The Song of Songs

behind a mask of moist, warm mist as behind a hypocritical smile, the

everal bulging hand-bags into the library, measuring Lilly with an astonished lo

igures appeared on the scene and, though looking a bit weather beaten and washed out, swept

enged the door of the rear room, and another anxious look at the broom of welcome, whose hour had c

the size of a man's fist-were sticking out, some cushions trimmed with diagonal bars, and a whisky flask. There was also a tin box of lemon drops sans

. She expected to hear the screams of the maltreated girls. But all was ser

nner consisted of cabbage as usual, with the addition of a mountain of cakes from the confectioner's, t

evidence of their h

ed with motherly j

But I am modest in my demands, and I am glad enough to get what I do. I know their hearts draw them now to their father, now to

she pressed a hand of each. All three l

girls said, intended to give up his large business, to assume the management of ext

ck-marked scoundrel" had had to scurry off because of some questionab

e learned to distinguish between them. Lona, the older, who possessed some beauty of a coarse kind, had the ways of a clutching, grasping

spicion willing to bide its time. Hints were not omitted to inform a certain person tha

lly was shy and harmless, the waves of t

o their chins, talking, talking, talking, while they sucked candies bought on the sly, or dressed one another's hair. Beautiful souls poured forth confess

liked above all was to h

y, isn't the set of

I a marbl

ke off my shirt and show you my

nt appeals for critic

about our good looks that we can

rfs over their heads, they did not scorn to discuss the truly Greek way their hai

o be severely

cast sheep's eyes at anybody or not, it's all the same. Now, if we just chuck a little sidelon

h the pleasant sense of unbounded power and triu

might be summed up in one sentence: "Do wha

ies, which set Lilly's pulse to bounding, and in which they pr

ng sensual craving. On

be queen of the bees,

lined to ethical speculat

is to be a nun and

after the manner of the Renaissance narrators,

withstanding, all their hopes an

sly as possible, was salvation, career, a specific

ld, he must be rich, a

natural virtues, these girls revelled in picturing their future spouses' infirmities and in recou

n so absolutely indispensable to life. A favorite subject of debate between them was: "Is

on knew no bounds, upheld the positive side. Mi, who wis

lize that the best way to catch them is through fear. Make them sin, and twist t

logic, "that you haven't practised what you

Her sister's fingers, crooked r

air puffs and petticoat strings flew about, and from which Mi emerged with a la

afternoon walk, and who, according to Mi, had been discouraged from comin

to do with so-called "swells," while Mi was of the opinion t

occupation. Lilly, who had credited, and been greatly disturbed by, the threats they first made that th

r their morning walk to make the necessary estimates of the gentlemen of the

ted to the military, the second half wa

here a few lieutenants and a number of city officials and young lawyers gathered to play chess or skat; and wh

at twilight, which proved highly advantageous for establishing possib

rky atmosphere like streaks of lightning. Then a season of protracted storm set in, and mishaps occurred in swift succession, gradually becoming so purely a matter of course that even Lilly, who at first had wept and screamed along with the other three, began to consider this

two girls might have taken advantage of her oblivion to give free play to their desires

s for fast girls," they said, "a

r of conventions the young ladies circumscri

ssed as much as you like,

ur first name in conversation, but if

at you to coffee and cake,

r foot, but if he attempts to press yo

so

ved the man of her dreams, the man of her novels, the man of her own creation. The thing that stared at her on the street, the thing that came to exchange books and found all sorts of little pretexts for entering into conversation with her, the thing that officiously he

; and a girl could concern herself about them from the moment she rose to the moment she fell asleep,

, in spite of herself, a small desire arising within her to find out what the nature of those creatures mi

w, and of the disquieting curiosity with which she picked it up to examine it. For whether or no, her thoughts would return to the gay pi

t friendship both at first bestowed upon h

Lilly would spend hours calculating feverishly, entering and counting every cent, until finally there was no other conclus

key of the drawer away with her as if unintentionally, and did so repeatedly, until the girls' mann

ave vent to their wrat

was mistress of the place? If need be, book

d threatened to leave that instant unless s

ring through and through, took sides with Li

ed intimacy gave Lilly new and comprehensi

er, especially since the place had turned out to be absolutely unproductive in regard to good matches. So for a long time they had been saving money industriously for another flight. It was no exaggeration to say they were starving themse

Their manner cooled off again, and they began to p

that fanned their enm