Read Online Christopher and Columbus by Elizabeth von Arnim - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Elizabeth von Arnim
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way of describing marriage,
and inquired of Anna-Felicitas what she knew about Germans.
"The moment you leave off being sea-sick, Anna-F.,"
said Anna-Rose, turning to her severely, "you start being
indiscreet. Well, I suppose," she added with a sigh to Mr.
Twist, "you'd have had to know sooner or later. Our name
is Twinkler."
She watched him to see the effect of this, and Mr. Twist,
perceiving he was expected to say something, said that he
didn't mind that anyhow, and that he could bear something worse
in the way of revelations.
"Does it convey nothing to you?" asked Anna-Rose,
astonished, for in Germany the name of Twinkler was a mighty name,
and even in England it was well known.
Mr. Twist shook his head. "Only that it sounds
cheerful," he said.
Anna-Rose watched his face. "It isn't only
Twinkler," she said, speaking very distinctly. "It's
von
Twinkler."
"That's German," said Mr. Twist; but his face
remained serene.
"Yes. And so are we. That is, we would be if it didn't
happen that we weren't."
"I don't think I quite follow," said Mr.
Twist.
"It
is
very difficult," agreed Anna-Rose. "You see,
we used to have a German father."
"But only because our mother married him," explained
Anna-Felicitas. "Else we wouldn't have."
"And though she only did it once," said Anna-Rose,
"ages ago, it has dogged our footsteps ever since."
"It's very surprising," mused Anna-Felicitas,
"what marrying anybody does. You go into a church, and before
you know where you are, you're all tangled up with
posterity."
"And much worse than that," said Anna-Rose, staring
wide-eyed at her own past experiences, "posterity's all
tangled up with you. It's really simply awful sometimes for
posterity. Look at us."
"If there hadn't been a war we'd have been all
right," said Anna-Felicitas. "But directly there's a
war, whoever it is you've married, if it isn't one of your
own countrymen, rises up against you, just as if he were too many
meringues you'd had for dinner."
"Living or dead," said Anna-Rose, nodding, "he
rises up against you."
"Till the war we never thought at all about it," said
Anna-Felicitas.
"Either one way or the other," said Anna-Rose.
"We never used to bother about what we were," said
Anna-Felicitas. "We were just human beings, and so was
everybody else just human beings."
"We didn't mind a bit about being Germans, or about
other people not being Germans."
"But you mustn't think we mind now either," said
Anna-Felicitas, "because, you see, we're not."
Mr. Twist looked at them in turn. His ears were a little
prominent and pointed, and they gave him rather the air, when he
put his head on one side and looked at them, of an attentive
fox-terrier. "I don't think I quite follow," he said
again.
"It
is
very difficult," agreed Anna-Rose.
"It's because you've got into your head that
we're German because of our father," said Anna-Felicitas.
"But what's a father, when all's said and
done?"
"Well," said Mr. Twist, "one has to have
him."
"But having got him he isn't anything like as important
as a mother," said Anna-Rose.
"One hardly sees one's father," said
Anna-Felicitas. "He's always busy. He's always
thinking of something else."
"Except when he looks at one and tells one to sit up
straight," said Anna-Rose pointedly to Anna-Felicitas, whose
habit of drooping still persisted in spite of her father's
admonishments.
"Of course he's very kind and benevolent when he
happens to remember that one is there," said Anna-Felicitas,
sitting up beautifully for a moment, "but that's about
everything."
"And of course," said Anna-Rose, "one's
father's intentions are perfectly sound and good, but his
attention seems to wander. Whereas one's mother--"
"Yes," said Anna-Felicitas, "one's
mother--"
They broke off and looked straight in front of them. It
didn't bear speaking of. It didn't bear thinking of.
Suddenly Anna-Felicitas, weak from excessive sea-sickness, began
to cry. The tears just slopped over as though no resistance of any
sort were
and inquired of Anna-Felicitas what she knew about Germans.
"The moment you leave off being sea-sick, Anna-F.,"
said Anna-Rose, turning to her severely, "you start being
indiscreet. Well, I suppose," she added with a sigh to Mr.
Twist, "you'd have had to know sooner or later. Our name
is Twinkler."
She watched him to see the effect of this, and Mr. Twist,
perceiving he was expected to say something, said that he
didn't mind that anyhow, and that he could bear something worse
in the way of revelations.
"Does it convey nothing to you?" asked Anna-Rose,
astonished, for in Germany the name of Twinkler was a mighty name,
and even in England it was well known.
Mr. Twist shook his head. "Only that it sounds
cheerful," he said.
Anna-Rose watched his face. "It isn't only
Twinkler," she said, speaking very distinctly. "It's
von
Twinkler."
"That's German," said Mr. Twist; but his face
remained serene.
"Yes. And so are we. That is, we would be if it didn't
happen that we weren't."
"I don't think I quite follow," said Mr.
Twist.
"It
is
very difficult," agreed Anna-Rose. "You see,
we used to have a German father."
"But only because our mother married him," explained
Anna-Felicitas. "Else we wouldn't have."
"And though she only did it once," said Anna-Rose,
"ages ago, it has dogged our footsteps ever since."
"It's very surprising," mused Anna-Felicitas,
"what marrying anybody does. You go into a church, and before
you know where you are, you're all tangled up with
posterity."
"And much worse than that," said Anna-Rose, staring
wide-eyed at her own past experiences, "posterity's all
tangled up with you. It's really simply awful sometimes for
posterity. Look at us."
"If there hadn't been a war we'd have been all
right," said Anna-Felicitas. "But directly there's a
war, whoever it is you've married, if it isn't one of your
own countrymen, rises up against you, just as if he were too many
meringues you'd had for dinner."
"Living or dead," said Anna-Rose, nodding, "he
rises up against you."
"Till the war we never thought at all about it," said
Anna-Felicitas.
"Either one way or the other," said Anna-Rose.
"We never used to bother about what we were," said
Anna-Felicitas. "We were just human beings, and so was
everybody else just human beings."
"We didn't mind a bit about being Germans, or about
other people not being Germans."
"But you mustn't think we mind now either," said
Anna-Felicitas, "because, you see, we're not."
Mr. Twist looked at them in turn. His ears were a little
prominent and pointed, and they gave him rather the air, when he
put his head on one side and looked at them, of an attentive
fox-terrier. "I don't think I quite follow," he said
again.
"It
is
very difficult," agreed Anna-Rose.
"It's because you've got into your head that
we're German because of our father," said Anna-Felicitas.
"But what's a father, when all's said and
done?"
"Well," said Mr. Twist, "one has to have
him."
"But having got him he isn't anything like as important
as a mother," said Anna-Rose.
"One hardly sees one's father," said
Anna-Felicitas. "He's always busy. He's always
thinking of something else."
"Except when he looks at one and tells one to sit up
straight," said Anna-Rose pointedly to Anna-Felicitas, whose
habit of drooping still persisted in spite of her father's
admonishments.
"Of course he's very kind and benevolent when he
happens to remember that one is there," said Anna-Felicitas,
sitting up beautifully for a moment, "but that's about
everything."
"And of course," said Anna-Rose, "one's
father's intentions are perfectly sound and good, but his
attention seems to wander. Whereas one's mother--"
"Yes," said Anna-Felicitas, "one's
mother--"
They broke off and looked straight in front of them. It
didn't bear speaking of. It didn't bear thinking of.
Suddenly Anna-Felicitas, weak from excessive sea-sickness, began
to cry. The tears just slopped over as though no resistance of any
sort were
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