CHAPTER XVI

ButinspiteofthislittleoutburstofgratitudeandappreciationfromFr?uleinKuhr?uber,thefirsteveningofthenewlifewasadisappointment.TheFr?ulein,whoenteredtheroomsohappilyundertheimpressionofthatrecentkiss,becameawkwardanduncomfortablethemomentshecaughtsightoftheotherslapsing,indeed,intoaquitepitifulstateofnervousflutteronbeingbroughtforthefirsttimewithintherangeoftheprincess'scriticalandunsympatheticeye.Herexperiencehadnotincludedprincesses,and,asshemadeaseriesofagitatedcurtseys,deemingonealtogetherinsufficientforsogreatalady,shefeltasthoughthatcoldeyewerepiercingherthrougheasily,andhadalreadydiscoveredtheinmostrecessofhersoul,wherelay,socarefullyhidden,thememoryofthepostman.Everytimetheprincesslookedather,asuddenvividconsciousnessofthepostmanflamedupwithinher,utterlyrefusingtobeextinguishedbythesoothingrecollectionthathehadbeenangelicforthirtyyears.Thatobviouslyexperiencedeyeandthosepursedlipsupsethersocompletelythatshemadenoremarkwhateverduringthemealthatfollowed,butsatnexttoAnnaandateLeberwurstinakindofuneasydreamandsheateitwithadegreeofemphasissounusualamongthepoliteandsodisastroustothepeaceoftheultra-fastidiousthatAnnafelttherereallywassomeslightexcuseforthefrequentandlengthystaresthatcamefromtheotherendofthetable."Yetsheisanimmortalsoul—whatdoesitmatterhowsheeatsLeberwurst?"saidAnnatoherself."Whatdosuchtrifles,suchlittlemannerisms,reallymatter?IshouldindeedbeamiserablecreatureifIletthemannoyme."Butsheturnedherheadaway,nevertheless,andtalkedassiduouslytoLetty. Therewasnooneelseforhertotalkto.FrauvonTreumannandthebaronesshadseatedthemselvesatonceoneoneithersideoftheprincess,anddevotedtheirconversationentirelytoher.Inthedrawing-roomlateron,thesamethinghappened,—thethreeGermanladiesclusteringtogethernearthesofa,andthethreeEnglishbeingleftsomehowtothemselves,exceptforFr?uleinKuhr?uber,whoclungtothem.ToavoidthisdivisionintowhatlookedlikehostilecampsAnnapushedherchairtoaplacemidwaybetweenthegroups,andtriedtojoin,thoughnotverysuccessfully,inthetalkofeachinturn.Outwardcalmprevailedintheroom,subduedvoices,thetranquillityoffancy-work,andthepeaceofalbumsyetAnnacouldnotavoidachilledimpression,afeelingasthougheachpersonpresentweredistrustfuloftheothers,andmoreorlessonthedefensive.FrauvonTreumann,itistrue,wasgraciousnessitselftotheprincess,conversingwithherconstantlyandamiably,andshowingher