And no desire to do a thing, old man. That's the whole story. Since that time I haven't gone to the Casino even. Do you know what I have been doing the last few nights? I have sat under that tree with Mizzie--playing domino. PRINCE Well, don't you see? That's not to be lonely. When you have a daughter, and particularly such a sensible one, with whom you have always got on so well.... What does she say about your staying at home nights anyhow? COUNT Nothing. Besides, it has happened before, quite frequently. She says nothing at all. And what could she say? It seems to me she has never noticed anything. Do you think she can have known about Lolo? PRINCE (_laughing_) Man alive! COUNT Of course. Yes, I know. Of course, she must have known. But then, I was still almost a young man when her mother died. I hope it hasn't hurt her feelings. PRINCE No, _that_ wouldn't. (_Casually_) But being left so much alone may have troubled her at times, I should think. COUNT Has she complained of me? There's no reason why you shouldn't tell me. PRINCE I am not in her confidence. She has never complained to me. And, heavens, it may never have troubled her at all. She has so long been accustomed to this quiet, retired life. COUNT Yes, and she seems to have a taste for it, too. And then she used to go out a good deal until a few years ago. Between you and me, Egon, as late as three years ago--no, two years ago--I still thought she might make the plunge after all. PRINCE What plunge? Oh, I see.... COUNT If you could only guess what kind of men have been paying attention to her quite recently.... PRINCE That's only natural. COUNT But she won't. She absolutely won't. What I mean is, that she can't be feeling so very lonely ... otherwise she would ... as she has had plenty of opportunity.... PRINCE Certainly. It's her own choice. And then Mizzie has an additional resource in her painting. It's a case like that of my blessed aunt, the late Fanny Hohenstein, who went on writing books to a venerable old age and never wanted to hear a word about marriage. COUNT It may have some connection with her artistic aspirations. At times I'm inclined to look for some psychological connection between all these morbid tendencies. PRINCE Morbid, you say? But you can't possibly call Mizzie morbid. COUNT Oh, it's all over now. But there was a time.... PRINCE I have always found Mizzie very sensible and very well balanced. After all, painting roses and violets doesn't prove a person morbid by any means. COUNT You don't think me such a fool that her violets and roses could make me believe.... But if you remember when she was still a young girl.... PRINCE What then? COUNT Oh, that story at the time Fedor Wangenheim wanted to marry her. PRINCE O Lord, are you still thinking of that? Besides, there was no truth in it. And that was eighteen or twenty years ago almost. COUNT