Отель «Гранд Вавилон» / The Grand Babylon hotel

I shall never forget that rainy afternoon that we spent together in the Museum of the Trocadéro. Let us talk about that.’

�About the rain, or the museum?’

�I shall never forget that afternoon,’ he repeated, ignoring the lightness of her question.

�Nor I,’ she murmured corresponding to his mood.

�You, too enjoyed it?’ he said eagerly.

�The sculptures were magnificent,’ she replied, hastily glancing at the ceiling.

�Ah! So they were! Tell me, Miss Racksole, how did you discover my identity?’

�I must not say,’ she answered.

�That is my secret. Do not seek to penetrate it. Who knows what horrors you might discover if you probed too far?’ She laughed, but she laughed alone. The Prince remained pensive—as it were brooding.

�I never hoped to see you again,’ he said.

�Why not?’

�One never sees again those whom one wishes to see.’

�As for me, I was perfectly convinced that we should meet again.’

�Why?’

�Because I always get what I want.

’

�Then you wanted to see me again?’

�Certainly. You interested me extremely. I have never met another man who could talk so well about sculpture as the Count Steenbock.’

�Do you really always get what you want, Miss Racksole?’

�Of course.’

�That is because your father is so rich, I suppose?’

�Oh, no, it isn’t!’ she said. �It’s simply because I always do get what I want. It’s got nothing to do with Father at all.

’

�But Mr Racksole is extremely wealthy?’

�Wealthy isn’t the word, Count. There is no word. It’s positively awful the amount of dollars poor Papa makes. And the worst of it is he can’t help it. He told me once that when a man had made ten millions no power on earth could stop those ten millions from growing into twenty. And so it continues. I spend what I can, but I can’t come near coping with it; and of course Papa is no use whatever at spending.

’

�And you have no mother?’

�Who told you I had no mother?’ she asked quietly.

�I—er—inquired about you,’ he said, with equal candour and humility.

�In spite of the fact that you never hoped to see me again?’

�Yes, in spite of that.’

�How funny!’ she said, and lapsed into a meditative silence.

�Yours must be a wonderful existence,’ said the Prince. �I envy you.