Fox in the Attic, The by Hughes Richard

Author:Hughes, Richard [Hughes, Richard]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Modern Classics, Novel
ISBN: 978-1-59017-531-6
Publisher: New York Review Books
Published: 1961-01-28T03:00:00+00:00

17

Presumably the whole party had luncheon presently, but Augustine was too deeply besotted to be conscious of such things any more. Afterwards however came something that he had to take cognizance of: Mitzi vanished, and reappeared dressed all in furs. Franz too appeared, looking handsome and mediaeval in a long sleeveless belted sheepskin jerkin (he liked his arms free for driving, he said). Then Walther insisted on lending Augustine his own fur coat, a magnificent sable of dashing but antique cut—and much too large for Augustine, which caused great hilarity. Finally Adèle produced a sealskin cap for him, and as she fitted it to his head with her own hands her face suddenly went young again: fleetingly it was almost as if Mitzi herself peeped out of it.

Apparently it had been arranged a long time ahead that this afternoon Augustine was to be shown to some neighbors. These were the Steuckels, who lived very comfortably in a large villa at Röttningen ten miles away. Originally it had been planned for the whole Lorienburg family to descend on Röttningen in force, but in view of the dubious political situation surely Dr. Steuckel would understand ...

—Anyway, now it was to be just the three young people alone.

The Steuckels (Augustine was informed) were not nobility; but they were distinguished intellectuals (a class, Walther explained carefully, which he considered deserving of every respect). Dr. Steuckel owned an old-established Munich publishing firm of high repute, which—like the even more famous Hanfstaengl outfit—specialised in Fine Art; and he controlled an exhibition-gallery and picture-business as well (pounds and dollars!) in a very good position on the Promenadestrasse. That was Ulrich Steuckel of Röttningen, of course—“Dr. Ulrich”: his brother Dr. Reinhold (the eminent Munich jurist) had once been like Walther himself a Centrist member of the Landtag but now (also like Walther) by his own wish kept out of party politics. He still knew everybody, though.

Dr. Reinhold was particularly able ... here Walther digressed to describe one of the previous season’s meetings of “Gäa” (a serious and distinguished circle whose proceedings began with an authoritative lecture on some worth-while subject and continued with brilliant informal discussions over veal sausage and free beer). Walther himself had been present on that occasion but had hardly dared to speak, whereas Reinhold Steuckel had covered himself with glory by totally confounding the lecturer over some technicality of monetary theory—the lecturer being no less a person than Dr. Schacht himself, the great Dr. Hjalmar Schacht. “People are saying,” Walther now digressed, “that Schacht will shortly be called on to direct the financial affairs of the nation ...”

But at that point Mitzi started off down the stairs, whereon Augustine (to whom in any case the name of Schacht meant nothing) instantly closed his ears against Walther and followed her hot-foot.

When they reached the courtyard Augustine realized the reason for all these furs and this wrapping-up. They were to travel perched high on a light one-horse sleigh, sitting abreast there the three of them as open to the weather as three birds on a branch.

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