"'You don't say so! Of course you and your niece could not fail. But take care! The 'illustrious lovers' are getting quite common. Come, come, I meant no harm; I readily allow the greatest latitude in the upper circles, if only the proprieties are observed as regards the lower ranks. But such things are going on now, dear Baroness--such things!" And Baroness Kniebreche began waving her gigantic fan with much energy. "May I venture to ask, dear Baroness?" whispered Baroness Holzweg, drawing nearer, in curiosity. "Well, quite between ourselves, you know, dear Baroness." "How can you imagine, dear Baroness--" The heads of the two old ladies disappeared for a long time behind the black fan. "And these are all facts, dear Baroness?" "Absolute facts. I have them from Wallbach, who is generally discretion itself--but there are limits to everything. Is not that him there behind the door? Actually! and talking to Signor Giraldi. I must go there. That good man absolutely hears the grass grow." The old lady got up with difficulty, and rustled off, with her glass to her half-blind eyes, towards the two gentlemen, every one retreating, scared, before the black fan. Baroness Holzweg remained sitting, with an evil smile upon her pale, puffy face. "Ah!" she murmured, "how pleased Agnes will be. The haughty Herr von Werben, who will not dance with her, because he can understand either secret or open engagements, but not those that cannot be made public! And his arrogant sister, whom he has forbidden to have anything to do with Agnes, and who has now taken up with a merchant-captain. Charming!" "What is amusing you so, my dear?" asked Frau von Pusterhausen, coming back again to her friend. "You were talking such secrets with Baroness Kniebreche, and I could not get away from Madame Veitel, or whatever she calls herself. She chatters and chatters--I only heard a few words--you seemed to be talking about the Werbens? Am I right? And can you tell me what it was about?" "But it remains between ourselves, my dear?" "You may be quite easy, my dear." And the two ladies put their heads together, one maliciously listening, the other spitefully retailing what she had herself just heard. Giraldi, after he had wandered through the rooms for half an hour, met Herr von Wallbach, who had luckily got away from the Baroness. "I was just going," he said; "the heat, the noise, the everlasting talk about Lasker----" Herr von Wallbach passed his hand over his bald forehead with a gentle sigh. "To be sure," he said, "Lasker! it is a terrible blow. Such a splendid business. We shall never recover the blow, although he has not directly attacked us. It is the beginning of the end, believe me."