Read Online The Vienna Melody by Ernst Lothar, Elizabeth Reynolds Hapgood - Free Book Online Page A

the green walnut tree. “Don’t hesitate to say yes, because I too believe that Paris is the only place to buy clothes.”
    So Henriette confessed that her dress was a French model from the Spitzer Salon. If only these visits were over, she thought.
    â€œCharming,” Sophie admitted, and asked if they had made all the calls in the house and whether they had seen every one. “Even the—” She was itching to say something about her arch-enemy, the former Kubelka woman, but decided it would be improper to initiate her new relative into such delicate matters too abruptly, so she desisted. On the other hand, she had no scruples about putting a question which so horrified Franz that his mouth fell open and he started out of his chair.
    â€œYou know that I was opposed to your marriage?” she said bluntly to Henriette.
    Despite the experience of the last hour the girl looked at the old lady helplessly. “No,” she replied.
    â€œWhat’s that?’’ Sophie asked, suddenly turned deaf.
    â€œAunt Sophie,” Franz roared, “we came to make a call on you!”
    â€œDon’t you think he’s a silly fellow?” Sophie said, devoting herself to Henriette. “Of course you’ve come to make a call, and the last one in the house, at that. You have been to see that—that Kubelka woman first. And if you had had it your way you wouldn’t have come calling at all. I mean Franz—I don’t know about you,” she added to Henriette.
    At this point old Poldi came in with some cherry brandy and Sacher cake.
    Sophie shook her head as she watched her elderly servant pass the refreshments, and after Poldi had left she said, “You must be sure, my child, to get good maids. So much in life depends on the Poldis and the Maries. How many servants will you keep?”
    This question being somewhat difficult to relate to the preceding one, a break in the conversation occurred, during which the parrot repeatedly offered thanks for nothing and Sophie, with firm fingers, cut the thin layers of the cake with chocolate icing. “I can well believe that you have had to eat your way through a lot of stuff,” she suggested as she passed the cake. “You can leave what you don’t want.” She herself tasted a little piece. “Well, how many servants will you keep?”
    â€œWe don’t know yet,” her nephew answered curtly.
    â€œMiserable stuff, this icing,” Sophie objected. “You’re not angry with me for what I said a few minutes ago, are you, my child?”
    â€œFrankly I am, a little.”
    Sophie nodded. “That’s just what I like. I mean frankness. I never have liked to play hide-and-seek. I told Franz—”
    â€œAuntie!” her nephew interrupted.
    â€œOh, shut up! Do you think the girl can’t take the truth? I did my best to talk him out of this marriage, I daresay you can guess why.”
    â€œHere I am! Here I am!” the parrot croaked from the next room.
    â€œYes, there you are! ’’ the old lady replied. She pushed away her painted porcelain plate with the slice of cake. “Or aren’t you interested?”
    â€œI’m afraid it wouldn’t alter things even if I knew what you have against me,” said Henriette, mustering her last forces of self-control.
    â€œThat’s the first nonsense I’ve heard you talk,” Sophie said decidedly. “Now if you two had let me have my say—it is advisable, my child, to let other people have their say, especially if they have had a little more experience—I should have told you that I had revised my opinion about you. Not only because of your appearance, which to be sure is not against you—it’s a good sign that you are capable of blushing! You’re clever too. Not too clever, I trust—it’s never good for a wife to be too clever. You could probably be a good wife for that foolish