第28章 THE ADVANCED LADY.(3)

"I was not going to put it like that.Rather,under the lying garb of false masculinity!""Such a subtle distinction!"I murmured.

"Whom then,"asked Fraulein Elsa,looking adoringly at the Advanced Lady--"whom then do you consider the true woman?"

"She is the incarnation of comprehending Love!""But my dear Frau Professor,"protested Frau Kellermann,"you must remember that one has so few opportunities for exhibiting Love within the family circle nowadays.One's husband is at business all day,and naturally desires to sleep when he returns home--one's children are out of the lap and in at the university before one can lavish anything at all upon them!""But Love is not a question of lavishing,"said the Advanced Lady."It is the lamp carried in the bosom touching with serene rays all the heights and depths of--""Darkest Africa,"I murmured flippantly.

She did not hear.

"The mistake we have made in the past--as a sex,"said she,"is in not realising that our gifts of giving are for the whole world--we are the glad sacrifice of ourselves!""Oh!"cried Elsa rapturously,and almost bursting into gifts as she breathed--"how I know that!You know ever since Fritz and I have been engaged,I share the desire to give to everybody,to share everything!""How extremely dangerous,"said I.

"It is only the beauty of danger,or the danger of beauty"said the Advanced Lady--"and there you have the ideal of my book--that woman is nothing but a gift."I smiled at her very sweetly."Do you know,"I said,"I,too,would like to write a book,on the advisability of caring for daughters,and taking them for airings and keeping them out of kitchens!"I think the masculine element must have felt these angry vibrations:they ceased from singing,and together we climbed out of the wood,to see Schlingen below us,tucked in a circle of hills,the white houses shining in the sunlight,"for all the world like eggs in a bird's nest",as Herr Erchardt declared.We descended upon Schlingen and demanded sour milk with fresh cream and bread at the Inn of the Golden Stag,a most friendly place,with tables in a rose-garden where hens and chickens ran riot--even flopping upon the disused tables and pecking at the red checks on the cloths.We broke the bread into the bowls,added the cream,and stirred it round with flat wooden spoons,the landlord and his wife standing by.

"Splendid weather!"said Herr Erchardt,waving his spoon at the landlord,who shrugged his shoulders.

"What!you don't call it splendid!"

"As you please,"said the landlord,obviously scorning us.

"Such a beautiful walk,"said Fraulein Elsa,making a free gift of her most charming smile to the landlady.

"I never walk,"said the landlady;"when I go to Mindelbau my man drives me--I've more important things to do with my legs than walk them through the dust!""I like these people,"confessed Herr Langen to me."I like them very,very much.I think I shall take a room here for the whole summer.""Why?"