Explore "Buddenbrooks" by Thomas Mann on Textopian. Read with annotations and highlights.
As the party began to move toward the dining-room, Consul Buddenbrook's hand went to his left breast-pocket and fingered a paper that was inside. The polite smile had left his face, giving place to a strained and careworn look, and the muscles stood out on his temples as he clenched his teeth. For appearance's sake he made a few steps toward the dining-room, but stopped and sought his mother's eye as she was leaving the room on Pastor Wunderlich's arm, among the last of her guests.
"Pardon me, dear Herr Pastor. just a word with you, Mamma. " The Pastor nodded gaily, and the Consul drew his Mother over to the window of the landscape-room.