No sooner had His Majesty taken himself off than The Big One went and crouched on the threshold of the door; The Long One made himself comfortable on one of the window-sills; The Man with the Flashing Eyes on the other. All three pretended to go off to sleep, but in reality they were all watching the Princess, who was carrying on a lively conversation with Mathias.
"Do you like Schopenhauer?" asked the royal maiden, with a smile like a peach blossom opening its petals to the breeze.
"I like you," said Mathias, looking deep in the eyes of the young girl, who at once blushed demurely.
"But you don't answer my question," she said.
"Well, no," quoth Mathias; "I don't like Schopenhauer."
"Why not?"
"Because we differ in tastes."
"How so?"
"You see, I'm rather fond of the girls; he isn't."
"Of all girls?" asked the Princess, alarmed.