Karl had evidently acquitted himself well in his course in motoring. He drove skilfully and easily, and they were soon outside the city in a pleasant country road. Almost any place would have seemed pleasant to Frieda just then, though, for 129 Karl was talking cheerily, merrily, talking in German, talking of topics she knew about, and talking exclusively to her. She discovered that the day was much more of a day than she had thought. There was a quality in the air she had not noticed earlier in the afternoon. Presently she even became confidential. Karl, with eyes and hands busy, guiding the machine, bent an attentive ear as Frieda poured out her suppressed irritation of days.
“They think it is such a fine country, Karl. I cannot understand them. If they had never travelled–but they have been over Europe! They have been in Berlin! And still they find matter for admiration in this dirty little city with its buildings all heights, and its no trees anywhere except in the parks. Where are their beautiful statues? Where is their Victory Avenue? Where are their bridges? Ach! It is a poor cheap country. Tante Edith and Mr. Eldred are heavenly kind, and Hannah I have loved with a great love, but they have very little taste, and no sense at all.”
Karl puckered up his lips in a low whistle, and Frieda blushed.
“I did not mean to say that, Karl,” she said penitently. “I am their guest. They are heavenly kind, yes. But I do not like the country.”
It was a beautiful shady road they had come into then, and the hills at the end of it showed gracious curves.
130“This reminds me,” said Karl meditatively, “of a place I went through near the Rhine one summer vacation. It’s really quite as charming, I believe. Look here, Frieda. I’m interested in the impression you make in this country. You’re going to spend this year with a lot of girls who don’t know much about Germany or Germans, and I don’t mind telling you that I’m rather anxious to have you do us credit.”
“I shall do Germany credit, everywhere,” answered Frieda stoutly, but somewhat perturbed.
“I’d like to think that,” answered Karl, “and on the whole I guess it’s true, but if you keep on this way, I’m not so sure of it. You are sitting here this afternoon making general statements about America when you have seen only one of the less important cities. That doesn’t strike me as the way one should judge. It doesn’t seem like the kind of thing Professor Lange would do. He is very accurate and careful in his judgments. And next, you haven’t shown much enthusiasm over the things the Eldreds have done for you the last day or two. Now, I never knew any one who was so unfailingly appreciative as Frau Professor Lange.”
Frieda pouted. “But Hannah shows off.”
“Shows off? Frieda, I’m afraid your sense of humor is rather one-sided. Hannah may take advantage of your not understanding perfectly, but who taught her that that sort of thing was 131 funny? Who told her the brass plate over the barber’s door meant that cakes were for sale there, so that she almost went in to buy one?”