We
dined lightly on soldiers' bread and some of the prince's wine--
furnished by Rosenthal--and for dessert we had some shelled almonds and
half a cake of chocolate--furnished by ourselves; also drinks of pale
native brandy from the bar.
During the evening we received several bulletins regarding the mythical
automobile. Invariably Mittendorfer was desolated to be compelled to
report that there had been another slight delay. We knew he was
desolated, because he said he was. During the evening, also, we met all
the regular members of the household living under that much-disturbed
roof. There was the husband, a big lubberly Fleming who apparently did
not count for much in the economic and domestic scheme of the
establishment; his wife, a large, commanding woman who ran the business
and the house as well; his wife's mother, an old sickly woman in her
seventies; and his wife's sister, a poor, palsied half-wit.
When the sister was a child, so we heard, she had been terribly
frightened, so that to this day, still frightened, she crept about, a
pale shadow, quivering all over pitiably at every sound.
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