human
Do you not dislike wandering about Bayreuth as the Queen of Night?
gpt
On the contrary, replied the 'wicked fairy,' rubbing her hands,
human
I like it. Awhile ago one of my friends declared that I appeared in Bayreuth as the mourning ghost of classic music. Was it not charming?--but not at all appropriate, for I adore Wagner! And she began to hum the air of the flower-girl scene,
gpt
What do you think of 'Parsifal'? Countess Anna asked, turning to Goswyn.
human
One of the greatest humbugs of the century, eh? They howl as if possessed by an evil spirit, and call it joy,--call it song!
gpt
At the risk of falling greatly in your esteem, I must confess that 'Parsifal' made a profound impression upon me, Countess,
human
Et tu, Brute!
gpt
I do not entirely approve of it, if that is anything in my favour,
human
Ah, there is nothing like Wagner! there is but one God,--and one Wagner!
gpt
The scene containing the air which you are humming is not one of my favourites,
human
Oh, it charmed us most of all,--Dorothea and me, the 'wicked fairy' declared.
gpt
Those hovering little temptresses, so seductive, and Parsifal, the chaste, in their midst! She clasped her hands in an ecstasy.
human
The other evening at Frau Wagner's we met Van Dyck. He is rather strong in his mode of speech. Dorothea seemed much entertained by him, but afterwards she thought him shocking.
gpt
Your niece seems to have a positive mania just now for thinking everything 'shocking,' Countess Anna said, dryly.
human
She sings no more music-hall ditties, and casts down her eyes modestly when she sees a French novel in a book-shop. Such a transformation is, to say the least, startling. Oh, I beg pardon, Goswyn; I always forget that Dorothea is your sister-in-law.
gpt
No need to remember it while we are among ourselves, Goswyn rejoined.
human
He cannot endure Thea, Countess Brock said, laughing, as she shook her forefinger at him;
gpt
In fact, Goswyn had changed colour.
human
He fell in love with her in Florence. She told me all about it--aha!
gpt
Does she really fancy so, or has she invented the story for her own amusement?
human
You must have been much with Dorothea of late, the Countess Anna remarked, quietly:
gpt
No; she left early this morning, for Berlin, where she has various matters to attend to before she goes to Heiligendamm. But we have been together for some time. We were in Schlangenbad for six weeks. Oh, we enjoyed ourselves excessively,--made all sorts of acquaintances whom we should never have spoken to at home. But--I came to see you, Anna, for a special purpose,--two purposes, I might say. One concerns Hedwig Norbin's birthday,--her seventieth,--and the other--yes, the other--guess whom I met in Schlangenbad?
human
How can I?
gpt
Your grand-daughter's step-father: yes,
human
Indeed! I pity you from my heart; but, since I had no share in bringing such a misfortune upon you, I owe you no further reparation.
gpt
H'm! you need not pity me. He interested me extremely. You and your grand-daughter have seen fit simply to ignore him; but you do not know what people say.
human
Nor does it interest me in the least.
gpt
Well, you may not care about the verdict of society, but it is comfortable to stand well with one's conscience, as Dorothea said to me the other day.
human
Indeed! did she say that to you?
gpt
Yes, and she was indignant at the way in which you have treated the poor man.
human
Is it any affair of hers?
gpt
Oh, she is quite right; I am entirely of her opinion, the 'fairy' went on; then, turning to Erika,
human
I cannot help remonstrating with you. He certainly cared for you like a father until you were seventeen. He was a man whom your mother loved passionately.
gpt
Do not meddle with what you do not in the least understand, Elise! she exclaimed.
human
As for my daughter-in-law's passion for that stupid weakling, it was made up of pity on the one hand for a man whom she came to know wounded and ill, and on the other hand of antagonism towards me. The fact is, I provoked her; the marriage would never have taken place if I had not most injudiciously set myself in opposition to Emma's betrothal to the Pole. Her second marriage was a tragedy, the result of obstinacy, not of love.
gpt
My dearest Anna, that is entirely your own idea, the Countess Brock asserted.
human
Every one knows that you cannot appreciate any tenderness of affection because your own heart is clad in armour, but you can never convince me that your daughter-in-law did not love the Pole passionately. In the first place, her passion for him was the only possible motive for her marriage; how else could it have occurred to her?--bah!--nonsense! and in the second place, Strachinsky read me her letters,--letters written soon after their marriage. He carries these proofs everywhere with him: his devotion to his dead wife is most touching. Poor man! he wept when he read the letters to us, and we wept too. I had invited a few friends, and he spent two evenings in reading them aloud to us. When he had finished he kissed the letters, and said, with a deep sigh, 'This is all that is left to me of my poor, adored Emma,' and then he told us of the tender relations that had existed between himself and his step-daughter, until she, when a brilliant lot fell to her share, had cast him aside--like an old shoe-string, as he expressed it. I do not say that such a connection is the most desirable, but _on choisit ses amis, on subit ses parents_. Certain duties must be conscientiously fulfilled, and, my dear Erika, be sure that I advise you for your good when I beg you to be friends with your step-father: you owe him a certain amount of filial affection. He is here in Bayreuth, and has requested me to effect a reconciliation between you and him.
gpt
People are talking about your unjustifiable treatment of him, she said;
human
Indeed! she exclaimed, with an outburst of indignation;
gpt
With the greatest pleasure!
human
Bring me my bonnet and gloves from my room, my child,
gpt
Goswyn, she murmured,