the fürstin and i followed them along the broad, pleasant, tree-lined street towards the railway station.
"a boy of that age ought not to marry a girl of that age," said the fürstin, breaking a silence.
i didn't answer.
"well?" she said, domineering.
"my dear cousin," i said, "i know all that you have in your mind. i admit—i covet her. you can't make me more jealous than i am. she's clean and sweet—it is marvellous how the god of the rest of the world can have made a thing so brave and honest and wonderful. she's better than flowers. but i think i'm going away to-night, nevertheless."
"you don't mean you're going to carry chivalry to the point of giving that boy a chance—for he hasn't one while you're about."
"no. you see—i want to give rachel a chance. you know as well as i do—the things in my mind."
"that you've got to forget."
"that i don't forget."
"that you're bound in honor to forget. and who could help you better?"
"i'm going," i said and then, wrathfully, "if you think i want to use rachel as a sort of dressing—for my old sores——"
i left the sentence unfinished.
"oh nonsense!" cried the fürstin, and wouldn't speak to me again until we got to that entirely teutonic "art" station that is not the least among the sights of worms.
"sores, indeed!" said the fürstin presently, as we walked up the end of the platform.
"there's nothing," said the fürstin, with an unusual note of petulance, "she'd like better."
"i can't think what men are coming to," she went on. "you're in love with her, or you wouldn't be so generous. and she's head over heels with you. and here you are! i'll give you one more chance——"
"i won't take it," i interrupted. "it isn't fair. i tell you i won't take it. i'll go two days earlier to prevent you. unless you promise me—— of course i see how things are with her. she's not a sphinx. but it isn't fair. it isn't. not to her, or to him—or myself. he's got some claims. he's got more right to her than i...."
"a boy like that! no man has any rights about women—until he's thirty. and as for me and all the pains i've taken—— oh! i hate worms. dust and ashes! well here thank heaven! comes the train. if nothing else could stir you, stephen, at least i could have imagined some decent impulse of gratitude to me. stephen, you're disgusting. you've absolutely spoilt this trip for me—absolutely. when only a little reasonableness on your part—— oh!"
she left her sentence unfinished.
berwick and i had to make any conversation that was needed on the way back to boppard. rachel did not talk and the fürstin did not want to.
