Aha. Melchior looks up at Anatoly, watching him. "And how do you know your friend does not?"

He wonders if this was what Moritz was like, all that time back home, before he killed himself. Did he think in this way? Did he talk himself out of confessing over and over until he had no other way out? And here, after he kissed Melchior during their fight, what did he think Melchior would do? What could he have expected? Melchior bites his lip, his enjoyment in helping Anatoly with his problem waning.

"He may be as timid about acting on it as you are."