"One sees that already," said Nürnberger, "from the fact of their joining in the conversation." "All the same, I would like to take the liberty of adding a little anecdote to the chapter of platonic love," said Heinrich. "But not a Jewish one," put in Else. "Of course not. A blonde little girl...." "That proves nothing," interrupted Else. "Please let him finish his story," remonstrated Frau Ehrenberg. "Well then, a blonde little girl," began Heinrich again, "once expressed her conviction to me, quite different, you see, from Fräulein Sissy, that platonic love did, as a matter of fact, exist, and do you know what she suggested as a proof of it? giving ... an experience out of her own life. She had, you know, once spent a whole hour in a room with a lieutenant and...." "That is enough!" cried Frau Ehrenberg nervously. "And," finished Heinrich, quite unperturbed and in a reassuring voice, "nothing at all happened in that hour." "So the blonde girl says," added Else. The door opened. George saw a strange lady enter in a clear blue square-cut dress, pale, simple and dignified. It was only when she smiled that he realised that the lady was Anna Rosner, and he felt something like pride in her. When he shook hands with his love he felt Else's look turn towards him. They went into the next room, where the table was laid with a moderate show of festivity. The son of the house was not there. He was at Neuhaus at his father's factory. But Herr Ehrenberg suddenly turned up at the table when the supper was served. He had just come back from his travels, which as a matter of fact had taken him to Palestine. When he was asked by Hofrat Wilt about his experiences he was at first reluctant to let himself go; finally it turned out that he had been disappointed in the scenery, annoyed by the fatigue of the journey, and had practically seen nothing of the Jewish settlements which, according to reliable information, were in process of springing up. "So we have some ground to hope," remarked Nürnberger, "that we may keep you here even in the event of a Jewish state being founded in the imminent future?" Ehrenberg answered brusquely: "Did I ever tell you that I intended to emigrate? I am too old for that." "Really," said Nürnberger, "I didn't know that you had only visited the district for the benefit of Fräulein Else and Herr Oskar." "I am not going to quarrel with you, my dear Nürnberger. Zionism is really too good to serve as small talk at meals." "We'll take it for granted," said Hofrat Wilt, "that it is too good, but it is certainly too complicated, if only for the reason that everybody understands something different by it." "Or wants to understand," added Nürnberger, "as is usually the case with most catchwords, not only in politics either--that's why there is so much twaddle talked in the world."