"At all events I shall try to avoid it," replied Rienäcker, "first for my own sake and second for yours. And third and last because of Henrietta. What would that interesting brunette say, if her Bogislaw should be shot and killed and that too by some friend?"
"That would indeed give her a heartache," answered Rexin, "and would also strike out one item in the reckoning between her and me."
"What reckoning do you mean?"
"That is the very point, Rienäcker, about which I wanted to consult you."
"To consult me? And about what point?"
"You ought to be able to guess it. It is not difficult. Naturally I mean an affair, an affair of my own."
"An affair!" laughed Botho. "Why, I am at your service, Rexin. But, to be frank with you, I hardly know just what leads you to confide in me. I am not a remarkable fount of wisdom in any direction, least of all in this. And then, too, we have quite different authorities. One of these you know very well. And moreover he is a special friend of yours and of your cousin's."
"Balafré?"
"Yes."
Rexin felt that there was something like reluctance or refusal in these words and stopped talking with some air of finality. But that was more than Botho had meant, and so he led on a little further. "Affairs. Pardon me, Rexin, there are so many affairs."