An electric tramway line, municipal music, and peasant girls who wore lorgnettes--Leo pinched himself. He hurried out of the Park into the Ringstrasse, where the cafés presented a sorry sight; he grinned as he noted that people were greeting one another with “Hail!”; and he had to search for quite some time before he found a taxicab. For even these public vehicles had become a luxury indulged in by so few that most of the drivers had given up their business. Late in the afternoon, around sunset, he met Lotte at the edge of the Kobenzlwald, as they had arranged. They settled down on a bench, and, after a prologue of kisses, Lotte told him that her parents had decided to move to their little villa on the Wolfgangsee the next week. “What’ll become of us now?” she wailed. “How can I bear not to see you all summer?” “Nothing of the sort is expected of you, darling. I’ll take a vacation, too; when you’re in St. Gilgen I’ll be in Wolfgang, and you’ll come over every day so that we’ll be together at least an hour.” “M-m-m,” Lotte replied happily, “that’s something like! But now I’ll have to tell you about the argument Papa and I had yesterday. Just think, suddenly Papa looked me straight in the eye and said very seriously: ‘What have you been doing all by yourself lately, for hours at a time? You know we give you as much freedom as possible--but there’s a limit!’ “I felt myself getting red as a beet and thought the best thing would be for me to confess.” “What!” interrupted Leo, horrified. “You told your father?” “Let me finish, silly,” laughed Lotte, pinching his ear. “I confessed, but only what I wanted. I told Papa that I had met a very splendid young man at Erna’s house, that I like him as well as he likes me, and that I often meet him for walks. He’s a Frenchman, I said, by the name of Henry Dufresne, and he’s putting through some big business deals here. “At first Papa was absolutely speechless, then he asked why I don’t invite this Frenchman to the house. Whereupon I answered that I’m not entirely sure of my feelings, and therefore don’t want to make the matter seem official. And finally I cried, quite indignantly: “‘You know you can trust me, Papa! You can be sure I won’t do anything wrong, and Henry will come to you as soon as I think it necessary and proper. But now let me go my own way!’ “After this Papa was very kind and nice to me, and so was Mama. But later I heard Papa telling Mama: ‘I’d never have believed that Lotte would forget poor Leo so quickly and thoroughly. Still, I’m very glad she’s found a new object for her affections, and we won’t put any obstacle in her way.’ “And Mama, who is so fond of you, shook her head and said: ‘I don’t understand that girl at all! Her cheeks have actually become pink again, and she sings all day as if she had never had a heartache.’ “You know, Leo, it surely isn’t nice of us to fool my parents this way--but I’m so happy that you’re here in Vienna!”