XIV

rvice,aserviceofsuchgreathonourtoyourself,becauseIchancedtobeperhapsalittle—hasty.Iwillgiveyoutwohundredmarkstoconsoleyoufortheslightthoughundoubteddifferenceinthemodeofliving,andIwill,asIsaid,hireawomantocomeeachdayandcook.Willitnotbewellso?" "No,"saidAnnalise. "No?" Annaliseputherhandsonherhips,andswayinglightlyfromsidetosidebegantosingsoftly.Fritzinggazedatthisfreshdevelopmentinhermannersinsilentastonishment."JedermannmachtmirdieCour,c'estl'amour,c'estl'amour,"sangAnnalise,herheadoneside,hereyesontheceiling. "LiebesKind,areyourpromisesofnovalue?Didyounotpromisetokeepyourmouthshut,andnotbetraythePrincess'sconfidence?Didshenotseekyououtfromalltheothersforthehonourofkeepinghersecrets?Andyouwill,afteroneweek,divulgethemtoastranger?Youwillleaveherservice?YouwillreturntoKunitz?Isitwellso?" "C'estl'amour,c'estl'amour,"sangAnnalise,swaying. "Isitwellso,Fr?ulein?"repeatedFritzing,stranglingafuriousdesiretoslapher. "Didyouspeak?"inquiredAnnalise,pausinginhersong. "Iamspeakingallthetime.Iaskedifitwerewelltobetraythesecretsofyourroyalmistress." "Ihavebeenstarved,"saidAnnalise. "Youhavehadthesamefareasourselves." "Ihavebeencallednames." "HaveInotexpressed—regret?" "Ihavebeentreatedasdirt." "Well,well,Ihaveapologized." "Ifyouhadbehavedtomeasamaidofaroyalladyshouldbebehavedto,Iwouldhavefaithfullydonemypartandkeptsilence.NowgivememymoneyandIwillgo." "Iwillgiveyouyourmoney—certainly,liebesKind.ItiswhatIammostdesirousofdoing.Butonlyonconditionthatyoustay.Ifyougo,yougowithoutit.Ifyoustay,IwilldoasIsaidaboutthecookandwill—"Fritzingpaused—"Iwillendeavourtorefrainfromcallingyouanythinghasty." "Twohundredmarks,"saidAnnalisegazingattheceiling,"isnothing." "Nothing?"criedFritzing."Youknowverywellthatitis,foryou,agreatsum." "Itisnothing.Irequireathousand." "Athousand?What,fiftyEnglishsovereigns?Nay,then,butthereisnoreasoningwithyou,"criedFritzingintonesofrealdespair. Shecaughttheconvictioninthemandhesitated."Eighthundred,then,"shesaid. "Impossible.Andbesidesitwouldbeasin.Iwillgiveyoutwenty." "Twenty?Twentymarks?"Annalisestaredathimamomentthenresumedherswayingandhersong—"JedermannmachtmirdieCour"—sangAnnalisewithredoubledconviction. "No,no,notmarks—twentypounds,"saidFritzing,interruptingwhatwastohimamostmaddeningmusic."Fourhundredmarks.AsmuchasmanyaGermangirlcanonlyearnbylabouringtwoyearsyouwillreceivefordoingnothingbutholdyourtongue." Annaliseclosedherlipstightlyandshookherhead."Mytonguecannotbeheldforthat,"shesaid,beginningtoswayagainandhum. AdjectivesfoamedonFritzing'sown,buthekeptthemback."M?dchen,"hesaidwiththegentlenessofapastorinaconfirmationclass,"doyounotrememberthattheloveofmoneyistherootofallevil?Idonotrecognizeyou.Sincewhenhaveyoub