Magnus broke into loud laughter and struck the table with his glass:
“Do you hear, Wondergood? She covets your good opinion. And if I should command her to undress at once in your presence....”
“Oh, my God! My God!”—sobbed Toppi and covered his face with his hands. I glanced quickly into Magnus’ eyes—and remained rigid in the terrible enchantment of his gaze. His face was laughing. This pale mask of his was still lined with traces of faint laughter but the eyes were dim and inscrutable. Directed upon me, they stared off somewhere into the distance and were horrible in their expression of dark and empty madness: only the empty orbits of a skull could gaze so threateningly and in such wrath.
And again darkness filled my head and when I regained my senses Magnus had already turned and calmly sipped his wine. Without changing his position, he raised his glass to the light, smelled the wine, sipped some more of it and said as calmly as before:
“And so, Wondergood, my friend. Now you know about all there is to know of Maria or the Madonna, as you called her, and I ask you: will you take her or not? I give her away. Take her. If you say yes, she will be in your bedroom to-day and...I swear by eternal salvation, you will pass a very pleasant night. Well, what do you say?”
“Yesterday, you, and to-day, I?”
“Yesterday I,—to-day, you.” He smiled: “What kind of man are you, Wondergood, to speak of such trifles. Or aren’t you used to having some one else warm your bed? Take her. She is a fine girl.”
“Whom are you torturing, Magnus:—me or yourself?”
Magnus looked at me ironically:
“What a wise boy! Of course, myself! You are a very clever American, Mr. Wondergood, and I wonder why your career has been so mediocre. Go to bed, dear children. Good night. What are you looking at, Wondergood: do you find the hour too early? If so, take her out for a walk in the garden. When you see Maria beneath the moonlight, 3000 Magnuses will be unable to prove that this heavenly maiden is the same creature who....”