THE 
 
 THIRD 
 
 
 University of California 
 
 Southern Regional 
 
 Library Facility
 
 THE LIBRARY / 
 
 OF // 
 THE UNIVERSITY/ 
 OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 LOS ANGELES 
 
 IN MEMORY OF 
 MRS. VIRGINIA B. SPORER

 
 THE THIRD SEX
 
 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 BY 
 
 ERNST VON WOLZOGEN 
 
 Author of "Florian Mayr," etc. 
 
 ENGLISH VERSION BY 
 
 GRACE ISABEL COLBRON 
 
 NEW YORK 
 
 THE MACAULAY COMPANY 
 1914
 
 Copyright 1914, by 
 THE MACAULAY COMPANY
 
 PREFACE 
 
 Ernst von Wolzogen is quite able to speak for 
 himself, even when bidding for the favor of an 
 English-reading public. But at one time this most 
 versatile artistic personality of modern Germany 
 was manager of his famous Ueberbrettl, (which 
 you may translate as Literary Variety Show if you 
 feel so inclined) and he took it unto himself to 
 announce each one of the artists by a little spoken 
 preface which was usually as characteristic and as 
 witty as is all his work. While not attempting 
 in any way to compete with him in these two qual- 
 ities I am taking the liberty of letting him see how 
 it feels to be introduced by a preface himself. 
 
 Ernst von Wolzogen sets a hard task for the 
 literary critic with a conscience. He is one of 
 those writers whose exuberance of individuality, 
 whose insistent personality so colors all his work 
 that it is difficult to judge the work on its own 
 merits alone. And in none of a long list of books 
 from his pen is this quality so in evidence as in 
 
 2041943
 
 PREFACE 
 
 the volume we offer here, the Third Sex. His 
 literary mannerism which after all seems but the 
 natural expression of his personality, his satirical 
 gift which serves so aptly as a vehicle for the ut- 
 terance of the most serious thoughts, both run riot 
 in this book. It reads like a daring bit of fun 
 all through. And yet when the smile is broadest, 
 the writer brings to expression some of the deepest 
 truths that lie at the heart of that mental trend 
 we call Feminism, now taking its place as one of 
 the burning questions of the day. This last fact 
 is all the more remarkable in that the book was 
 written some years ago in Germany, a country 
 where in this Year of Grace 1914 the new Femin- 
 ism is but just raising its head to peep over its 
 cradle bars. However, Ernst von Wolzogen is 
 nothing if not unexpected. 
 
 While Feminism is the theme of the book the 
 false and hampering old ideals, the mistakes of the 
 Revolt and its line of best endeavor a few other 
 subjects come in for a share of satirical attention. 
 It is doubtful if any writer of any nation ever so 
 completely burlesqued German University pedan- 
 try as it is done here in the "Meyer of West- 
 phalia" episode. And just as in his Conferencier 
 days of the literary variety show, Ernst von Wol-
 
 PREFACE 
 
 zogen leaves you to take your choice as to his own 
 point of view in all these matters. But craving 
 his pardon we will now step aside and let him 
 do his turn. 
 
 GRACE ISABEL COLBRON.
 
 THE THIRD SEX
 
 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 CHAPTER I 
 
 LEASE shut that book, Claire, and now 
 listen. . . . We can't go on like this for- 
 ever. I ask you in all seriousness: will you 
 marry me? " 
 
 Thus spoke Dr. Josef Reithmeyer, licentiate 
 of the University, living in Munich in the 
 Blutenstrasse, rear building up one flight, to his 
 beautiful friend Claire de Fries, born in Gronin- 
 gen in Friesland, student of medicine in Zurich, 
 and at that moment on a visit to the Blutenstrasse, 
 rear building up one flight. 
 
 Half of Dr. Reithmeyer's not very large 
 study was bathed in brightest sunshine, and 
 gleaming dust particles mingled with the slowly 
 twisting pale-blue cigarette smoke to queer fan- 
 tastic figures in the broad band of light shot 
 through the window by the low-hanging sun. 
 The remainder of the cosy room lay in shadow. 
 In this portion of it was the glass door leading
 
 12 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 out onto the roof of a woodshed, over which Dr. 
 Reithmeyer had put an awning, with sides that 
 could be let down at will so that the sun might 
 be entirely shut out. A breakfast table under the 
 awning had not yet been cleared, and a group of 
 sparrows fought noisily for the crumbs on cloth 
 and floor. The twittering of the birds, the busy 
 hammering from the cobbler-shop on the ground 
 floor, and the merry cries of children playing in 
 the neighboring courtyard, mingled with the dis- 
 tant street noises in a peaceful morning sym- 
 phony. 
 
 Within the room all was still. The beautiful 
 Miss de Fries closed her fat text-book of pathol- 
 ogy, stretched herself at full length on the divan, 
 and crossed her hands behind her blond curls. 
 She gnawed her full lips with her strong white 
 teeth, as if in deep thought, and stared silently 
 up at the tiresome garlands on the painted ceil- 
 ing. 
 
 Dr. Reithmeyer waited about five minutes. 
 He stood leaning on the desk between the win- 
 dow and the glass door, smoked his cigarette, 
 and admired his well-kept nails. At last his pa- 
 tience gave way. He tossed what was left of 
 the papyros into the ash-tray, ran his slender 
 white fingers through his shining black beard, and
 
 THE THIRD SEX 13 
 
 remarked: "Well? The idea cannot be so 
 very new to you. You must have given the mat- 
 ter an occasional thought yourself. We have 
 been as good as married for two years now, bet- 
 ter than married, I might almost say. So we can 
 scarcely be called foolhardy if we legalize our 
 relations." 
 
 " But Seppl dear, it's so much nicer this way," 
 answered Miss de Fries, in the calmest possible 
 tone, without moving from her comfortable po- 
 sition. " Besides, it's violating the compact. 
 We are free agents." 
 
 " You may be," said Dr. Reithmeyer, coming 
 a step or two nearer the divan, " you may be, but 
 only for a little while longer. When you take up 
 the professional practice of medicine you are no 
 longer a free agent. And I am not free now. 
 You see, my dear Claire, the matter stands thus: 
 I may get the professorship any day. I spoke to 
 Professor Brenninger only yesterday; there is a 
 vacancy and I am to be suggested for it. But of 
 course all that is impossible if I continue to to 
 live in open scandal." 
 
 Miss de Fries took her hands from behind her 
 head, crossed them over the cover of the pathol- 
 ogy, and laughed gently. 
 
 This angered Dr. Reithmeyer, and he ex-
 
 i 4 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 claimed irritably: "You consider it a joke, ap- 
 parently. My dear girl, devotion to principle 
 is all very well. But it is foolish, or worse, when 
 it interferes with the happiness of two people 
 who love one another. If you are tired of me 
 already, please say so honestly; but if not, why 
 do you insist on ruining my career? It would 
 hardly be kind of you if, after all we have been to 
 each other, you were to to jilt me." 
 
 "Hello!" exclaimed Miss de Fries, much 
 amused. She rose quickly to a sitting posture 
 and dropped her feet to the floor. " Come here, 
 Seppl, and sit down beside me let me look at 
 you." 
 
