Page 156 - of-human-bondage-

bles too. She was the daughter of a merchant in Berlin and
a dashing hussar had fallen in love with her, a von if you
please: but his parents opposed a marriage with a person of
her condition, and she had been sent to Heidelberg to for-
get him. She could never, never do this, and corresponded
with him continually, and he was making every effort to in-
duce an exasperating father to change his mind. She told all
this to Philip with pretty sighs and becoming blushes, and
showed him the photograph of the gay lieutenant. Philip
liked her best of all the girls at the Frau Professor’s, and
on their walks always tried to get by her side. He blushed a
great deal when the others chaffed him for his obvious pref-
erence. He made the first declaration in his life to Fraulein
Hedwig, but unfortunately it was an accident, and it hap-
pened in this manner. In the evenings when they did not go
out, the young women sang little songs in the green velvet
drawing-room, while Fraulein Anna, who always made her-
self useful, industriously accompanied. Fraulein Hedwig’s
favourite song was called Ich liebe dich, I love you; and one
evening after she had sung this, when Philip was standing
with her on the balcony, looking at the stars, it occurred to
him to make some remark about it. He began:
‘Ich liebe dich.’
His German was halting, and he looked about for the
word he wanted. The pause was infinitesimal, but before he
could go on Fraulein Hedwig said:
‘Ach, Herr Carey, Sie mussen mir nicht du sagen—you
mustn’t talk to me in the second person singular.’
Philip felt himself grow hot all over, for he would never

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