Fräulein Schmidt and Mr. Anstruther

by Elizabeth Von Arnim

'I repeat it,' said Onkel Heinrich.

'Do not think, my dear—'

'I do not think, I know. Am I to sit silent, to have no opinion, in my own house? At my own table?'

'My dear—'

'If you do not like to hear the truth, refrain from talking nonsense.'

'My dear Heinrich—will you not try—in the presence of—of relations, and of—of our children—' Her voice shook a little, and she stopped, and began with great haste and exactness to fold up her table-napkin.

'Ach—quatsch' said Onkel Heinrich again, irritably pushing back his chair.

He waddled to a cupboard—of course he doesn't get much exercise in his cage, so he can only waddle—and took out a box of cigars. 'Come, Ferdinand,' he said, 'let us go and smoke together in my room and leave the dear women to the undisturbed enjoyment of their wits.'

'I do not smoke,' said Papa briefly.

'Come then while I smoke,' said Onkel Heinrich.