"Where he comes from I am ignorant; but I can readily tell you where he is going to, and that is down below, without the least doubt."
"Let us return to the promise you wished me to make," said Franz.
"Well, then, you must return immediately to your hotel, and make no attempt to follow this man to-night. There are certain affinities between the persons we quit and those we meet afterward. For heaven's sake, do not serve as a conductor between that man and me. Pursue your chase after him to-morrow as eagerly as you please; but never bring him near me, if you would not see me die of terror. And now, good-night. Try to sleep; for my own part, I am quite sure I shall not be able to close my eyes."
So saying, the countess quitted Franz, leaving him unable to decide whether she were merely amusing herself at his expense, or that her fears and agitations were genuine.
Upon his return to the hotel Franz found Albert in his dressing-gown and slippers, listlessly extended on a sofa, smoking a cigar.
"My dear fellow!" cried he, springing up, "is it really you? Why, I did not expect to see you before to-morrow."
"My dear Albert!" replied Franz, "I am glad of this opportunity to tell you, once and forever, that you entertain a most erroneous notion concerning Italian ladies. I should have thought the failures you have met with might have taught you better."
"Upon my soul! these women would puzzle the very devil to read them aright. Why, here they give you their hand they press yours in return they keep up a whispering conversation permit you to accompany them home! Why, if a Parisian were to indulge in a quarter of these marks of flattering attention, her reputation would be gone forever."
"And the very reason why the women of this fine country, *where sounds the Si,' as Dante writes, put so little restraint on their words and actions is because they live so much in public, and have really nothing to conceal. Besides, you must have perceived that the countess was really alarmed."
"At what? at the sight of that respectable gentleman sitting opposite to us in the same box as the lovely Greek? Now, for my part, I met them in the lobby after the conclusion of the piece, and hang me if I can guess where you took your notions of the other world from! He is a fine-looking fellow admirably dressed a patron of Blin or Humann. Rather pale, certainly; but, then, you know, paleness is a mark of distinction."
Franz smiled. Albert particularly prided himself on his own paleness.
