he may take shelter.
She has a mother in name, but her company she cannot frequent, for
certain reasons; she has tried her other relations and acquaintances in
turn, but they have all well-founded reasons for not undertaking to
burden their families in this manner; she cannot go into service, not
having been educated to it. Well, it occurred to her that she had,
somewhere in the far regions of Asia, a half-mad relation--that is your
humble servant: it would be a good plan to find him out at once, and
take up her abode with him as a princess. I entirely indorse my niece's
argument: and have already sent her the money necessary for the journey,
have paid the fees due, and have enabled her to appear among us in the
style befitting her rank."

[Footnote 60: An album in which one writes something "as a souvenir."]

Topandy laughed loudly at his own production.

It was only himself that laughed: the others did not share in it.

"Well, there will be one more young lady in the house: a refined,
graceful, sentimental woman-in-white, before whom people must take great
care what they say, and who will probably correct the behavior of all of
us."

Czipra pushed her chair back angrily from the table.

"Oh, don't be afraid. She will not correct you. You may be sure of that.
You have absolute authority in the house, as you know already: what you
command or order is accomplished, and against your will not even a cat
comes to our table. You remain what you were: mistress of life and
death in the house. When you wish it, there is washing in the house, and
everybody is obliged to render an account even of his last shirt; what
you do not like in the place, you may throw out of the window, and you
can buy what you wish. The new young lady will not take away from you a
single one of those keys which hang on that silver chain dangling from
your red girdle; and if only she does not entice away our young friend,
she will be unable to set up any opposition against you. And even in
that event I shall defend you."

Czipra shrugged her shoulders defiantly.

"Let her do as she pleases."

"And we two shall do as we please, shall we not?"

"You," said Czipra, looking sharply at Topandy with her black eyes. "You
will soon be doing what that young lady likes. I foresee it all. As soon
as she puts her foot in, everybody will do as she does. When she smiles,
everybody will smile at her in return. If she speaks German, the whole
house will use