human
Ah! cried she shuddering, and turned to Erwin.
gpt
Do you know the latest?--Felix drinks!
human
Drinks--drinks! he murmured with embarrassment but excusingly.
gpt
You must not call it that exactly; it is not yet so bad!
human
You--you seem to have known it,
gpt
Oh, this repulsive, ordinary, tactless person! How deeply she has dragged him down!
human
Well, do you, perhaps, doubt that she and only she has ruined Felix by her incredible lack of tact?
gpt
I find it hard to expect tact from a person who does not suspect the complicated difficulties of her position.
human
Erwin!--Erwin!--you--you surely do not believe that Felix would have married Linda without telling her of his circumstances? She was now quite pale again, she trembled, her voice sounded weak and hoarse. He was terribly sorry for her, at this moment he would have given everything to be silent. He took refuge in vague phrases.
gpt
A mere suspicion--I spoke without thinking.
human
No, Erwin, cried she,
gpt
I judge so from questions which she has asked me, he stammers, and immediately adds, hastily,
human
Certainly Felix would not purposely have concealed the affair from her; he may have told her mother----
gpt
That is all the same, interrupts Elsa.
human
His action remains unanswerable, for the first as well as the second time. Erwin, you poor man, into what a family have you married! Why would you have me? I did not wish it--I knew that it would be for no good.
gpt
No good! Think of the nine years which we leave behind us,
human
Think of the twenty, thirty years which we have before us, cries she.
gpt
The sacrifice which you made for me was too great.
human
I know of no sacrifice, he replies, warmly.
gpt
It is pure childishness which makes you bring that up again. Once for all, Elsa, I would not exchange a life at your side for the most brilliant career--to which, besides, I could scarcely have been called.
human
I thank you, says she, with hateful mockery. She thought of the thousand pretty speeches and charming attentions with which he had satisfied Linda's greedy vanity to-day. She was sick with suppressed jealousy. The bright light which Erwin's communication threw upon Linda's whole manner, and which so excused Linda, and on the other hand, so lowered Felix, mingled a new pain in all her morbid feelings. She literally no longer knew what she said, her voice became more and more cutting:
gpt
I thank you, she repeated.
human
You are very polite, you have a particular talent for politeness, you are the most charming man I know, but--but, I am sorry you had your way at that time.
gpt
Sorry, Elsa? For God's sake take that back,