 He sat down on the low divan at her side, and 
 she laid both hands on his shoulders, smiling into 
 his sober face. " Now this is really amusing," 
 she continued, her rather large white hands mov- 
 ing gently over his hair and beard. " The world 
 is indeed turned topsy-turvy. Formerly it was 
 the maiden who implored her fickle lover not to 
 throw her over, * Give me back my honor ! you 
 have made me unhappy forever ! cruel man ! ' and 
 so forth. And now I find you using those very 
 same terms. The New Man ! Isn't that enough 
 to make one laugh? " 
 
 Dr. Reithmeyer caught her hands and held
 
 THE THIRD SEX 15 
 
 them fast, for the stroking made him nervous. 
 "Don't be a goosey," he endeavored to joke. 
 " The New Woman would naturally call forth the 
 New Man, but there is no reason why he should 
 be the fool you seem to expect. I think I might 
 look for a little more good-will on your part. I 
 am taking for granted that you entered into this 
 affair with me because you loved me, and not 
 merely to defy the family, or to make yourself 
 talked about." 
 
 Her only answer was to draw him close and 
 give him a hearty kiss. 
 
 "Well, then?" he continued, evidently satis- 
 fied on that point. " Now that we have settled 
 down into what is a true marriage, in spite of 
 long separations, in spite even of our widely dif- 
 fering temperaments and professions, I really 
 don't see why we should not risk founding a fam- 
 ily as well as any other respectable couple. The 
 essentials are all there." 
 
 The beautiful Miss de Fries sighed drolly: 
 " What a tease you are, my dear Seppl I Won't 
 you leave me at least the time to make my state 
 examinations, and then the six months of study 
 in the Paris hospitals?" 
 
 " Indeed? And then, when I am settled here 
 as professor, you snow in on me some fine day,
 
 16 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 possibly with a baby old enough to say ' Bonjour, 
 papa?'" 
 
 "Why not? Of course I should come when- 
 ever you want me, if I am otherwise free to come. 
 And of course I should bring the baby, if there 
 was one." 
 
 " Much obliged, but I should be forced to de- 
 cline the honor." 
 
 "And why? I do not understand." 
 
 " Because a professor of the Royal University 
 may possibly be permitted a secret love affair, but 
 certainly not an openly acknowledged child of 
 this affair." 
 
 " That is utter nonsense ! " 
 
 " Of course it is utter nonsense. We two know 
 that all so-called morality is built up on utter non- 
 sense. But if by making some little concession 
 to the public idea of morality we can secure a 
 comfortable livelihood for ourselves, we would 
 be utter idiots if we did not do it." 
 
 " All very well and good, I take no exception 
 to the logic. But I have a feeling that we will be 
 punished somehow if we backslide." 
 
 " I believe you are superstitious." 
 
 " Possibly. He who has strong convictions is 
 most susceptible to superstition. Since I have 
 ceased trembling at the thought of an atonement
 
 THE THIRD SEX 17 
 
 in the hereafter, I take it for granted that all sin 
 is punished in this existence. That satisfies my 
 sense of justice. If it is not so, then there must 
 be something like the Buddhistic transmigration 
 of souls. The entire universe is built up with 
 such logic that guilt without punishment would 
 violate the law of causation and I cannot im- 
 agine such a violation possible. I have too much 
 respect for the splendid legalism of the Universal 
 Order." 
 
 Dr. Reithmeyer cut a wry face. He let him- 
 self fall into an armchair with a comic sigh and 
 sat rubbing his knees with the flat of his hands, as 
 he answered: " I have an intense desire to upset 
 the Universal Order by crawling up yonder wall. 
 It's too absurd ! Here you are proving to me, by 
 philosophy and logic, that I must either renounce 
 my academic career, or give up my right to your 
 charming person. Keep your philosophy to your- 
 self, and help me to win my honey wifie." 
 
 Miss de Fries stood full in the gleaming wave 
 of light that surrounded her short blond curls like 
 a delicate shining veil, falling low on her back 
 a bridal veil of sunshine ! Her loose white cash- 
 mere morning gown left her throat open, and 
 from the fine lines of neck and breast an artist 
 could have deduced a perfect figure under the soft
 
 i8 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 folds. Her face, turned from the light, seemed 
 almost brown by contrast, softly pink-tinted, and 
 under heavy black brows and long lashes her great 
 dark eyes shone soft and calm as the eyes of an 
 antelope. Claire de Fries was a very beautiful 
 young woman. Her hands were large and some- 
 what masculine, but well shaped and carefully 
 tended. She blushed as she felt her lover's glance 
 rest on her with admiration and desire. She was 
 at his side in two long steps, seated herself on 
 his knee, and laid her full round arms about his 
 neck. She pressed her cheek caressingly to his, 
 and spoke in a tone of motherly tenderness: 
 " My darling Seppl, what an impossibly an- 
 tiquated person you are! He wants a honey 
 wifie, does he? You'll have to look elsewhere 
 for that sort of thing, my dearest boy, it's not in 
 my line." 
 
 " It is," he reiterated obstinately, holding her 
 close and kissing her throat. " It's just your 
 greatest charm, that in spite of all your clever- 
 ness, your zeal for science, and your truly com- 
 mendable energy, you are still so entirely wom- 
 anly. That is why I love you, and why I cannot 
 live without you." 
 
 " Egoist 1" she laughed. "This proposed 
 marriage will either make me unhappy now, or
 
 THE THIRD SEX 19 
 
 condemn me, in my next incarnation, to go 
 through life as a watch-dog or a cab-horse, in 
 punishment for my desertion of the cause of Rea- 
 son. But that does not worry you in the least, 
 my noble lord! You want to tie me down for 
 my whole life just out of selfishness, because you 
 don't want me to belong to anyone else, not even 
 to myself." 
 
 " No, I don't," he cried, almost in anger. 
 " What do you want of yourself, anyway? 
 Don't you know that it is more blessed to give 
 than to receive haven't you felt the truth of 
 that?" 
 
 " To be honest, I haven't," she replied, a lit- 
 tle thoughtfully. " I may not be quite as wom- 
 anly as, to my shame, you appear to imagine." 
 
 " You certainly don't put yourself in a class 
 with the Haider girls, or Mesdames Grotzinger, 
 Stummer, Wiesbeck, or the others of that ilk?" 
 
 "And why not?" 
 
 "Nonsense! They are not women at all; 
 they belong to the third sex. They are neuters 
 with the outer appearance of femininity, who, 
 through much exertion, have gradually sloughed 
 off womanly feelings and have won in their place 
 a sort of deformed masculine soul." 
 
 "Indeed?" The beautiful Claire was
 
 20 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 aroused. " Hear the proud masculine spirit as- 
 sert itself! Let me tell you, my dear friend, 
 that what you say is the greatest possible bosh, 
 and unjust at that. If those women belong to 
 the third sex, then I look upon it as an honor to 
 be likewise classified." 
 
 She had risen and walked to the desk, where 
 she played nervously with a paper-knife. Dr. 
 Reithmeyer rose also, and exclaimed complain- 
 ingly : 
 
 " But you don't belong to it; you couldn't ever 
 belong to it." 
 
