Up to this day I wonder how she knew all about Mitzi's journey to Salzburg and about the Giulay wire. Her young mistress when talking to her had given her no details, yet she knew. She knew and even thought it desirable that Fräulein should communicate with Mr. Giulay, call upon him and ask him about that telegram.
"I know," she added, "that it is a month since he last left Vienna, even for half-a-day."
"How did you learn this?" asked Mitzi.
"But," said Fanny with just a flavour of contempt, "I wanted to know. So I made friends with his mother's cook."
I was overwhelmed. Fanny was revealing herself as a really superior being. You may therefore believe me that it was almost with reverence that I received her instructions.
"The young gentleman," she said, "will do well in getting on familiar terms with Mr. Doblana, for we must know what prevents him from being more explicit. If the young gentleman could win his confidence, we might learn what happened in that hour between his return home and his declaration to Fräulein that somebody must have visited her. Something must have led him to that wrong conclusion. And the young gentleman could find out not only what it was, but also why Mr. Doblana is so vague."
"And how am I to win his confidence?"
Fanny scratched herself. For the first time she appeared a little perplexed. But the scratching soon helped.
"I know a way," she declared, "but it will be terrible. The young gentleman must learn to play the horn."