There was
another game than chess being played there, though kings and
queens and knights and bishops were still the sum of it.
"Are you so very far away, then?" The song had ceased; the
countess was looking at him curiously.
"Thank you," he said; "indeed, you had taken me out of myself."
"Do you like chestnuts?" she asked suddenly.
"I am very fond of them."
"Then I shall fetch some." It occurred to her that the room was
very warm; she wanted a breath of air--alone.
"Checkmate!" cried the Colonel, joyfully.
"Do you begin to understand?" asked Madame.
"A little," admitted Fitzgerald, who did not wish to learn too
quickly. "I like to watch the game."
"So do I," said Maurice, who had approached the table. "I should
like to know what the game is, too."
Both Madame and the Colonel appeared to accept the statement and
not the innuendo. Madame placed the figures on the board.
Maurice strolled over to the table and aimlessly glanced through
the Vienna illustrated weeklies. He saw Franz Josef in
characteristic poses, full-page engravings of the military
maneuvers and reproductions of the notable paintings.
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