and leave that woman singing?  If I did, I might well say the world’s a snare, a sham, a pitfall, a horror!  It’s what I don’t think in any degree.  It’s what you think, though.  Yes, whenever you are vexed you think it.  So do the priests, and so do all who will not exert themselves to chastise.  I, on the contrary, know that the world is not made up of nonsense.  Write to Weisspriess immediately; I must have him here in an hour.”

Weisspriess, on visiting the ladies to receive their congratulations, was unprepared for the sight of his letter to Carlo Ammiani, which Anna thrust before him after he had saluted her, bidding him read it aloud.  He perused it in silence.  He was beginning to be afraid of his mistress.

“I called you Austria once, for you were always ready,” Anna said, and withdrew from him, that the sung of her words might take effect.

“God knows, I have endeavoured to earn the title in my humble way,” Weisspriess appealed to Lena.

“Yes, Major Weisspriess, you have,” she said.  “Be Austria still, and forbear toward these people as much as you can.  To beat them is enough, in my mind.  I am rejoiced that you have not met Count Ammiani, for if you had, two friends of mine, equally dear and equally skilful, would have held their lives at one another’s mercy.”

“Equally!” said Weisspriess, and pulled out the length of his moustache.

“Equally courageous,” Lena corrected herself.  “I never distrusted Count Ammiani’s courage, nor could distrust yours.”

“Equally dear!” Weisspriess tried to direct a concentrated gaze on her.

Lena evaded an answer by speaking of the rumour of Count Ammiani’s marriage.

Weisspriess was thinking with all the sagacious penetration of the military mind, that perhaps this sister was trying to tell him that she would be willing to usurp the piece of the other in his affections; and if so, why should she not?

“I may cherish the idea that I am dear to you, Countess Lena?”

“When you are formally betrothed to my sister, you will know you are very dear to me, Major Weisspriess.”

“But,” said he, perceiving his error, “how many persons am I to call out before she will consent to a formal betrothal?”

Lena was half smiling at the little tentative bit of sentiment she had so easily turned aside.  Her advice to him was to refuse to fight, seeing that he had done sufficient for glory and his good name.

He mentioned Major Nagen as a rival.

Upon this she said:  “Hear me one minute.  I was in my sister’s bed-room on the first night when she knew of your lying wounded in the Ultenthal.  She told you just now that she called you Austria.  She adores our Austria in you.  The thought that you had been vanquished seemed like our Austria vanquished, and she is so strong for Austria that it is really out of her power to fancy you as defeated without suspecting foul play.  So when she makes you fight, she thinks you safe.  Many are to go down because you have gone down.  Do you not see?  And now, Major Weisspriess, I need not expose my sister to you any more, I hope, or depreciate Major Nagen for your satisfaction.”