 "And why not? Aren't the women you men- 
 tion splendid fellows ? " 
 
 " Well, first because hm ! because and 
 secondly well, thirdly, and finally, because you 
 are much too beautiful 1 " 
 
 Miss de Fries was seriously angry now. 
 " Oh, spare me such nonsense ! Aren't there 
 plenty of good-looking men in the world? And 
 does every one think they have nothing better to 
 do than to waste their time turning the heads of 
 silly girls? I should really like to know why a 
 good-looking woman must be condemned to de- 
 vote herself solely and entirely to the pleasure 
 of that noble creature Man? It's too stupid! 
 Don't you suppose that any of the women you
 
 THE THIRD SEX 21 
 
 speak of could, if she wished it, be just as good 
 a wife and mother as I could be? " 
 
 Dr. Reithmeyer laughed ironically. " Oh, I 
 dare say they want to all right, but they can't 
 find the men to help them to it; that's the trou- 
 ble." 
 
 Miss de Fries flung the paper-knife angrily on 
 the desk, and with a muttered "Ridiculous!" 
 walked to the divan, took up her book, and with- 
 out another word strode proudly out of the near- 
 est door. 
 
 " Oh, Claire, we mustn't quarrel I why, we 
 never quarrel ! " Her lover tried to call after her 
 but the slamming of the door cut off his words. 
 He paced the room for a few moments with his 
 hands in his pockets, and an air of angry inde- 
 cision. Then he caught up his hat and cane and 
 left the apartment. 
 
 Just as Dr. Reithmeyer emerged from the 
 main doorway onto the Bliitenstrasse a lady 
 sprang from her bicycle directly in front of him. 
 She was of scarcely middle height and of stocky 
 figure, with sturdy legs in black stockings and 
 blue cloth knickerbockers, below a loose blouse 
 with a sailor collar. A velvet visor cap sat 
 jauntily on her short brown hair, with a tilt not 
 unbecoming to the bright, boyish face and enter-
 
 22 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 prising nose under it. This was Miss Hilde- 
 gard Haider, of the firm Moritz Haider's 
 Daughters, bankers, better known to her friends 
 as " Box." 
 
 " Ah, good morning, Box," said Dr. Reith- 
 meyer, raising his hat. " Were you on your way 
 to see us? " 
 
 " Morning, Seppl," replied the stranger cheer- 
 ily, giving him a hearty handshake, " I had a 
 spare half-hour and thought I would see what 
 you two were about! How goes the world with 
 you?" 
 
 " Pretty badly, thank you. We have just 
 been quarreling." 
 
 "Really?" said the girl in astonishment. 
 "Oh, come along; I'll play peacemaker. Claire 
 upstairs? " 
 
 " Yes, Claire is up there. Go up and let her 
 tell you all about it, so that you can think out my 
 punishment together. For, of course, I'll get 
 the worst of it." 
 
 " It can't be anything serious," cried Miss 
 Hildegard. " Why don't you punch each other's 
 heads, and then make up? " 
 
 " You would recommend punching in such 
 cases? That looks like you, Box." 
 
 11 1 should imagine an occasional punching to
 
 THE THIRD SEX 23 
 
 be a rather agreeable variation of married life. 
 I believe in the shortest process anyway. Are 
 you coming up with me?" 
 
 " No, thanks, I must go for a walk to let off 
 steam. Shall I carry your wheel upstairs?" 
 
 " It will do here just as well. By-by; wish 
 you a happy sulking time." 
 
 "Much obliged; au revoir." 
 
 And each went his own way.
 
 CHAPTER II 
 
 THE outer shutters were let down, the 
 " young man " had gone home, and Miss 
 Hildegard Haider, of the firm of Moritz 
 Haider's Daughters, stood in her office and gave 
 a last look around to see that every article was 
 in its place and all the keys withdrawn, before 
 she went out, locking and bolting the door be- 
 hind her. Her yellow spaniel danced barking 
 about her, glad that his daily trial of patience was 
 over. During business hours he had to lie si- 
 lent and motionless at her feet under the desk, 
 but now he was to have his reward in the shape 
 of a healthy run beside the wheel. Miss Haider 
 appeared to be in equally good spirits. She 
 whistled gayly and patted the dog's thick head. 
 It had been an unusually lucky business day, and 
 now she was looking forward to a pleasant 
 evening with friends whom she had invited to 
 supper. She had sent her sister Martha home 
 from the office an hour ago, to make the neces- 
 sary preparations. She jumped on her wheel 
 24
 
 THE THIRD SEX 25 
 
 not in knickerbockers this time, for she believed 
 in dignity during business hours, and always wore 
 long cloth or velvet skirts in her office and 
 rode through the Ludwigsstrasse to the Victory 
 Gate. She would have preferred to ride di- 
 rectly home to the Giselastrasse, but Schampus, 
 the dog, had to have his exercise, so she dutifully 
 pedaled the usual run to the five-mile stone on 
 the Schwabinger Highroad, and then hurried 
 back. She ran two steps at a time up the four 
 flights to her modest mansard apartment, and 
 found the table already set for eight. Martha 
 had done nobly, and the effect was very pretty, 
 but Miss Hildegard did not seem quite satisfied 
 with it. In spite of her eminent success in her 
 efforts to make herself as masculine as possible, 
 she was still proud of certain little feminine 
 qualities, such as her orderliness, and her talent 
 for arranging her rooms. She was proud also 
 of her china, which had not been bought by the 
 dozen in shops, but gathered piece by piece in 
 auction rooms, until each cup and plate and plat- 
 ter had some special value as a work of art or a 
 curiosity. Her handsome, heavy silver had been 
 left her by her father. 
 
 This father, Moritz Haider, had been a queer 
 sort of man. He was born a Jew, but had
 
 26 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 changed his religion for love of his strictly Prot- 
 estant wife, even giving up his own name, which 
 rumor said was Cohn. He had been a good 
 business man, but somewhat of a dreamer also; 
 had pondered much on philosophic problems, and 
 suffered from periodical attacks of an absurd pas- 
 sion for collecting. This passion cost him much 
 money, and he would often sell a collection for 
 a song, when a new line of objects attracted him. 
 His latest fancy had been for tobacco-stoppers in 
 the form of legs made of porcelain or precious 
 metals, and his daughters kept the velvet box 
 with the seventy-five female legs, long and short, 
 fat and thin, naked, stockinged and booted, in 
 pious memory of their father's harmless folly. 
 The old man had left these seventy-five legs to 
 his Hildegard with more anxious recommenda- 
 tion for their care than he had his business. The 
 latter had fallen off sadly during the last years 
 of his life, thanks to his one good-for-nothing 
 son, whom he finally dispatched to the New 
 World where the young man disappeared alto- 
 gether. 
 
