You
yourself, your highness, have often assured me that I was specially
created to make a wife unhappy."
"If the wife does not succeed in making you better. But you are a
hopeless case. At any rate this is neither the time nor the place to
discuss so serious a matter. The duchess is planning a visit to Rodeck,
and I am thinking of accompanying her."
"What a charming idea," said Egon, to whom the thought of an invasion by
his noble kinsfolk was even more terrifying than the marriage plan. "I
am rejoiced that Rodeck, notwithstanding its isolated situation,
contains something worthy of notice just at present. I brought a good
many curiosities home with me from my journey, among other things a
lion, two young tigers, and some very rare snakes."
"But not alive?" interrupted his aunt.
"Of course, your highness."
"The Lord preserve us! Your life is not safe."
"Oh, they're not so dangerous after all. Only a few of the beasts have
broken away; the people are so afraid of feeding them--but they were
caught again and have not done any harm up to this time."
"Up to this time! A nice condition of affairs, I must say," exclaimed
the princess angrily, "to keep every one in the region in constant
danger of their lives. The duke ought to forbid you such diabolical
amusement.
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