Then the musician became bright and happy again. “I would have got two more chairs if you would have let me; one for the fraulein’s sake, and one for his own. And I will come down presently, and you shall present me, if you will be so very kind.”
Marie Weber smiled and thanked him, and declared that she should be very proud;—and the leader of the band went up into his place.
“I wish he had not placed us here,” said Lotta.
“And why not?”
“Because Fritz is coming.”
“No!”
“But he is.”
“And why did you not tell me?”
“Because I did not wish to be speaking of him. Of course you understand why I did not tell you. I would rather it should seem that he came of his own account,—with Carl. Ha, ha!” Carl Stobel was the diamond-cutter to whom Marie Weber was betrothed. “I should not have told you now,—only that I am disarranged by what Herr Crippel has done.”
“Had we not better go,—or at least move our seats? We can make any excuse afterwards.”