It so happened that I had been out on excursions, or taken my meal at a different hour, so had not met them before; but now I had to promise to look them up and take coffee with them on that same day.
"And you shall not feel the hour hang heavily upon you with no other society than that of two old people."
"No, you shall not feel the time long at all."
"But you must not speak like that."
"Indeed, we should not like to encroach on your time, especially when there is so much for your young legs to do. But a young lady is coming, and it would please us very much to give her more youthful companionship than we ourselves can offer."
"You will not regret making her acquaintance—at least I hope not." These last words the old lady added with an arch glance.
"From this place?" escaped my lips.
Mrs. Hertz misunderstood my question, and laughed.
"No, you need not be afraid of a too rustic naïveté. She is not a Rathener."
"Nor is she a Königsberger."
"Perhaps she knows but little of Kant? Tell me, Mr. Hertz, do you really think that all ladies from Königsberg have read The Critique of Pure Reason?
"Unfortunately, my young friend, they have not even read The Critique of Judgment, which they need so much. As we are on the subject, I have in my day given lectures for women.…"
I had put my rather satirical question in order to affect a great indifference to the present topic, and also to gain time; as in a way I feared to be robbed too quickly of the hope which I had suddenly begun to cherish. But the old lady had read my thoughts.
