“How nice!” said the Frau Consul blankly. She leaned back in her chair with feigned satisfaction and folded her hands. Actually, she was quite as much at sea as before, and inly wondering if Antonie were really able to follow the windings of the Bavarian tongue. But Herr Permaneder--though his appearance hardly led one to expect that he possessed acute sensibilities--saw through her at once. He bent forward, making--God knows why--circles in the air with his hand, and, struggling after clarity, enunciated the words: “The gracious lady is surprised?” “Yes, Herr Permaneder, yes!” she cried, with disproportionate joy, for she had really understood him. Perhaps they could manage after all! But now there came a pause. To fill it out, Herr Permaneder gave a sort of groan, and followed it up by an exclamation in the broadest of dialect: something that shocked the Frau Consul because it sounded so like swearing, though it probably wasn’t--at least, she hoped not! Should she ask him to repeat it? “Ah--what did you say?” she ventured, turning her light eyes a little away, that he might not see the bewilderment they expressed. Herr Permaneder obliged by repeating, with extraordinary loudness and coarseness. Surely it was something about a crucifix! Horrors! “How nice!” she stammered again, with desperate finality; and thus this subject also was disposed of. It might be better to talk a little oneself. “May one ask,” she went on, “what brings you so far, Herr Permaneder? It is a good long journey from Munich!” “A little business,” said Herr Permaneder, as before, and waved his broad hand in the air. It was really touching, the efforts he made. “A little business, my dear lady, with the brewery at Walkmill.” “Oh, yes--you are hop merchants, of course, my dear Herr Permaneder: Noppe and Company, isn’t it? I am sure I have heard good things of your firm from my son,” said the Frau Consul cordially. Again she felt as if she were almost upon firm ground. Herr Permaneder waved away the compliment. That was nothing to mention. No, the main thing was, he wanted to pay his respects to the Frau Consul and--see Frau Grünlich again. That was enough to make the journey repay the trouble it cost. The Frau Consul did not understand it all, but she got the general drift, and was glad. “Oh, thank you,” she said, with the utmost heartiness, and again offered him her hand, with the palm outstretched. “But we must call my daughter,” she added, and stood up and went toward the embroidered bell-pull near the glass door. “Oh, Lord, yes, I’ll be glad to see her!” cried the hop merchant, and turned his chair and himself toward the door at one and the same time. The Frau Consul said to the servant: “Ask Madame Grünlich to come down, my dear.” Then she went back to her sofa, and Herr Permaneder turned himself and his chair around again.