 The dying man had consented willingly that 
 the firm should be known as Moritz Haider's 
 Daughters, strange as it might sound. He 
 knew what a splendid fellow Hildegard was,
 
 THE THIRD SEX 27 
 
 and how well she understood the business. And 
 he had always taken Hildegard's solemn dec- 
 laration never to marry, in all seriousness. 
 Neither he nor anyone else in the family could 
 imagine Hildegard as a wife, so, according to 
 his opinion, there was not the slightest danger 
 that she might fall in love, and let the business 
 slip into the hands of some windbag. But 
 Martha, the " sweet flower," as they called her 
 at home, pretty sentimental coquettish Martha 
 would doubtless marry soon, and her future had 
 been assured by making her a partner in the firm. 
 Hildegard had justified her father's confi- 
 dence and brought the sadly endangered firm 
 into good repute again, but the " sweet flower " 
 had come to the age of twenty-four without hav- 
 ing fulfilled her mission in life. She grew pret- 
 tier every day, and at twenty-two was an 
 acknowledged beauty, worshiped by all the 
 artists in town. Martha Haider could count by 
 the dozen the men who had been in love with 
 her, and the last five years of her life had been 
 passed in anxious expectation of a proposal of 
 marriage which never came. Flatteries, pas- 
 sionate words, flowers, and poems these were 
 all her beauty had as yet brought her. The 
 more forward men who thought her an easy prey
 
 28 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 were soon turned down, and the shy ones did not 
 dare venture a serious proposal, fearing the 
 "' bankeress " would then become too business- 
 like. For these were nearly all young men with- 
 out prospects. The continuous condition of de- 
 fense and expectation which had been her fate 
 for several years now, had made Martha Haider 
 nervous, and begun to affect even her beauty. 
 She would sit dreaming over the ledger with dull 
 eyes and drawn brows, and her mental depres- 
 sion painted sharp lines about mouth and nose, 
 and found vent in occasional quarrels with her 
 sister. 
 
 "Why that critical expression?" she said 
 touchily, as Hildegard gazed at the table with- 
 out a word of praise. 
 
 " Come, come, don't get nervous," answered 
 the latter, " I think it all very charming, but a 
 new idea for the napkins suddenly occurred 
 to me." 
 
 She caught up the nearest napkin, in which a 
 roll had already been placed, and began to form 
 it into something that, she asserted, bore a re- 
 markable resemblance to a lotus flower. This 
 was one of her little talents. While busy at it, 
 she glanced towards a bunch of beautiful or- 
 chids in a vase on the table, and remarked
 
 THE THIRD SEX 29 
 
 lightly: "Say, sweet flower, you needn't have 
 gone to such expense for those few females. 
 What did it cost?" 
 
 " Nothing," said Martha, with a shrug. 
 
 "What's the matter?" asked Hildegard; 
 " you are as red as a peony. You know I don't 
 want you to buy that sort of thing out of your 
 own money." 
 
 " I didn't," replied Martha, blushing hotly. 
 " The flowers are from oh, you can guess." 
 
 "From Arnulf?" 
 
 "Yes, of course; anything as beautiful as that 
 must come from him." She laughed nervously 
 and made some quite unnecessary change in the 
 table arrangements. She felt her sister's sharp 
 glance resting on her, and after a short pause, 
 she added: "He was here a moment ago and 
 left a greeting for you." 
 
 Miss Hildegard took up a second napkin, and 
 whistled between her closed teeth. Then, as 
 if talking to herself, and without looking up, 
 she remarked: "I don't like that affair at 
 all." 
 
 " I know for myself what is right and what is 
 not," Martha roused angrily but the trembling 
 of her features showed that she was nearer to 
 tears. " I thought it was the boy from the pas-
 
 30 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 try shop and opened the door myself, or I should 
 not have received him." 
 
 " Now don't get excited," said her sister 
 soothingly. " I am not reproaching you. We 
 are independent, sensible women, and can receive 
 all the men we want to in our own home. It's 
 nobody's business what we do. You can invite 
 whom you want and see him alone, if you so de- 
 sire. You can carry on all the affairs you like, 
 too, even behind my back if it pleases you, but 
 leave out Arnulf Rau." 
 
 " I don't see why," answered Martha hotly. 
 " He's a married man whose wife is an intimate 
 friend of ours ! " 
 
 "That's just why," cut in Hildegard hastily 
 and harshly. " You're such a sensible girl, of 
 course I know the young windbags or the old 
 fools would never be dangerous to you. But 
 Arnulf Rau is dangerous, with his white hands 
 and his confounded eyes. Don't deny it! Not 
 one of them has interested you as he does. It 
 would be ever so much worse than if you should 
 take up with one of your foolish, sentimental 
 boys. There couldn't one of them have worse 
 intentions than he must have." 
 
 "Do you think so?" cried Martha in sup- 
 pressed emotion, stepping close to her sister, her
 
 THE THIRD SEX 31 
 
 eyes shining and her breath coming in quick 
 gasps. " Then I will tell you what he has just 
 declared he cannot live without me, ... he 
 will get a divorce " 
 
 " Great Heavens ! " burst from Miss Hilde- 
 gard as she sat down suddenly on the near- 
 est chair. She swallowed a sharp critical 
 remark with difficulty, and after some little 
 time added, in apparent calm : " Well and 
 you?" 
 
 " I was dreadfully frightened, naturally," an- 
 swered Martha. 
 
 She stepped to the mirror, passed her hands 
 over her deep black hair, and touched her fair 
 heated face with her delicate handkerchief. 
 Then she continued firmly, although her voice 
 trembled : " I know one thing surely, and that 
 is, that I have never loved any other man so 
 much." 
 
 Hildegard threw her damask lotus flower an- 
 grily on the table and cried aloud: "Oh, see 
 here, sweet flower, this is altogether too idiotic. 
 I'd rather you ran away with some nice fellow. 
 I'd be willing to support you both out of my own 
 pocket, rather than have this sort of thing hap- 
 pen." 
 
 " Oh, yes, you can laugh." Martha was really
 
 32 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 angry. " Of course, you can never understand, 
 you with your heartlessness " 
 
 " Bother heartlessness," interrupted the elder 
 sister roughly. " If it's the heart that throws 
 foolish women at the wrong man, then I haven't 
 any heart. And I have no heart to encourage 
 you in such utter idiocy, either." 
 
 " Ah, you I You ! " Shaking with rage, 
 Martha took a few quick steps towards her sis- 
 ter. " You have spoiled everything for me ! It 
 is all your fault, if I have to drag out this hid- 
 eous failure of a life " 
 
 "My fault? And how?" 
 
 " Because you frighten the men away. You 
 are worse than the worst mother-in-law, with 
 your dreadful * common sense ' and your unwom- 
 anly coarseness. You make a mock of all tender 
 feelings, in your eyes everything becomes ridicu- 
 lous, everything one longs for, when one has to 
 vegetate in lovelessness as I do. You you 
 where you tread, no flowers can grow !" 
 
 She confronted her sister with anger blazing 
 in her eyes, then suddenly turned and left the 
 room. 
 
 When the servant entered a few moments 
 later, Miss Hildegard stood at the open window, 
 blowing her nose with unnatural energy. She
 
 THE THIRD SEX 33 
 
 couldn't let the stupid thing see she had been cry- 
 ing. 
 
 Half an hour later the guests began to arrive. 
 First to come was Miss Agatha Echdeler, Chair- 
 man of the Propaganda Committee for the Evo- 
 lution of the Feminine Psyche. This association 
 had another and an easier name, but the learned 
 ladies preferred to speak of it thus among them- 
 selves. Miss Echdeler was a slender, stately 
 woman, in the late thirties, of assured carriage 
 and intelligent, amiable expression. In contrast 
 with the boyish style affected by Hildegard 
 Haider, her appearance and manners were most 
 ladylike. After her came Mrs. von Grotzinger, 
 a rotund little person with short gray hair and 
 a face like a full moon, who dressed quietly but 
 in execrable taste. Mrs. von Grotzinger was a 
 worthy lady who spent her life doing much good 
 with her slender means. It was asserted that 
 she had a husband living, but no one had ever 
 seen him. Rumor whispered that he had fled 
 into the Unknown years before, in terror of the 
 strong mind of his better half. Mrs. von 
 Grotzinger was more conspicuous in ordinary con- 
 versation by reason of her masculine voice than 
 because of the brilliancy of her remarks, and she 
 appeared to take more enjoyment in the smoking
 
 34 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 of strong cigars than in the utterance of daring 
 speeches. She could smoke the heaviest stogies 
 without the tremor of a muscle. 
 
