Even the Frenchman, Henry Dufresne, who had witnessed the memorable meeting from the gallery, drank a great deal too much, all alone in his studio. The next morning, however, he was in perfect condition again; he made an excellent sketch for the title page of one of Zola’s novels, and when Lotte came to him, snow-covered and with cold red cheeks, he picked her up and swung her around. Lotte was in as high spirits as he, for after reading the morning papers her father had said to her very gravely: “I see a great conflict in store for you, my child! Everything indicates that Leo Strakosch will soon be able to return to Vienna. And then you’ll have to choose between him, whom you loved so much and whom I would welcome as a son, and this mysterious Frenchman, whom we have never met!” When Lotte smilingly replied that she would like to have both Leo and the Frenchman, Hofrat Spineder became really angry, called her frivolous and immoral, and required much coaxing before he could be placated again. But now Lotte sat on her lover’s knee and kissed Henry Dufresne and Leo Strakosch, combined in one person, with great enthusiasm. CHAPTER XVII. PREPARATIONS Leo, who had almost no chance to speak with anyone except Lotte and his cleaning woman, had lately made the acquaintance of two men whom he considered important. One was the Deputy Wenzel Krötzl, the other the proprietor of the great department store in the Kärtnerstrasse, Herr Habietnik. Leo had met Krötzl in the following manner: Returning home late one night from the coffee-house where he used to read his papers and magazines, he found a man lying on the bottom step, very much the worse for liquor, weeping bitterly and making vain efforts to get on his feet. Leo helped him to his apartment, which was located under his own studio, and discovered, by the way, that he had before him the honorable Deputy Wenzel Krötzl, whose avocation was that of real estate profiteer. Not only was this advertised on the door, but as he reeled forward and back Herr Krötzl persisted in proclaiming at the top of his voice: “If any’un shayzh I’m drunk he’zh a crook an’ a Jew beshidezh! I’m a duly ’lected dep’ty an’ memmer o’ the Nash’n’l ’Shembly, an’ I got fifty houzhezh to shell w’at ushed to b’long to them Jew shwine!” In the course of time Leo had opportunity to learn that Herr Krötzl was not only a rabid anti-Semite but also a notorious drunkard, who usually had a drop too much even at breakfast at the Parliament buffet. However, he had considerable gifts of persuasion, and was quite popular among his constituents for his homely way of putting things. He was a widower, and from time to time harbored in his home a presumable housekeeper--occasionally one that had barely passed the legal limit of fourteen years.