Tears rose to Lilly's eyes. She could easily have flung back his insults, but the man's personality mastered her. She searched in vain for words to oppose him; his piercing eyes seemed to go through and through her and deprive her of speech; his cynical smile held her in thrall. So she merely sat down and cried. He on his side rose and came nearer the counter.
"How much you have reason to feel hurt, Fräulein, in your amour propre, I cannot say. It's not my intention to make you cry. On the contrary, I want you as calmly as possible to give me a little information about yourself. It may be of importance to your future."
Lilly felt the necessity of pulling herself together, because this man desired it.
She wiped her eyes and looked at him penitently, sniffling a little as she used to do when a child after being scolded.
He inquired her name, her antecedents, whether she had a father and a mother, what school she had been at, and what she was doing there. On her mentioning her guardian's name a mocking smile flitted over his face.
"I am acquainted with that gentleman's philosophy of life," he said. "You are, then, utterly alone in the world?"
Lilly said "Yes."
"And you would not object to have a helping-hand extended to you by someone to whom you could turn in time of trouble?"
Lilly did not think there was any likelihood of such a person turning up.
"I will think it over," he said, frowning. "Anyhow, you cannot stay for ever in this hole. Do they treat you well?"