Page:The Princess Casamassima (London and New York, Macmillan & Co., 1886), Volume 3.djvu/253

 'So do I, very much.' The Princess said nothing more, for a minute; then she added, 'I think we want to see him for the same reason.'

'Das kann sein—das kann sein.'

The two continued to stand there in the brown evening, and they had some further conversation, of a desultory and irrelevant kind. At the end of ten minutes the Princess broke out, in a low tone, laying her hand on her companion's arm, 'Mr. Schinkel, this won't do. I'm intolerably nervous.'

'Yes, that is the nature of ladies,' the German replied, imperturbably.

'I wish to go up to his room,' the Princess pursued. 'You will be so good as to show me where it is.'

'It will do you no good, if he is not there.'

The Princess hesitated. 'I am not sure he is not there.'

'Well, if he won't speak, it shows he likes better not to have visitors.'

'Oh, he may like to have me better than he does you!' the Princess exclaimed.

'Das kann sein—das kann sein.' But Schinkel made no movement to introduce her into the house.

'There is nothing to-night—you know what I mean,' the Princess remarked, after looking at him for a moment.

'Nothing to-night?'

'At the Duke's. The first party is on Thursday, the other is next Tuesday.'

'Schön. I never go to parties,' said Schinkel.

'Neither do I.'

'Except that this is a kind of party—you and me,' suggested Schinkel.