 Then came the inseparables, Mrs. Stummer 
 and Miss Wiesbeck. The first had a delicate, 
 fine-cut face like an antique cameo, set on a firm 
 strong throat, and carried herself like a hand- 
 some boy in woman's clothes. The pale little 
 creature at her side looked as though a zephyr 
 might blow her over. She was the narrow- 
 chested, sharp-nosed daughter of a country pas- 
 tor, who had had courage enough to run away 
 from her home to study philosophy in Zurich, 
 " just for fun," as she expressed it, for even she 
 herself could not see any outlook for the prac- 
 tical utilization of her knowledge. She picked 
 up a little money by coaching pupils for the Girls' 
 High School, and managed to live largely through 
 the help of better situated friends. Mrs. Stum- 
 mer had really had a husband once, but had ob- 
 tained a divorce from him after a very short 
 time. As she explained it, she had not been 
 able to discover, during the few months of her 
 married life, what possible use she could have 
 for the gentleman. She found him only an ob- 
 stacle in her pursuit of higher ideals. The sep- 
 aration had been entirely friendly, and Mr.
 
 THE THIRD SEX 35, 
 
 Stummer visited his wife occasionally, usually 
 when in need of money, as she had more of that 
 commodity than her simple tastes . required. 
 The last to come was Claire de Fries, accompa- 
 nied by Dr. Jur. Babette Girel, a slender, well- 
 knit figure in a simple black velvet gown, which 
 set off to advantage her fine spirituelle face with 
 its aquiline features. Dr. Girel had already won, 
 a name as an eloquent and keen-witted defender 
 of the principles of emancipation for her sex. 
 
 When all were there, the guests took their 
 places at table, and devoted themselves in no^ 
 ticeable seriousness and comparative quiet to the 
 enjoyment of the good things offered by the firm 
 of Moritz Haider's Daughters. Cooks and the 
 kitchen were the main topics of conversation, just 
 as they would have been at the outset of an ordi- 
 nary woman's party. And only in that these ladies 
 ate heartily, like hungry human beings, instead 
 of merely picking at their food, did they show 
 their superiority to the weaker members of their 
 sex. The fact that no alcoholic drinks were 
 passed may have been in part reason for the 
 mildness of the conversation, but the general 
 gravity was caused by the evident depression of 
 the hostesses. Miss Martha Haider had calmed 
 herself sufficiently that neither her complexion
 
 36 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 nor her behavior showed any traces of her recent 
 emotion, and Miss Hildegard took particular 
 pains to appear most loving towards her sister. 
 But the observing eyes of the intimates of the 
 house saw that something untoward had occurred. 
 
 Supper over, the guests wandered into the liv- 
 ing room, an apartment of moderate size fur- 
 nished in odd but charming style, with all sorts of 
 knickknacks and curiosities. Cigarettes were 
 passed Mrs. von Grotzinger lighting her own 
 Havana. Then Miss Hildegard ordered the big 
 punchbowl brought in, setting it down on the car- 
 pet. She threw in two bottles of champagne, 
 assuring her temperance guests that it was only 
 fruit juice with soda [which was a shameless lie, 
 inasmuch as the punch was made of best Palatine 
 wine and champagne, half and half] ; then she 
 added some slices of lemon, and finally, dreadful 
 to relate, a dash of brandy. 
 
 The guests declared the punch delicious, and 
 the anti-alcohol party praised it as a triumph of 
 the temperance drink industry. Mrs. Stummer 
 and Miss Wiesbeck stretched themselves with 
 Miss Hildegard on the carpet around the punch- 
 bowl; Miss de Fries lay at full length on a low 
 divan, and Martha Haider, who cherished a 
 schoolgirl's admiration for the beautiful Frisian,
 
 THE THIRD SEX 37 
 
 sat down on the fur robe at her feet. Mrs. von 
 Grotzinger was so lost in a deep arn>chair that 
 her feet scarcely touched the floor, and Babette 
 Girel stood with Agatha Echdeler at the open 
 window, gazing smilingly at the pretty groups. 
 
 Praise of the cheering beverage seemed to 
 have exhausted conversational resources again, 
 and Hildegard exclaimed angrily: "Why, 
 girls, aren't you stupid to-night! I'll have to 
 turn a somersault to waken you up a bit." She 
 was up in a jiffy, stepping over the slender Miss 
 Wiesbeck, and, placing herself in the center of 
 the room, she really did turn a neat somersault 
 without any shock to decency, as she always wore 
 knickerbockers under her skirt. 
 
 But this acrobatic feat was nothing new to the 
 guests, so the applause was but mild, and silence 
 would have fallen again, had not Dr. Girel asked 
 Dr. de Fries, aloud but without any particular 
 excitement, whether it was true that she was to 
 marry her lover, Dr. Reithmeyer. 
 
 " So Box has been telling tales? " asked Claire, 
 without changing her comfortable and becoming 
 position on the divan. 
 
 " Of course. I always do when some stupid- 
 ity is threatening, which an open discussion might 
 possibly avert," was Hildegard's explanation.
 
 38 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 "Open discussion?" laughed the beautiful 
 Claire. " Would you call a mass meeting to dis- 
 cuss my case? " 
 
 " Well, I was thinking of our own intimate cir- 
 cle here the windows are open, that makes it 
 a public meeting." 
 
 "Is that a joke?" inquired Mrs. von Grot- 
 zinger sleepily. " I can't laugh, I have eaten too 
 much." 
 
 Miss Echdeler turned to Claire. " Then you 
 really intend to marry?" 
 
 Miss de Fries returned: " It looks as if I 
 must, but I don't want to." 
 
 " Bravo 1 Prosit," squeaked Miss Wiesbeck, 
 raising her glass to her fellow-student. 
 
 " Oh, don't be silly," said Box. " I don't see 
 why we can't talk this matter over sensibly. I 
 should hope we were competent to do that much." 
 
 " I have no objections," said Miss Claire, 
 calmly. " If I can lie here comfortably as I do 
 now, you can say anything you want to about this 
 case of Reithmeyer vs. Fries. I must confess, I 
 am beginning to have my doubts. I can't quite 
 decide whether my resistance is a sign of strength 
 of character, or merely of obstinacy. After all, 
 it is no crime to marry." 
 
 " For my part, I prefer free love," grunted
 
 THE THIRD SEX 39 
 
 Mrs. von Grotzinger in her comfortable bass 
 tones. They all laughed, but the good lady took 
 no offense and joined in the merriment herself. 
 
 " We needn't discuss love here," declared 
 Miss Wiesbeck with precocious wisdom, whereat 
 Martha Haider, who disliked the sharp-nosed 
 girl, fluted back at her in sweetest tones: 
 
 " Ah, your mind is quite made up as to love? 
 Oh, please, tell us something definite about it 
 then." 
 
 The student of philosophy saw the irony, and 
 answered with hesitation : " Love oh, well, 
 love love is entirely a private, personal mat- 
 ter." 
 
