Sulkowski became thoughtful.
'He is a friend of mine!' he answered at length.
'Now I understand. You know that the Princess promised him the Countess Kolowrath's hand and that the girl, as it seems, does not fancy him very much. Was Brühl not madly in love with the Countess Moszynski?'
All this was said so quickly, that it gave Sulkowski no time to think over his answer.
'Yes,' said he shortly, 'it seems that he is going to marry.'
'But he is a Lutheran?'
'He is going to be converted to Catholicism.'
'It is to be hoped not in the same way as the late magnificent and great Augustus II, who used to put rosaries round the necks of his favourite hounds.'
Sulkowski was silent.
'What more? I have not yet seen the Prince--has he changed? Has he become sadder? I pity him! Mourning--he will not have an opera for a long time. And what about Faustina? Is she superseded by someone else?'