7 -
Count: Possibly it has something to do with these artistic
aspirations. I think sometimes, that all these eccentricties
have a psychological connection between them.
call
Prince: Eccentricities? You can’t Mizzi eecentric.
Count: Now it's all over. But-
Prince; I always found Mizzi very olever and very quiet. You
needn’t think her eccentric because she points Moses and violets.
Count: Don't take me for a fool. I don’t mean because of
her rose and violets, but- as a very young girl, if you’ll
remember,
Prince: What?
Count: Oh, the story about Fedor Wangenheim, wanting to
marry her.
Prince: Why, are you still thinking of that? It isn't
true any more. It must have been eighteen or twenty years
ago.
Count: When she'd rather have gone into a convent than
marry that nice boy. After she had been nearly engaged
to him, too. And then she left her home.- Suddenly. Don't
you call that eccentric?
Prince: How do you happen to think of that old, old story
to-day?
Count: Old? It seems to me like last year. Just at the time
my story with Lolo started. To remember it all. If anybody
had told me- you know, it started just like an ordinary ad-
venture, quite frivolous, irresponsible, crazy. Yes, crazy.
V. it was fornunate
I don't want to speak simply- but rea,
my poor wife had been dead then a few Lolo- she was my
fate. For love and looking. Her looking was something won-
derful. And the coziness around her, - and always in good
humour, never an angry word.... Well, it's over now, let’s
not talk about (Silence) But say, won’t you stay to lunch?
I’ll call Mizzi.
Wait- I want to tell you something.
Prince: (Detaining him)
(Easily, rather humouristically) I want to prepare you for
something.
Count: What? What's up?
Prince: I want to introduce a young gentleman to you.
Count: (Astonished) A young gentleman?
Prince: Yes, if you don't mind.