 This started the most of them laughing vio- 
 lently again, until Dr. Girel's soft, rich voice cut 
 through the noise. 
 
 " Why, ladies, aren't you ashamed of your- 
 selves to bid for laughter in this way? One 
 would think you were in the German Parlia- 
 ment." 
 
 " Bravo ! " " Parliament indeed ! " " Fie 1 " 
 came the merry answers, and then Dr. Girel sug- 
 gested arranging a formal law-court. Hildegard 
 Haider, as the initiated person, was to narrate 
 the species facti. 
 
 Box seated herself cross-legged on the divan
 
 40 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 by Claire de Fries, and carried out her part of 
 the task with sufficient volubility. The ladies 
 listened in eager attention, and then Dr. Girel 
 opened the proceedings by asking Miss de Fries 
 if she had any corrections to make. As this was 
 not the case, Dr. Girel proceeded to deliver the 
 following speech: 
 
 " Ladies ! Permit me to give you a summing 
 up of this case, following the statement we have 
 just listened to. Mr. X. and Miss Y., because of 
 mutual so-called love, had entered into a free 
 companionship, with no legal liabilities on either 
 side. This companionship has now lasted for 
 some time, to the mutual satisfaction of the par- 
 ties concerned, and through its high intellectual 
 character it has, I might say, taken on the quali- 
 ties of an ideal marriage relation. Now, how- 
 ever, Mr. X. desires to change this ideal marriage 
 to a conventionally lawful one, i. e., to a legal- 
 ized, indissolvable contract, by which Miss Y. 
 shall give herself, of her own free will, and for 
 the rest of her life, into the guardianship of Mr. 
 X.; shall take upon herself, besides the so-called 
 natural duties, a number of unnatural, viz., social 
 duties; and according to the principle, mulier in 
 ecclesia taceat, to agree to all rules laid down by 
 X., and to forever after hold her peace."
 
 THE THIRD SEX 41 
 
 Miss Wiesbeck could not resist a murmured, 
 "Horrible!" 
 
 Babette Girel continued calmly: "The ques- 
 tion is now put to this honorable assemblage, 
 whether, from the point of view of our endeavors 
 for the healthy evolution of the Feminine Psyche, 
 our comrade Y. may be allowed to deny her hith- 
 erto nobly defended principles for the sake of 
 material reasons? " 
 
 "No!" "Never!" " Jamais, non licet! 
 brutal force!" "masculine selfishness!" 
 " clumsy snare ! " 
 
 The excited women all spoke at once. 
 
 Not having a bell, Dr. Girel rapped on her 
 glass with a paper knife and commanded order. 
 "Does anyone wish to discuss the question?" 
 she asked with droll gravity. 
 
 Mrs. von Grotzinger raised her short fat fore- 
 finger, and turning to the beautiful woman on the 
 divan, she said with a motherly smile, " Don't let 
 them fool you, Frieschen. I know how hard it 
 is to resist a man when he pleads so charmingly. 
 As I said, I prefer free love." 
 
 Without waiting for permission to talk, Mrs. 
 Stummer broke in : "I know marriage, I can 
 say a thing or two also. The men can ruin and 
 break us in free love just as well as in marriage
 
 4 a THE THIRD SEX 
 
 if they want to. The main point is what stuff 
 we ourselves are made of. Marriage is good 
 enough for the ordinary woman, she is happiest 
 under the yoke, anyway and for the free 
 woman even the freest love is not free enough, 
 for love of itself means submission for us. But 
 I don't see why a woman must love some man! 
 Give your love to science, Miss de Fries, to serve 
 her is an honor." 
 
 " Bravo, bravo," squeaked Wiesbeck in ad- 
 miration. " I love only science myself and get 
 along finely." 
 
 " You don't pick up much flesh in the process, 
 my child," teased Mrs. von Grotzinger good-na- 
 turedly. " It looks to me as if science did not 
 reciprocate your feelings. One can remain as 
 thin as you are only in platonic affairs." 
 
 This started a storm of talk, laughter, jokes, 
 and serious argument over the case in question. 
 They nearly all talked at once, broke up into 
 groups of two or three, grew warm and began 
 to scream, just as men do under the same circum- 
 stances. Miss Girel gave up her attempt at par- 
 liamentary procedure and sat down in a corner 
 with Box and Miss Echdeler, to exchange serious 
 opinions. Miss de Fries, who was most con- 
 cerned in it all, was much the most composed, and
 
 THE THIRD SEX 43 
 
 during the height of the noise, she bent over 
 Martha Haider, and asked, smiling, " What 
 would you do in my case, de#r? " 
 
 The pretty girl started up from her dreaming, 
 and had to pull herself together before she could 
 answer. Then she whispered, blushing, "I? 
 Ah, if anyone loved me as much as that, I should 
 be more than happy to belong to him before all 
 the world, and for the rest of my life." 
 
 Claire passed her hand tenderly over the 
 smooth, Madonna-like face. " Little woman," 
 she said gently, " does that really make you so 
 happy? Always to live for some master, never 
 for yourself? " 
 
 Martha sighed and could find no answer. 
 Then she stood up and said carelessly: "You 
 would only laugh at me, anyway." She took up 
 the silver cake basket and went the round of the 
 company. The beautiful Frisian rose also, lit a 
 fresh cigarette and listened absently to the ex- 
 cited argument of the various groups. They had 
 all gone wide astray from the original theme, the 
 question of whether she would marry or not, and 
 were each one of them riding her favorite hobby. 
 
 Mrs. Stummer quarreled with Mrs. von Grot- 
 zinger about the High School for Girls; she was 
 passionately in favor of it, her opponent equally
 
 44 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 obstinate in the opposition. Wiesbeck was lay- 
 ing down the law to the smiling Miss Echdeler 
 about the right of each one of us to live out his or 
 her own individuality, a right that woman must 
 fight for as well as man. Miss Echdeler had heard 
 it all a thousand times before, but she let the stu- 
 dent talk on. It was wholesome rhetorical practice 
 and the good cause of mental emancipation needed 
 easy speakers. Babette Girel had launched on 
 her favorite topic, the legal rights of illegitimate 
 children. Her friend Hildegard challenged her 
 by the remark that a child was good for any 
 woman, was necessary indeed for most of them, 
 but that she could not see why a woman who had 
 made herself mentally free, as had Claire de 
 Fries, should not have a child without a legalized 
 husband. It would be only a pleasure for a strong 
 character to struggle against the prejudices of so- 
 ciety. 
 
 Claire sat down by these two and listened at- 
 tentively. In the early stage of her relations with 
 Dr. Reithmeyer she had decided not to have a 
 child until she had finished her studies and won 
 an independent position for herself. Then, how- 
 ever, she did not wish any longer to evade her 
 natural mission, her very highest duty as a 
 woman. She was a serious nature and desired to
 
 THE THIRD SEX 45 
 
 furnish in herself the proof that modern woman 
 is not only mentally equal to man, but is morally 
 his superior, in that for her love is not merely a 
 passing pleasure, but the fulfillment of a holy duty 
 to the race. But she had often considered the 
 very uncomfortable position which must be the 
 lot of a child coming into the world in what was 
 still called a forbidden manner. And she seri- 
 ously asked herself whether the selfishness of a 
 woman who sacrificed the happiness of her chil- 
 dren to her own desire for mental freedom was 
 not just as bad, from the point of view of higher 
 morality, as the selfishness of man, who for his 
 own convenience puts into the laws of his coun- 
 try the doctrine of the non-relationship of the 
 father to his natural child. 
 
