The serving-girls ran more swiftly to and fro, responding
with a more nervous shrillness to the calls of "Fraulein! Fraulein!" that
followed them. The proprietor, in his bare head, stood like one paralyzed
by his prosperity, which sent up all round him the clash of knives and
crockery, and the confusion of tongues. It was more than an hour before
Burnamy caught Lili's eye, and three times she promised to come and be
paid before she came. Then she said, "It is so nice, when you stay a
little," and when he told her of the poor Fraulein who had broken the
dishes in her fall near them, she almost wept with tenderness; she almost
winked with wickedness when he asked if the American princess was still
in her place.
"Do go and see who it can be!" Mrs. March entreated. "We'll wait here,"
and he obeyed. "I am not sure that I like him," she said, as soon as he
was out of hearing. "I don't know but he's coarse, after all. Do you
approve of his knowing so many people's 'taches' already?"
"Would it be any better later?" he asked in tern. "He seemed to find you
interested."
"It's very different with us; we're not young," she urged, only half
seriously.
Her husband laughed. "I see you want me to defend him.
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