I dare say Herr Binding over there is pretty annoyed with us."
She laughed again.
"Oh yes, for a moment certainly.
But one has to be able to lose once in a while."
"True."
There followed a pause.
I glanced across at Lenz.
But the last of the romantics merely grinned, twitched his nose, and left me to wallow.
The birch trees rustled.
A cock crowed at the back of the house.
"Marvellous weather," said I at last to break the silence.
"Yes, splendid," replied the girl.
"And so mild," Lenz added.
"Quite unusually mild," I supplemented.
There followed a fresh pause.
The girl must take us for a nice pair of muttons; but with the best will in the world nothing more occurred to me to say.
Lenz was sniffing the air.
"Apple sauce," said he feelingly. "There's going to be apple sauce with the liver, apparently.
A tasty dish."
"Doubtless," I agreed and cursed us both.
Koster and Binding came back.
In the few minutes Binding had become a different man.
He was beaming, apparently in a seventh heaven to have found in Koster an expert.
He asked if we would dine with them.
"Of course," replied Lenz.
We went in.
As we entered the door Lenz winked at me and nodded in the direction of the girl.
"She cancels out ten of your dancing old witches, of this morning."
I gave a shrug.
"Maybe—but in that case why did you leave me stuttering there like a fool?"
He laughed.
"You must learn to swim for yourself sometime, baby."
"I've no wish to learn anything any more," said I.
We followed the others.
They were already seated at the table.
The hostess arrived immediately with the liver and chipped potatoes.
She brought as well a large bottle of rye whisky as an introduction.
Binding proved to be a perfect torrent of a talker.
It was amazing all the things he found to say about motor cars.
When he learned that Otto had actually done racing, his good will knew no restraint any more.
I looked at him more closely.
He was a big, heavy fellow with bushy eyebrows above a ruddy face; a bit given to boasting, a bit noisy, and apparently good-humoured, like folk who have been successful in life.
I could picture him before going to bed at night, solemnly, appreciatively, approvingly contemplating himself in the mirror.
The girl was seated between Lenz and me.
She had taken off her coat and beneath it wore a grey English costume.
About her neck was tied a white scarf that looked like a stock.
Her hair was brown and silky and in the lamplight had an amber sheen.
Her shoulders were very straight but inclined a little forward, her hands were slender, a bit long, and bony rather than soft.
Her face was narrow and pale, but the large eyes gave it an almost passionate strength.
She looked very good, I decided—but I thought no more about it.