 She had long felt that if she should ever let 
 herself be persuaded to marry, it would be only 
 for the sake of the children. And this was just 
 the point touched upon by Dr. Girel in her calm, 
 clear manner. 
 
 " Nonsense ! " interrupted Box. " It's good 
 for these children to be knocked about a bit, es- 
 pecially for the girls. The future needs women 
 who have been toughened." 
 
 " But much good material is wasted in the 
 knocking about," answered Babette Girel, with
 
 46 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 quiet gravity. " The toughened woman will do 
 our cause little good; she will only help to chase 
 beauty and joy and goodness more and more 
 from our prosaic world." 
 
 " Can't see it that way," declared Box obsti- 
 nately. " Health is the best beauty, and all this 
 talk of the Good, and the True, and the Beauti- 
 ful, only makes dish-rags of us." 
 
 "Your idea of toughening makes the sexless 
 woman," joined in Claire de Fries. " And she 
 is a horror to the men as well as to herself. 
 Don't forget that, Box." 
 
 " Dear, dear, how tender you are of the poor 
 men," mocked Hildegard. " This foolish pity 
 for men is really the very worst among the many 
 weaknesses of our sex. Why do so many, even 
 of the cleverest women, get caught? Simply be- 
 cause the men know how to appeal to their pity. 
 They know how to make a woman believe they 
 can't live without her, or that they would go 
 crazy, or go quite to the dogs, if she won't listen 
 to them, and stretch out her rescuing hand as a 
 good angel. Nasty comedy! Just let any one 
 of them come to me with such stuff! I'd land 
 him a good whack right and left for his pains." 
 
 " Don't be alarmed," laughed the beautiful 
 Claire, " they'll not bother you."
 
 THE THIRD SEX 47 
 
 Hildegard reddened with anger. " Oho, all 
 that about the sexless woman was meant for me, 
 was it? My dear Donna Clara, if you think that 
 I, or any woman who is not absolutely bedrid- 
 den, couldn't capture a man, you are much mis- 
 taken. Great art that! When a woman really 
 wants to, she can get any man." 
 
 " Well, as far as the ways of men are con- 
 cerned," Claire smiled mockingly, " your opin- 
 ions are not hampered in the least by an 
 acquaintance with facts." 
 
 " Indeed." Box was really angry. " So you 
 think I couldn't possibly win a man? Bosh! 
 Men are so weak in temptation that we need but 
 to beckon ever so slightly to gather them into our 
 net, all of them, without distinction of age, posi- 
 tion, or rank." 
 
 Babette tried to sooth her, but she was be- 
 yond control. The scene with her sister earlier 
 in the evening had shaken her nerves so that she 
 was hardly conscious of what she was say- 
 ing. " If I wanted to humiliate a man, I should 
 not even take the trouble to bother myself 
 about him. I would simply let my cook win 
 him." 
 
 " Hear ! Hear ! " laughed Mrs. von Grot- 
 zinger. The others became interested now, and
 
 4 8 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 turned to the group with half smiling, half em- 
 barrassed attention. 
 
 " You forget one thing, my dear Box," said 
 Claire de Fries, trying to control her annoy- 
 ance at the turn the conversation had taken. 
 " It is only after enjoyment that men become 
 the cynics you think them. At first they are 
 greater idealists even than we are, and a vic- 
 tory which costs nothing does not allure them at 
 all." 
 
 " Indeed, I'll prove the contrary ! " cried Hil- 
 degard with flashing eyes. " In two weeks' 
 time I'll bring you down a stag of ten." 
 
 A general silence ensued; this frivolity was a 
 little too much for the ladies. They were 
 greatly embarrassed, and discovered with remark- 
 able unanimity that they wanted another glass of 
 punch and more cake. Eating and drinking 
 seemed somehow to soften the unpleasantness of 
 the situation. 
 
 As no one applauded her joke, Box laughed 
 herself. Wise Miss Echdeler, who had felt the 
 foolish boasting most keenly, stepped behind her 
 friend, patted her on the shoulder and said: 
 "That's right, laugh at yourself, for it was a 
 very bad joke." And turning to the others, she 
 continued : " Don't be alarmed ladies, Box has
 
 THE THIRD SEX 49 
 
 merely fired a shot in the air. She has her re- 
 volver always with her when she rides out, but 
 there's been no chance to try it yet, so she thought 
 it might be fun to startle our delicate ears with 
 its noise. No, my friends, we can continue to 
 develop as we have done. I have no fear that 
 our chosen path may lead us to take up with the 
 rowdyism of male students." 
 
 Box suddenly realized that she had made a 
 mistake, and she pressed Miss Echdeler's hand, 
 grateful for her efforts to restore the lost jovial- 
 ity. 
 
 The dangerous subject was tacitly dropped, 
 and the conversation spread itself somewhat for- 
 cibly over all sorts of innocuous themes, such as 
 drama, literature, and fashions. Finally Dr. 
 Girel consented to play a violin solo. She was 
 a remarkably talented lady, who knew much and 
 could do much, but she could not play the violin. 
 However no one seemed to think she demanded 
 attention for her performance and the conversa- 
 tion went on as before. 
 
 Miss de Fries looked about for Martha, but 
 could not see her. She left the living-room and 
 found the girl alone in the dining-room, stand- 
 ing at the open window, gazing out into the 
 night. She went to her, laid her arm about her
 
 5 o THE THIRD SEX 
 
 pressing her closely and asked: "Well, dearie, 
 what was the trouble between you?" 
 
 Martha let her dark head fall on the breast of 
 her tall friend, and whispered shyly under the 
 coming tears : " Oh, dear, it is dreadful to have 
 no one to whom I can talk." 
 
 44 Talk to me," said Claire, kindly. " I don't 
 think I am quite as sadly sensible as the others. 
 Come and see me to-morrow evening, I will ar- 
 range to be alone." 
 
 The ladies in the living-room began to feel 
 bored. It wasn't safe to work up a good quarrel 
 for fear of unpleasant contretemps, and there 
 wasn't much more to say anyhow. The alcohol 
 that had been smuggled in began to go to their 
 heads; some were alarmed because of their un- 
 called-for merriment, others simply sleepy. No 
 one in particular seemed to have started the 
 leave-taking, but all the guests were gone shortly 
 before midnight. They were profuse in their 
 thanks for the charming evening, and Mrs. von 
 Grotzinger laid a fifty pfennig piece on the 
 kitchen table for the cook. 
 
 Box accompanied them down the stairs to open 
 the front door. She stood at the court gate, 
 gnawing her lips, until the voices of the depart- 
 ing ones had lost themselves in the quiet street.
 
 THE THIRD SEX 51 
 
 Upstairs again, she sent Martha to bed and oc- 
 cupied herself for about an hour in clearing up. 
 When she finally sought her bed, Martha was 
 already fast asleep like a comforted child, but 
 Hildegard heard three o'clock strike before the 
 God of Dreams took her pityingly to his arms. 
 Disgusting! even Morpheus was a man. Was 
 there no other way for a sensible woman to find 
 her well-earned rest?
 
