II

tosayordoanythingnotentirelyfittingherstation.Youhaveseenher?Sheoftendrivesthroughthetown,andthenthepeopleallrunandlookaspleasedasifitwereaholiday.WeinGersteinarequitejealous.Ourduchyhasnosuchprincesstoshow.Doyouthinksheissobeautiful?Ihaveoftenseenher,andIdonotthinksheis.Peopleexaggerateeverythingsoaboutaprincess.Myhusbanddoesnotadmireheratall.Hesaysitisnotwhathecallsclassic.Herhair,forinstance—butthatonemightgetover.Andpeoplewhoarereallybeautifulalwayshavedarkeyelashes.Thenhernose—myhusbandoftenlaughs,andsayshernose—" "Oh,"saidPriscilla,faintly,"I'vegotadreadfulheadache.IthinkI'lltrytosleepalittleifyouwouldnotmindnottalking." "Yes,thathotthingroundyourfacemustbeverytrying.Nowifyouwerenotsovain—whatdoesarashmatterwhenonlywomenarepresent?Well,well,Iwillnotteaseyou.DoyouknowmanyoftheKunitzers?DoyouknowtheLevisohnswell?" "Oh,"sighedPriscilla,layingherdistractedheadagainstthecushionsandshuttinghereyes,"whoarethey?" "Whoarethey?WhoaretheLevisohns?ButdearestFr?uleinifyouknowKunitzyoumustknowtheLevisohns.Why,theLevisohnsareKunitz.TheyaremoreimportantfarthantheGrandDuke.Theylendtoit,andtheyleadit.YoumustknowtheirmagnificentshopatthecorneroftheHeiligengeiststrasse?Perhaps,"sheadded,withaglanceatthePrincess'sshabbysergegown,"youhavenotmetthemsocially,butyoumustknowthemagnificentshop.Wevisit." "Doyou?"saidPriscillawearily,asthemotherpaused. "Andyouknowherstory,ofcourse?" "Oh,oh,"sighedPriscilla,turningherheadfromsidetosideonthecushions,vainlyseekingpeace. "ItishardlyastoryfortheearsofFr?uleins." "Pleasedon'ttellit,then." "No,Iwillnot.ItisnotforFr?uleins.Butonestillseesshemusthavebeenahandsomewoman.Andhe,Levisohn,wascleverenoughtoseehiswaytoCourtfavour.TheGrandDuke—" "Idon'tthinkIcaretohearabouttheLevisohns,"saidPriscilla,sittingupsuddenlyandspeakingwithgreatdistinctness."GossipisathingIdetest.Noneshallbetalkedinmypresence." "Hoity-toity,"saidtheastonishedmotheranditwilleasilybebelievedthatnoonehadeversaidhoity-toitytoPriscillabefore. Sheturnedscarletunderherveil.Foramomentshesatwithflashingeyes,andthehandlyinginherlaptwitchedconvulsively.Isitpossibleshewasthinkingofgivingthecomfortablemotherthatadmonitionwhichthepolicemanhadsonarrowlyescaped?Iknownotwhatwouldhavehappenedifthemerrygoddess,seeingthingsrushingtothisdreadfulclimax,hadnotstoppedthetraininthenickoftimeatawaysidestationandcausedabreathlesslady,pushingparcelsbeforeher,toclamberin.Themother'ssurprisedstarewasofnecessitydivertedtothenew-comer.AparcelthrustintoPriscilla'shandsbroughtherbackofnecessitytohersenses. "Danke,Danke,"criedthebreathlesslady,thoughnohelphadbeenofferedandhoistingherselfinshewishedbothherfellow-passengersaboisterousgoodevening.Thelady,evidentlyanableperson,arrangedherparcelsswiftlyandneatlyintheracks,pulledupthewindows,slammedtheventilators,strippedoffhercloak,flungbackherveil,andsittingdownwithasighofvastdepthandlengthstaredsteadilyforfiveminuteswithoutwaveringattheothertwo.Attheendofthattimesheandthemotherbegan,aswithacommonimpulse,totalk.Andattheendoffiveminutesmoretheyhadtoldeachotherwheretheyweregoing,wheretheyhadbeen,whattheirhusbandswere,thenumber,age,andgirthoftheirchildren,andalltheadjectivesthatmightmostconvenientlybeusedtodescribetheirservants.Theadjectives,veryluridones,tooksometime.Priscillashuthereyeswhiletheyweregoingon,thankfultobeleftquiet,feelingunstrungtothelastdegreeandshegraduallydroppedintoanuneasydozewhosechieffeaturewasthedistressfulrepetition,likehammer-strokesonherbrain,ofthewords,"You'redeteriorating—deteriorating—deteriorating." "LieberGott,"shewhisperedatlast,foldingherhandsinherlap,"don'tletmedeterioratetoomuch.Pleasekeepmefromwantingtoboxpeople'sears.LieberGott,it'ssobarbarousofme.Ineverusedtowantto.Pleasestopmewantingtonow." Andafterthatshedroppedoffquite,intoaplacidlittleslumber.