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The husband of Princess Betsy, a good-natured fat man, an ardent

collector of engravings, hearing that his wife had visitors, came

into the drawing-room before going to his club. Stepping

noiselessly over the thick rugs, he went up to Princess Myakaya.

"How did you like Nilsson?" he asked.

"Oh, how can you steal upon anyone like that! How you startled

me!" she responded. "Please don't talk to me about the opera; you

know nothing about music. I'd better meet you on your own ground,

and talk about your majolica and engravings. Come now, what

treasure have you been buying lately at the old curiosity shops?"

"Would you like me to show you? But you don't understand such

things."

"Oh, do show me! I've been learning about them at those-what's

their names?... the bankers ... they've some splendid engravings.

They showed them to us."

"Why, have you been at the Schutzburgs?" asked the hostess from

the samovar.