Frau Goldmark recoiled. She had imagined that the information would be considered most piquant and gratifying, and behold, the result had been annihilation almost.
Though Sara had walked away with such dignity, a most unpleasant sensation had taken possession of her. It was most unlike all she knew of Falkenberg that he should make such a vulgar remark as that would certainly have been; and yet the glibness with which Frau Goldmark had repeated it, staggered her. She stood, absently conversing with Ludwig Maas, the very man with whom she had acted in the picture, and was chiefly conscious of repenting bitterly that she had ever taken any part in the affair, and Herr Maas was wondering a little why Miss Ford, who, with all her dignity, had been so sociable and pleasant to him two days ago, should wear so cold and unapproachable an expression this evening, when Falkenberg came up to them.
‘Miss Ford,’ said he, ‘I have been talking to Frau Goldmark.’
‘Indeed!’ was the frigid reply.
‘I had better go,’ decided Ludwig within himself; and with a murmured excuse he left them.
‘Yes,’ pursued Rudolf. ‘I saw that she had offended you by something she had said. She is a tiresome, vulgar little woman, who used to annoy me a good deal in former days when I had dealings with her husband.’
‘I can quite imagine it,’ said Sara, ‘but as I feel quite indifferent towards her, we need not talk about her.’
There was a laugh in Falkenberg’s eyes as he said:
‘But I do not feel at all indifferent towards her, finding as I do, that she has been misrepresenting me to you.’
Sara’s face flushed, and her head was lifted again.