XIV

ecomethusgreedyforit?" "GivemeeighthundredandIwillstop." "Iwillgiveyousixhundred,"saidFritzing,fightingforeachofhislastpreciouspounds. "Eight." "Six." "Isaideight,"saidAnnalise,stoppingandlookingathimwithliftedeye-browsandexactlyimitatingthedistinctnesswithwhichthePrincesshadjustsaid"Isaidtea." "Sixisanenormoussum.Why,whatwouldyoudowithit?" "Thatismyaffair.Perhapsbuyfood,"shesaidwithamaliciousside-glance. "Itellyouthereshallbeacook." "Acook,"saidAnnalisecountingonherfingers,—"andagoodcook,observe—notacookliketheFrauPearce—acook,then,nomorerudenames,andeighthundredmarks.ThenIstop.Isuffer.Iamsilent." "Itcannotbedone.Icannotgiveyoueight." "C'estl'amour,c'estl'amour....ThePrincesswaitsforhertea.Iwillprepareitforherthisonce.Iamgood,yousee,atheart.ButImusthaveeighthundredmarks.Cestl'amo-o-o-o-o-our." "Iwillgiveyouseven,"saidFritzing,doingrapidsumsinhishead.Sevenhundredwassomethingunderthirty-fivepounds.Hewouldstillhavefivepoundsleftforhousekeeping.Howlongthatwouldlastheadmittedtohimselfthatprobablyonlyheavenknew,buthehopedthatwitheconomyitmightbemadetocarrythemoverafortnightandsurelybytheendofafortnighthewouldhavehitonawayofgettingfreshsuppliesfromGermany?"Iwillgiveyousevenhundred.Thatistheutter-most.IcangivenomoretillIhavewrittenhomeformoney.Ihaveonlyalittlemorethanthatherealtogether.See,Itreatyoulikeareasonablebeing—Isetthetruthplainlybeforeyou.MorethansevenhundredIcouldnotgiveifIwould." "Good,"saidAnnalise,breakingoffhermusicsuddenly."Iwilltakethatnowandguaranteetobesilentforfourteendays.AttheendofthattimetheHerrGeheimrathwillhaveplentymoremoneyandwill,ifhestilldesiresmyservicesandmysilence,givemethethreehundredstillduetomeonthethousandIdemand.IftheHerrGeheimrathprefersnotto,thenIdeparttomynativecountry.WhilethefortnightlastsIwillsufferallthereistosufferinsilence.IstheHerrGeheimrathagreed?" "Shamelessone!"mentallyshriekedFritzing,"Waitandseewhatwillhappentotheewhenmyturncomes!"Butaloudheonlyagreed."Itiswell,Fr?ulein,"hesaid."TakeinthePrincess'stea,andthencometomysitting-roomandIwillgiveyouthemoney.Thefireburnsinthekitchen.Utensils,Ibelieve,arereadytohand.Itshouldnotproveatasktoodifficult." "PerhapstheHerrGeheimrathwillshowmewheretheteaandmilkis?Andalsothesugar,andthebreadandbutterifany?"suggestedAnnaliseinasmallmeekvoiceasshetrippedbeforehimintothekitchen. Whatcouldhedobutfollow?Herfootwaswellonhisneckanditoccurredtohimasherummagedmiserablyamongcanistersthatifthecreatureshouldtakeitintoherheadtomarryhimhemightconceivablyhavetoletherdoit.AsitwasitwasheandnotAnnalisewhotookthekettleouttothepumptofillit,andherfacewhilehewasdoingitwouldhaverejoicedherparentsorotherpersonstowhomshewaspresumablydear,itwaswidewithsoenormousasatisfaction.ThusterribleisittobeinthepowerofanAnnalise.