However, peculiarly pleasant relations seemed to prevail between the mistress and the servant, for the appearance of the lady did not cause the latter to interrupt her merry play with the cat; and the mistress, on her part, evidently did not consider it strange or disrespectful, but quietly approached her servant.
“Catharine,” she said, “just listen how that abominable bird, Paperl, screams again to-day. I am sure the noise will disturb the doctor, who is at work already.”
“Yes, Paperl is an intolerable nuisance,” sighed Catharine. “I cannot comprehend why the Kapellmeister—I was going to say the doctor—likes the bird so well, and why he has brought it along from England. Yes, if Paperl could sing, in that case it would not be strange if the Ka—, I mean the doctor, had grown fond of the bird. But no, Paperl merely jabbers a few broken words which no good Christian is able to understand.”
“He who speaks English can understand it well enough, Catharine,” said the lady, “for the bird talks English, and in that respect Paperl knows more than either of us.”
“But Paperl cannot talk German, and I think that our language, especially our dear Viennese dialect, sounds by far better than that horrid English. I don’t know why the doctor likes the abominable noise, and why he suffers the bird to disturb his quiet by these outrageous screams.”
“I know it well enough, Catharine,” said the doctor’s wife, with a gentle smile. “The parrot reminds my husband of his voyage to England, and of all the glory and honor that were showered upon him there.”
“Well, as far as that is concerned, I should think it was entirely unnecessary for my master to make a trip to England,” exclaimed Catharine. “He has not returned a more famous man than he was already when he went away. The English were unable to add to his glory, for he was already the most celebrated man in the whole world when he went there, and if that had not been the case, they would not have invited him to come and perform his beautiful music before them, for then they would not have known that he is such a splendid musician.”
“But they were delighted to see him, Catharine, and I tell you they have perfectly overwhelmed him with honors. Every day they gave him festivals, and even the king and queen urged him frequently to take up his abode in England. The queen promised him splendid apartments in Windsor Castle, and a large salary, and in return my husband was to do nothing but to perform every day for an hour or so before her majesty, or sing with her. Nevertheless, he had the courage to refuse the brilliant offers of the king and queen, and do you know, Catharine, why he rejected them?”
Catharine knew it well enough; she had frequently heard the story from her mistress during the two years since the doctor had returned from England, but she was aware that the lady liked to repeat it, and she liked it very much, too, to hear people talk about her beloved master’s fame and glory, having faithfully served him already for more than twenty years. Hence she said, with a kind-hearted smile:
“No, indeed, I don’t know it, and I cannot comprehend why the doctor said no to the king and queen of England.”