The fair dame made a contemptuous clicking with her tongue.
"Don't you feel any interest, then, in Kvatopil's heroism, wounds, distinction, and promotion?"
"No!" she replied resolutely, almost snapping my sentence in two. Her eyes sparkled like burning naphtha lakes.
"No?" I repeated, in my amazement. "You take no interest in your husband's fate whether it be bad or good? You feel neither hot nor cold on the subject?"
"But you parted in the greatest affection when he went to the wars?"
"Only twenty-nine days, I've counted them."
After that she began to laugh maliciously. She leaped to her feet and rumpled my frizzly hair with her fingers.
"Let's leave the matter till after dinner; then I'll tell you everything. But don't let us spoil a good dinner in the meantime. You are quite horrified at me now, and fancy that I've laid a trap for you. You will see later on that this serious business of mine is not a joke. Let us leave it till after the black coffee."
I revived again. The lady was capricious, and it suited her.
"I was determined to give you a good dinner. I owe you your revenge. It is a long time since we dined together. Last time I was your guest. Don't you remember? At the Pagan Altar. I never ate so heartily. What splendid toast you had! And the bacon, too, broiled on a stick! Why, I've got the taste of that good red pepper of yours in my mouth to this day! And now I mean to give you hospitality that you will remember for a long time!"
This again was delightfully reassuring! She was of the true cat species--she purrs and fondles, but one must be continually on one's guard against her claws.
"Come now, help me to lay the table! My cook has enough to do without that."
So I had to help her lay the table, for the saloon was the dining-room also. One had only to remove the books, porcelain vases, and china knick-knacks from the table in front of the sofa, and then cover it with the table-cloth.
I was curious to see how many she would lay for. Only for two. Two plates, two knives, forks and spoons, and two glasses.
But how about that third person, that person in the bedroom yonder? Or had I rightly interpreted that peculiar expression of hers? I was beginning to think the whole thing was pure hallucination on my part.