"In the circumstances you could have told him that you were absent all the time."
"And what would have been the good of it? He would have thought that Fräulein had removed me intentionally."
I recognized that Fanny had quite a lot of common sense. So did Mitzi, for an extraordinary thing took place: She asked Fanny for advice.—Think of a young English lady asking for the advice of a general, or even of a between-maid.
Fanny declared that above all Fräulein must recover her freedom.
"But how?" cried Mitzi and I unisono.
Fanny looked at us and seemed to pity us for the evident helplessness of our brains.
"The young gentleman" (that was I), "will go in an hour's time to the opera. The rehearsal will be over, he will by chance meet Mr. Doblana leaving the theatre, and they will walk home together. In the meantime Fräulein will have dressed and will go out, and she will, by chance, too, meet the two gentlemen in the street."
"But," interfered Mitzi, "he will make a fearful row!"
"In the street?" said Fanny. "No fear. An Imperial and Royal Member of the Court Chapel will make no row in the street. He will present you to each other, and the young gentleman" (that was, of course, again I), "will enquire into Fräulein's health, and Fräulein will answer that she is now quite well, and she will never more be locked up."
What a shame that such brains are wasted on servant girls! And the Editor of the Evening News when he reads this page will say: What luck that a certain Government did not know that Fanny! A special department would have been created for her: she would be appointed President of the Board of Intelligence.