Graf von—­:  “That would be a heavy punishment for me... and incidentally for this ugly audience.”

On the last night of the Ring, I took infinite trouble with my toilette.  When we arrived at the theatre neither the lady, her girls, nor the Graf were there.  I found an immense bouquet on my seat, of yellow roses with thick clusters of violets round the stalk, the whole thing tied up with wide Parma violet ribbons.  It was a wonderful bouquet.  I buried my face in the roses, wondering why the Graf was so late, fervently hoping that the lady and her daughters would not turn up:  no Englishman would have thought of giving one flowers in this way, said I to myself.  The curtain!  How very tiresome!  The doors would all be shut now, as late-comers were not allowed to disturb the Gotterdammerung.  The next day I was to travel home, which depressed me; my life would be different in London and all my lessons were over for ever!  What could have happened to the Graf, the lady and her daughters?  Before the curtain rose for the last act, he arrived and, flinging off his cloak, said breathlessly to me: 

“You can’t imagine how furious I am!  To-night of all nights we had a regimental dinner!  I asked my colonel to let me slip off early, or I should not be here now; I had to say good-bye to you.  Is it true then?  Are you really off to-morrow?”

Margot (pressing the bouquet to her face, leaning faintly towards him and looking into his eyes):  “Alas, yes!  I will send you something from England so that you mayn’t quite forget me.  I won’t lean back and cover my head with a handkerchief to-night, but if I hide my face in these divine roses now and then, you will forgive me and understand.”

He said nothing but looked a little perplexed.  We had not observed the curtain rise but were rudely reminded of it by a lot of angry “Hush’s” all round us.  He clasped his hands together under his chin, bending his head down on them and taking up both arms of the stall with his elbows.  When I whispered to him, he did not turn his head at all but just cocked his ear down to me.  Was he pretending to be more interested in Wagner than he really was?”

I buried my face in my roses, the curtain dropped.  It was all over.

Graf von—­(turning to me and looking straight into my eyes):  “If it is true what you said, that you know no one in Berlin, what a wonderful compliment the lady with the diamond grasshoppers has paid you!”

He took my bouquet, smelt the roses and, giving it back to me with a sigh, said: 

“Good-bye.”

CHAPTER VI

Margot rides A horse into London home and smashes furniture—­ Suitor is forbidden the house—­advises girl friend to elope; interview with girl’s father—­tete-A-tete dinner in Paris with baron Hirsch—­winning tip from Fred Archer, the jockey