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with smiling denials; Herr Sung did not know what she was
talking about, he was not paying any attention to Fraulein
Cacilie, he never walked with her; it was all untrue, every
word of it.
‘Ach, Herr Sung, how can you say such things? You’ve
been seen again and again.’
‘No, you’re mistaken. It’s untrue.’
He looked at her with an unceasing smile, which showed
his even, little white teeth. He was quite calm. He denied ev-
erything. He denied with bland effrontery. At last the Frau
Professor lost her temper and said the girl had confessed
she loved him. He was not moved. He continued to smile.
‘Nonsense! Nonsense! It’s all untrue.’
She could get nothing out of him. The weather grew very
bad; there was snow and frost, and then a thaw with a long
succession of cheerless days, on which walking was a poor
amusement. One evening when Philip had just finished his
German lesson with the Herr Professor and was standing
for a moment in the drawing-room, talking to Frau Erlin,
Anna came quickly in.
‘Mamma, where is Cacilie?’ she said.
‘I suppose she’s in her room.’
‘There’s no light in it.’
The Frau Professor gave an exclamation, and she looked
at her daughter in dismay. The thought which was in Anna’s
head had flashed across hers.
‘Ring for Emil,’ she said hoarsely.
This was the stupid lout who waited at table and did most
of the housework. He came in.

1 Of Human Bondage