The Präsidentin shrugged her shoulders. "Making him a 'Von' was a necessity, since Antonie had once taken that mad step. She is, and will always be, Gräfin Arnau, in spite of all, and as such cannot be simply bürgerlich Frau Reinert, if she comes back here. But a consideration, which was due to the world to cover the scandal to the family, has no influence upon my judgment. To me Herr Reinert remains, as he always was, bürgerlich."
Hermann gazed moodily into the distance, and his brow clouded somewhat.
"I hoped Eugen would gain an artist's name for himself, which would make this 'nobility' superfluous; unfortunately it has come to nothing."
"What?" The Präsidentin's voice involuntarily became sharper. "Do you mean to say that the fame of an artist can make up for the inherited coronet of a count?"
"Make up for it--no! but it can atone for the want of it in a certain sense, especially with such a romantic nature as Toni's."
The Präsidentin's face showed how little this answer pleased her.
"You always had a weakness for this Reinert," said she, shaking her head deprecatingly.
"He was once very dear to me!"
"Was?"
"Yes. But several things have happened to cause a coldness between us. I had the greatest hopes for his talents and future, but nothing has come of them."