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by means of letters.’
    ‘Provided it does not seem pedantic,’ the Captain said, ‘I think I can briefly sum up in the language of signs. Imagine an A intimately united with a B, so that no force is able to sunder them; imagine a C likewise related to a D; now bring the two couples into contact: A will throw itself at D, C at B, without our being able to say which first deserted its partner, which first embraced the other’s partner.’
    ‘Now then!’ Eduard interposed: ‘until we see all this with our own eyes, let us look on this formula as a metaphor from which we may extract a lesson we can apply immediately to ourselves. You, Charlotte, represent the A, and I represent your B; for in fact I do depend altogether on you and follow you as A follows B. The C is quite obviously the Captain, who for the moment is to some extent drawing me away from you. Now it is only fair that, if you are not to vanish into the limitless air, you must be provided with a D, and this D is unquestionably the charming little lady Ottilie, whose approaching presence you may no longer resist.’
    ‘Very well,’ Charlotte replied. ‘Even if, as I think, thisexample does not precisely fit our case, I still consider it a good thing that today we are for once fully in agreement, and that these natural and elective affinities should hasten me to tell you something in confidence. Let me confess, then, that this afternoon I decided to send for Ottilie: for my housekeeper, who has been loyal to me till now, is leaving to get married. This is why for my own sake and convenience I want Ottilie to come; but I also want her to come for her own sake, and why that should be so you shall read aloud to us. I shall refrain from looking over your shoulder, although it cannot matter whether I do so or not, for I already know the contents. However, do read it to us!’ With these words she drew out a letter and handed it to Eduard.

CHAPTER FIVE
    The Headmistress’s Letter
    Your Ladyship will forgive me if I write quite briefly today: for the examinations are now over, and I have to report to all our parents and guardians what we have achieved with our pupils during the course of the past year; and brevity is also quite in order here, since I can say much in few words. Your daughter has proved herself the first girl in the school in every respect. The enclosed certificates, and her own letter describing the prizes she has won and expressing the pleasure she feels at so successful an achievement, will bring you reassurance, and indeed joy. Mine is to some extent diminished when I foresee that we shall not for very much longer have any cause to detain with us a lady who has made such vast progress. I commend myself to your Ladyship and will take the liberty in the near future of communicating to you what I consider will be the most advantageous course for her to take now. My assistant has been good enough to write to you on the subject of Ottilie.
    The Schoolmaster’s Letter
    Our revered headmistress would have me write on the subject of Ottilie, in part because it would, to her way of thinking, be painful to tell what has to be told, but in part too because she herself owes an apology which she would prefer me to make in her stead.
    As I know all too well how little our good Ottilie is able to express what lies within her and what she is capable of, I was somewhat fearful of the examination, the more so since no preparation for it is possible, and, if it were to be conducted in the usual fashion, Ottilie could not even be prepared for making a show of knowledge. The event proved my fears to be only too justified: she received no prize, and she is also one of those whohave been awarded no certificate. There is no point in expatiating on this. In writing, the others hardly had such well-rounded letters, but they wrote much more fluently; in arithmetic everyone else was faster, and the test did not involve the more difficult problems which she is better able