"You've been playing, Anna?" He came nearer. "The Countess's Aria? Been singing, too?" "Yes--tried to." "All right?" "It is beginning to ... I think so. Well, we'll see. But first tell me what you have been doing all to-day." "In a minute. We haven't welcomed each other at all so far." He embraced and kissed her. "It is a long time since----" she said, smiling past him. "Well?" he asked keenly, "are you coming with me?" Anna hesitated. "But what do you really think of doing, George?" "Quite simple. We can go away to-morrow afternoon. You can choose the place. Reichenau, Semmering, Brühl, anywhere you like.... And I'll bring you back in the morning the day after to-morrow." Something or other kept him back from mentioning the telegram which gave him three whole days to do what he liked with. Anna looked in front of her. "It would be very nice," she said tonelessly, "but it really won't be possible, George." "On account of your father?" She nodded. "But he is surely better, isn't he?" "No, he is not at all well. He is so weak. They wouldn't of course reproach me directly in any way. But I ... I can't leave mother alone now, for that kind of excursion." He shrugged his shoulders, feeling slightly wounded at the designation which she had chosen. "Come, be frank," she added in a jesting manner. "Are you really so keen on it?" He shook his head, almost as if in pain, but he felt that this gesture also was lacking in sincerity. "I don't understand you, Anna," he said, more weakly than he really meant. "To think that a few weeks of being away from each other, to think of ... well, I don't know what to call it.... It is as though we had got absolutely out of touch. It's really me, Anna, it's really me...." he repeated in a vehement but tired voice. He got up from the chair in front of the piano. He took her hands and put them to his lips, feeling nervous and somewhat moved. "What was _Tristan_ like?" she inquired. He gave her a conscientious account of the performance and did not leave out his visit to the Ehrenbergs' box. He spoke of all the people whom he had seen and conveyed to her Heinrich Bermann's wishes. He then drew her on to his knee and kissed her. When he removed his face from hers he saw tears running over her cheeks. He pretended to be surprised, "What's the matter, child?... But why, why...?" She got up and went to the window with her face turned away from him.