'Miss Goodwin (whose Christian name is Clara) wishes very much to know how it has fared with Mr. Harry Richmond since he left Venice.'
I pushed past a number of discontented knees, trying, on my way to her box, to recollect her vividly, but I could barely recollect her at all, until I had sat beside her five minutes. Colonel Goodwin was asleep in a corner of the box. Awakened by the sound of his native tongue, he recognized me immediately.
'On your way to your father?' he said, as he shook my hand.
I thought it amazing he should guess that in Germany.
'Do you know where he is, sir?' I asked.
'We saw him,' replied the colonel; 'when was it, Clara? A week or ten days ago.'
'Yes,' said Miss Goodwin; 'we will talk of that by-and-by.' And she overflowed with comments on my personal appearance, and plied me with questions, but would answer none of mine.
I fetched Temple into the box to introduce him. We were introduced in turn to Captain Malet, the gentleman who had accosted me below.
'You understand German, then?' said Miss Goodwin.
She stared at hearing that we knew only the word ja, for it made our presence in Germany unaccountable.