats　what　we　did　until　we　heard　a　bang　downstairs。　after　that　all　was　quiet。　the　clock　struck　quarter　to　ten。　the　color　had　drained　from　our　faces；　but　we　remained　calm；　even　though　we　were　afraid。　where　were　the　men？　what　was　that　bang？　were　they　fighting　with　the　burglars？　we　were　too　scared　to　think；　all　we　could　do　was　wait。
ten　oclock；　footsteps　on　the　stairs。　father；　pale　and　nervous；　came　inside；　followed　by　mr。　van　daan。　〃lights　out；　tiptoe　upstairs；　were　expecting　the　police！〃　there　wasnt　time　to　be　scared。　the　lights　were　switched　off；　i　grabbed　a　jacket；　and　we　sat　down　upstairs。
〃what　happened？　tell　us　quickly！”
there　was　no　one　to　tell　us；　the　men　had　gone　back　downstairs。　the　four　of　them　didnt　e　back　up　until　ten　past　ten。　two　of　them　kept　watch　at　peters　open　window。　the　door　to　the　landing　was　locked；　the　book…　case　shut。　we　draped　a　sweater　over　our　night…light；　and　then　they　told　us　what　had　happened：
peter　was　on　the　landing　when　he　heard　two　loud　bangs。　he　went　downstairs　and　saw　that　a　large　panel　was　missing　from　the　left　half　of　the　warehouse　door。　he　dashed　upstairs；　alerted　the　〃home　guard；〃　and　the　four　of　them　went　downstairs。　when　they　entered　the　warehouse；　the　burglars　were　going　about　their　business。　without　thinking；　mr。　van　daan　yelled　〃police！〃　hur…　ried　footsteps　outside；　the　burglars　had　fled。　the　board　was　put　back　in　the　door　so　the　police　wouldnt　notice　the　gap；　but　then　a　swift　kick　from　outside　sent　it　flying　to　the　floor。　the　men　were　amazed　at　the　burglars　audacity。　both　peter　and　mr。　van　daan　felt　a　murderous　rage　e　over　them。　mr。　van　daan　slammed　an　ax　against　the　floor；　and　all　was　quiet　again。　once　more　the　panel　was　re…　placed；　and　once　more　the　attempt　was　foiled。　outside；　a　man　and　a　woman　shone　a　glaring　flashlight　through　the　opening；　lighting　up　the　entire　warehouse。　〃what　the　。　。　。〃　mumbled　one　of　the　men；　but　now　their　roles　had　been　reversed。　instead　of　policemen；　they　were　now　burglars。　all　four　of　them　raced　upstairs。　dussel　and　mr。
van　daan　snatched　up　dussels　books；　peter　opened　the　doors　and　windows　in　the　kitchen　and　private　office；　hurled　the　phone　to　the　ground；　and　the　four　of　them　finally　ended　up　behind　the　bookcase。
end　of　part　one　in　all　probability　the　man　and　woman　with　the　flashlight　had　alerted　the　police。　it　was　sunday　night；　easter　sunday。　the　next　day；　easter　monday；　the　office　was　going　to　be　closed；　which　meant　we　wouldnt　be　able　to　move　around　until　tuesday　morning。
think　of　it；　having　to　sit　in　such　terror　for　a　day　and　two　nights！　we　thought　of　nothing；　but　simply　sat　there　in　pitch　darkness　……　in　her　fear；　mrs。　van　d。　had　switched　off　the　lamp。　we　whispered；　and　every　time　we　heard　a　creak；　someone　said；　〃shh；　shh。”
it　was　ten…thirty；　then　eleven。　not　a　sound。　father　and　mr。　van　daan　took　turns　ing　upstairs　to　us。　then；　at　eleven…fifteen；　a　noise　below。　up　above　you　could　hear　the　whole　family　breathing。　for　the　rest；　no　one　moved　a　muscle。　footsteps　in　the　house；　the　private　office；　the　kitchen；　then。　。　。　on　the　staircase。　all　sounds　of　breathing　stopped；　eight　hearts　pounded。　foot…　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。