He shook his head. Her chatter, which at first had enraptured him, began to fill him with sadness. He did not know how to respond. His youthfulness and flexibility of mind had passed from him long ago: he had long lost any inner cheerfulness. And while she continued to chat, his thoughts wandered, like a horse, on their accustomed path on the road of his daily worries. He thought of an unsatisfactory jockey, of the nervous horse. What was this woman to him, after all? "By the way," he heard her say, "I wanted to ask you whether 'Maidenhood' has arrived?" He sat up sharply and stared at her. Surely he had heard wrong. "What do you know about 'Maidenhood'?" "But, my dear friend, do you suppose I haven't heard of your beautiful horse, by 'Blue Devil' out of 'Nina'? Now, do you see? I believe I know the grandparents, too. Anyhow, you are to be congratulated on your purchase. The English trackmen are bursting with envy. To judge by that, you ought to have an immense success." "But, for heaven's sake, how do you know all this?" "Dear me, didn't your purchase appear in all the sporting papers?" "Do you read those papers?" "Surely. You see, here is the last number of the _Spur_, and yonder is the bound copy of the _German Sporting News_." "I see; but to what purpose?" "Oh, I'm a sporting lady, dear master. I look upon the world of horses--is that the right expression?--with benevolent interest. I hope that isn't forbidden?" "But you never told me a word about that before!" She blushed a little and cast her eyes down. "Oh, before, before.... That interest didn't come until later." He understood and dared not understand. "Don't look at me so," she besought him; there's nothing very remarkable about it. I just said to myself: "Well, if he doesn't want you, at least you can share his life from afar. That isn't immodest, is it? And then the race meets were the only occasions on which I could see you from afar. And whenever you yourself rode--oh, how my heart beat--fit to burst. And when you won, oh, how proud I was! I could have cried out my secret for all the world to hear. And my poor husband's arm was always black and blue. I pinched him first in my anxiety and then in my joy." "So your husband happily shares your enthusiasm?" "Oh, at first he wasn't very willing. But then, he is so good, so good. And as I couldn't go to the races alone, why he just had to go with me! And in the end he has become as great an enthusiast as I am. We can sit together for hours and discuss the tips. And he just admires you so--almost more than I. Oh, how happy he'd be to meet you here. You mustn't refuse him that pleasure. And now you're laughing at me. Shame on you!" "I give you my word that nothing--" "Oh, but you smiled. I saw you smile." "Perhaps. But assuredly with no evil intention. And now you'll permit me to ask a serious question, won't you?" "But surely!" "Do you love your husband?"