"Yes, it does happen sometimes. He happens to be one of those people who are at one with us at the bottom of their soul. You remember the evening, Demeter, when you had the pleasure of seeing me for the first time. Do you know why I was at Ehrenbergs' then?... And do you know the object for which he gave me straight away a thousand gulden...? To...." She bit her lips. "I mustn't say, that was the condition."
Suddenly Demeter got up and bowed to somebody who had just passed. It was the Austrian gentleman who had arrived yesterday. He lifted his hat and vanished in the darkness of the garden.
"Do you know that man?" asked George, after a few seconds. "I also seem to know him, but who is it?"
"The Prince of Guastalla," said Demeter.
"Really!" exclaimed Therese involuntarily, and her eyes pierced into the darkness.
"What are you looking at him for?" said Demeter. "He is just a man like any one else."
"He is supposed to be banished from Court," said George, "isn't he?"
"I know nothing about that," replied Demeter, "but he is certainly not a favourite there. He recently published a pamphlet about certain conditions in our army, particularly the life of the officers in the provinces. It went very much against him, although as a matter of fact there is nothing really bad in it."
"He should have applied to me about that," said Therese. "I could have given him a tip or two."
"My dear child," said Demeter deprecatingly, "what you are probably referring to again is simply an exceptional case. You shouldn't jump at once into generalities."