"That's possible. One can certainly presume that she has been loved--or at any rate respected, not just taken and--chucked away as soon as the spree was over. I'd have found that rather.... Well, I won't put it any more definitely." The old man shook his head as he looked at his son. "It really seems as though all the advanced views of you young people break down as soon as your passions and vanities come into question." "So far as certain questions of cleanness or cleanliness are concerned I do not know that I am guilty of any so-called advanced views, father, and I don't think that you would be particularly delighted either if I felt any desire to be the successor of a more or less dead Baron Wergenthin." "Certainly not, Berthold. For her sake, especially, for you would torture her to death." "Don't be uneasy," replied Berthold, "Anna's in no peril from my quarter. It's all over." "That's a good reason. But, happily, there's an even better one. Baron Wergenthin's neither dead nor has he cleared out...." "It doesn't matter, you know, about the actual word." "He has, as you know, a position as a conductor in Germany...." "What a piece of luck! He has really been very fortunate over the whole thing. Not even having to provide for a child." "You have two faults, Berthold. In the first place you are really an unkind man, and in the second place you never let one finish. I was just on the point of saying that it doesn't seem to be anything like all over between Anna and Baron Wergenthin. Only the day before yesterday she gave me his kind regards." Berthold shrugged his shoulders as though the matter were finished so far as he was concerned. "How's old Rosner?" he asked. "He'll pull through all right this time," replied the old man. "Anyway, I hope that you've retained a sufficient sense of detachment to realise that his attacks are not due to his grief about the prodigal daughter, but to a sclerosis of the arteries that is unfortunately fairly far advanced." "Is Anna giving lessons again?" asked Berthold after some hesitation. "Yes," replied the old man, "but perhaps not much longer." And he showed his son the visiting card which he was still holding in his hand. Berthold contracted the corners of his mouth. "Do you think," he asked ironically, "he has come here to celebrate his wedding, father?" "I shall soon find that out," replied the old man. "At any rate I'm very glad to see him again--for I assure you he's one of the most charming young men I've ever met." "Extraordinary!" said Berthold. "A quite unique winner of hearts. Even Therese raves about him. And Heinrich Bermann the other day, it was almost funny.... Oh well, a slim handsome blonde young man, a baron, a German, a Christian--what Jew could withstand the magic?... Goodbye, father." "Berthold!" "Well, what?" He bit his lips. "Pull yourself together! Remember what you are." "I ... remember."