Transcriber's Note:
1. Page scan source: http://books.google.com/books?id=eN0BAAAAQAAJ&pg
2. Compare this to the American edition: "Vineta, The Phantom City,"by E. Werner and translated by Frances A. Shaw.
At an early hour on the following morning the Castle guests, most ofwhom had spent the night beneath its roof, took their departure; onlyCount Morynski and his daughter remained at Wilicza. As the youngproprietor's arrival had surprised them there, courtesy required thatthey should address to him some words of greeting before leaving hishouse; the Count, however, considered that, in the utter absence of allintimacy between himself and his nephew, he would be acting withpropriety in leaving the latter exclusively to his mother for the firstfew hours succeeding their meeting, and Wanda was even less eager toassert the claims of relationship.
The Princess was alone with her two sons. She sat in her accustomedplace in the green drawing-room, with Waldemar opposite her, and Leostanding by his brother's chair--to all appearances a peaceful, unitedfamily group.
"No, Waldemar, I really cannot forgive you for this," said the lady, inreproachful tones. "To stop at the steward's! As though your castlewere not at your command at any instant of the day! as though it wouldnot have been a pleasure to me to introduce you to my guests! I amalmost tempted to look on what you term a mark of consideration for meas something quite the contrary. I really cannot let your fear ofcausing a disturbance serve you as a pretext."
"Well, let my disinclination to come into a crowd of strangers themoment I arrived serve me as such, then," replied Waldemar. "I reallywas not in the humour for it."
"Have you still the old antipathy to everything like society? In thatcase we shall have to narrow our connections here at Wilicza."
"Not on my account, I hope. I beg of you not to think of me in thematter--only you must excuse me if I do not put in a very frequentappearance in your salon. I have, it is true, learned to submit tothe exigencies of society when there is no avoiding them, but they arestill troublesome to me."
The Princess smiled. This tendency, of which she had so long beenaware, accorded exactly with her wishes. Indeed, everything in thisfirst meeting went to show that she had not erred in her judgment ofWaldemar, that his nature had remained fundamentally the same. Therewas no marked change even in his personal appearance. His great heightwas more noticeable now than formerly, because he carried himself moreerect, towering far above his tall and slender brother; and theunripeness, the undeveloped lines of youth had given place