Поющие в терновнике

           "Chacunàsongoût,mydear.I’mnothingmuchtolookat,myself—whyshouldyouassumeIcouldcharmayoungandbeautifulwomanintobeingmymistress?"

           "Becauseyoucould!"shesaidindignantly."Oh,ofcourseyoucould!"

           "Mymoney,youmean?"

           "Not,notyourmoney!You’reteasingme,youalwaysdo!RainerMoerlingHartheim,you’reverywellawarehowattractiveyouare,otherwiseyouwouldn’tweargoldmedallionsandnettingshirts.Looksaren’teverything—iftheywere,I’dstillbewondering."

           "Yourconcernformeistouching,Herzchen."

           "WhyisitthatwhenI’mwithyouIfeelasifI’mforeverrunningtocatchupwithyou,andIneverdo?"Herspurtoftemperdied;shestoodlookingathimuncertainly."You’renotserious,areyou?"

           "DoyouthinkIam?"

           "No!You’renotconceited,butyoudoknowhowveryattractiveyouare."

           "WhetherIdoornotisn’timportant.TheimportantthingisthatyouthinkI’mattractive."

           Shewasgoingtosay:OfcourseIdo;Iwasmentallytryingyouonasalovernotlongago,butthenIdecideditwouldn’twork,I’dratherkeeponhavingyouformyfriend.Hadhelethersayit,hemighthaveconcludedhistimehadn’tcome,andacteddifferently.Asitwas,beforeshecouldshapethewordshehadherinhisarms,andwaskissingher.Foratleastsixtysecondsshestood,dying,splitopen,smashed,thepowerinherscreaminginwildelationtofindamatchingpower.