The Wisdom of Father Brown

male to the sex of the mother that bore him. She returned to Munich after a month in Berlin, for by this time she had made up her mind to write, and t

n, analyzed every person she had met, and passed many of her evenings in the study of the best contemporary fiction, had, associated with the spur of her own upheava

recognition whatever her matter. She lived in a small but comfortable hotel, for not only had she saved the greater part of her salary, but the Bolan

est people in Germany. Here Gisela could sit alone in a café by the hour reading the illustrated papers and smoking with her coffee, attracting no attention whatever. She joined parties of students during the summer and tramped the Bavarian Alps, and she danced all night at student balls. Nevertheless, she managed to hold herself somewhat aloof

cond winter that she

e boasted a father of note in the University of Leipzig, and his mother had traveled and written a scathing satire on the United States of America. He had not a grain of originality or imagination, but he too was taking the course

merely because the career appealed acutely to his itching ambition, so did he in due course make up his mind to marry this handsome brunette (what hair he had was drab) who b

s high little flat, and he really did know "people." His parental introductions had given him the entrée to the profess

s and wristlets, and his nose was crimson. Gisela, in a new set of furs, sent her for Christmas by Mariette, and a smart gown of wine-colored cloth, looked radiant. Her dark eyes shone with joy in the cold electric air of that high plateau, her c

of him at all. At the café he selected an alcove as far from the noisy groups of students as

e cup of hot coffee and lit a cigarette, he brought up the subject of matrimony. He had no intention of proposing in th

serious, he smiled into her glowing face. She looked happy en

ing if they might not have made handsome men had they permitted their duel wounds to

f marrying unless I found a young lady who p

then do yo

ryth

order. What do yo

private. She must have beauty of figure as well as of face, as I detest our dumpy type of German women. And she must have style, and dress well. It would mortify me to death, particularly

e much too careless, particularly afte

though I shall no doubt make a large income in due course, I must begin well.

eed,

thing is all very well-" He waved his hand, and arched an eyebrow, and Gisela inferred she was to take quite a number of amours for granted; much, f

artist, however. I should never permit my wife to write or model or sing for the public. And she must have

that

st German women have the domestic virtues. Naturally, she mu

ittle square chin on her hands, and if there were wondering con

you purpose to give her

, and the gesture was quite without aff

!-that a woman has to offer a man-any man-you should not f

ill see all in me that I see in her. Shall we get out of this? I feel

wn his own street as they passed it. His head felt overburde

lightly as he reflected that she possessed real distinction; almost she might be hochwohlgeboren-yes, quite. He tingled less agreeably as he recalled a snub administered by a great lad

n from the Alps, "you must permit me to give you a note of introduction to my mo

it was rather forward in a German girl practically to ask a man

cent deception here in Munich-for obvious reasons

d, Teutonic organ, strove to grapple with tw

my point of view-oh, but in many ways! The men, you see, are so di

uppish, spoil

o be spoiled. You wi

t arrogant junker class. And the name of Niebuhr!-why, it st

an assure you that my mother is as democratic as one may be in B

your marriage with a

marry out of my own class. That is always a mistake. There

y and disappointment, mortification and Teutonic resentment at being obliged to diverge abruptly from prec

you would not marry a Venus if she happened to be born outside of your own class?

and I never wish to see you again!" He whirled about, bury

ympathy for German women took a long stride. But