“What all the world knows. You are recognized as an unusual type. You are interested in questions, a knowledge of which as a general rule does not reach your circles. The weal and woe of the poorer classes seem to you important questions. You are certainly an opponent of any war, instigated from frivolous motives.... Let me tell you what is in preparation. In your position, as the son of a powerful ruler, you might perhaps exert an influence which would avert a threatening misfortune.”
“You excite my curiosity.”
“It is as yet a very imperfect world in which individuals have the opportunity to bring about national conflicts from personal ambition, and where the good will of individuals is required to forfend such evils, instead of security being the normal, natural basis of the intercourse of nations; where one must lay secret plans to save the life of one’s fellow-men!”
“I am ready to enter into such a plot, Mr. Toker. Speak!”
“Thanks, but you came here this evening to enjoy the society of my guests, and what I have to say is not so quickly explained. Could you come to-morrow to my study? I should like to give you a glance at some of my correspondence which has induced me to venture approaching you.”
“Very gladly, Mr. Toker. Would eleven o’clock suit you?”
“Perfectly. And now I will not detain you any longer.”
Victor Adolph took advantage of this permission to look for Franka. He found her on the terrace, sitting with only Gwendoline for companion, at some distance from the others. After greeting the daughter of the house, he turned to Franka.
“I did not come to see you in your loge this evening, gnädiges Fräulein, because I knew that I should have the pleasure of finding you here.”
Gwendoline, in accordance with the proverb which she knew so well, “Two is company, three is none,” found a pretext for going away. Victor Adolph sat down on the seat which she had vacated. Franka was ill at ease: she had a suspicion that the prince was not going to talk about indifferent things. He was silent for a while. That made her still more uncomfortable, and in order to relieve the situation she began to speak:—