She went into the house and he heard her calling “Good night” to Frau Rodbertus, who answered that she was coming down to accompany her home.
Albert jumped up and said he would see her home. Eugenie rushed up the stairs and some words were exchanged between her and Frau Rodbertus and she soon came down and accepted his proffered escort.
They walked through the courtyard gate silently. He wished to touch her arm, to help her across the step of the portal, but he was keenly conscious of diffidence and barely touched her elbow, quickly letting it go.
He grew more loquacious after they had covered some distance. He was telling her how much he admired the French and that he had loved them from his early childhood.
“My father hates the Germans,” said she with a nervous laugh. “He would like to go back to France but mother died last year and he has many debts in the city. As soon as he pays his obligations we’ll go back home.”
Albert insisted that one must hate no one.
“But you can’t love everybody.”
He agreed that one could not love everybody.
They were now passing through a main thoroughfare, encountering more pedestrians.
“Guten Abend, Herr Zorn,” a cordial voice addressed Albert.