 CHAPTER III 
 
 A/TISS HILDEGARD HAIDER awoke 
 JLV A late the following morning. Martha had 
 to call her, something that had never happened 
 before. Her head ached badly from lack of 
 sleep. Her temperance punch might have had 
 something to do with it too, for in her excite- 
 ment she had sampled it more copiously than had 
 any of her guests. She ate breakfast in the 
 worst possible mood, and spoke scarcely three 
 words to her sister. Not until they were on 
 their way to the office did Martha attempt to 
 break the threatening silence with the question 
 as to whether this ill-treatment was intended as 
 a punishment for her, because a man loved her 
 enough to make a great sacrifice for her sake. 
 
 " Haven't you got that crotchet out of your 
 head yet?" answered Box crossly. "I thought 
 you would have forgotten the stupid affair over- 
 night." 
 
 " It doesn't strike me as particularly stupid," 
 said Martha, defiantly. " He says his wife does 
 52
 
 THE THIRD SEX 53 
 
 not understand him, and that we were born for 
 one another." 
 
 " Stuff and nonsense," cut in Box. " Men in 
 love all spill over with such talk. But just try 
 to keep him to his word, and see how quickly he 
 retreats. It isn't true anyhow, his wife under- 
 stands him very well; no one better. What is 
 there so very remarkable back of his bombastic 
 speeches? According to him, nothing that any- 
 one else does, or has done, is worth anything. 
 To hear him talk you would think he was the 
 only man of the century to know anything at all 
 about art or literature. But what does he write 
 himself? A few pretty essays a year, now and 
 then a play that is never performed, or a novel 
 that is so boresome no one wants to read it. His 
 wife is much the cleverer of the two, if she 
 doesn't use such high-sounding words. She sees 
 through his poses completely, but she knows how 
 to make him believe she is looking up to him in 
 admiration. Then he is happy, and she has her 
 peace and comfort, a handsome husband, and a 
 luxurious life. No, my angel, your Arnulf Rau 
 is a handsome man, and a rich man, and that ends 
 it. If he were not rich, he'd have starved on his 
 wisdom long ago. There's any number of men 
 just like him among the artists and writers, and
 
 $4 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 ninety-nine per cent of those born rich are the 
 same sort of stuff. All that kind of man can do 
 is to idle away the hours, and to torment those 
 around him. Besides which, he drinks." 
 
 " That's not true. It's too horrid of you ! " 
 Martha was almost in tears, but she did not wish 
 to attract the attention of the passers-by, so she 
 clenched her teeth, and in a few moments had 
 controlled herself sufficiently to continue : " You 
 don't know how much a strong man can stand," 
 she said with an upward glance of her beauti- 
 ful soft eyes. " And if he does drink a little 
 more than usual now, he probably does it to 
 drown his sorrow." 
 
 " Bosh 1 " exclaimed Box with ironclad empha- 
 sis. This seemed to her to express her opinion 
 on the subject with ample sufficiency, for she said 
 not another word until they reached the office. 
 
 The windows were opened, the correspondence 
 attended to, and the " young man " received his 
 instructions for the stock exchange. The own- 
 ers of the firm of Moritz Haider's Daughters 
 could not enter the sacred halls themselves, and 
 were therefore compelled to stand outside the 
 doors and let their clerk tell them of conditions 
 within, and fulfill their orders. The day's duties 
 went on in their accustomed way. Martha at-
 
 THE THIRD SEX 55 
 
 tended to the correspondence and Hildegard 
 buried herself in the ledger. But the lines of 
 figures seemed to have no meaning to-day, her 
 thoughts were elsewhere. These stupid love af- 
 fairs, why cannot one thrust the stuff out of one's 
 brain with a single exertion of the will? Too 
 idiotic! And then this ugly feeling that she had 
 made a fool of herself before her friends with 
 her silly boasting. Still, it had been rather an- 
 noying, the ironical remarks of the de Fries girl, 
 and the general doubt in the possibility that she, 
 Hildegard Haider, who had carried many a dif- 
 ficult enterprise successfully to a close, could 
 make a man fall in love with her I Of itself, the 
 question did not interest her. She didn't need a 
 man, thank fortune, but she would like to show 
 those women that she knew men better than they 
 did, and that a woman had really only to wish 
 it, to get anything she desired from the so-called 
 stronger sex. She wouldn't say another word 
 about it to anyone, but she would just catch the 
 chosen object by the collar, and shake him until 
 he dropped at her feet, murmuring foolishness. 
 She drew a glowing mental picture of her tri- 
 umph, and arranged the entire plan of battle. 
 One trifle alone was still wanting and that was 
 the proper subject for the experiment. She
 
 56 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 knew men enough, business friends, married and 
 unmarried. But it would hardly be wise, and 
 might injure the good name of the firm, if she 
 took up with one of the married ones. The 
 others would be too easy a prey, for she was con- 
 sidered a good catch, and she knew that any vows 
 addressed to her would be made more because of 
 her bank account than for her personal charms. 
 She must find someone who did not know that 
 she was a banker, some man who saw in her only 
 a well-built, bright girl of mature years. 
 
 A customer happened in just then, to ask if 
 this were the proper moment to sell certain se- 
 curities. Without giving the matter much 
 thought, she answered in the negative, saying 
 that the stock was bound to rise shortly. But 
 the man had scarcely left the office when she re- 
 membered having heard on good authority that 
 the enterprise in question was on the brink of 
 disaster. Her business conscience awoke, and 
 she sat down to write the customer the true state 
 of the case, but it was so hard for her to con- 
 centrate her thoughts that the few lines took half 
 an hour in the writing. Her headache was un- 
 bearable. She threw down the pen, told her sister 
 she could do no more work that day, and asked 
 her to look after things. Martha protested, for
 
 THE THIRD SEX 57 
 
 after Box's friendly admonitions she was not par- 
 ticularly clear as to brain herself. 
 
 " I don't care! I can't and I won't stay, even 
 if I have to shut up the old place! " With this 
 declaration Box left the office. She hurried 
 home, hung up her long skirt, put on her cap, 
 then sprang on her wheel and made quick time 
 out of the city. In her hurry she even forgot 
 Schampus if he knew she was out wheeling 
 without him, he would never forgive her ! 
 
 She thought of the dog a moment, then de- 
 cided it was better not to think at all. It isn't 
 safe to indulge in thought when riding a wheel 
 anyway, which is one of the chief good qualities 
 of this ideal mode of locomotion. She rode 
 along the Isar to Thalkirchen, pushed her wheel 
 up the hill, then took the road past the villas of 
 Ludwigshohe, toward Grosshesselohe. It was a 
 beautiful day, a trifle hot perhaps, and the road 
 not of the best, for the sun had made hard ridges 
 of the ruts left by the last rain, and made great 
 caution necessary. But it was so quiet and so 
 peaceful, the sky so clear, and the air so pure 
 and full of forest odors, and then, best of all, 
 one couldn't think! Suppose she experimented 
 on Dr. Reithmeyer? That would be a triumph. 
 It was true that he was supposed to be much in
 
 58 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 love with his Claire, he even wanted to marry 
 her. Still, the affair had lasted two years al- 
 ready, and he was only a man. What a fine 
 idea! But scarce had it occurred to her, when 
 Box found herself lying beside her machine on 
 the edge of the road. The rear wheel had 
 caught in a hard deep rut and bowled her over. 
 The right handle bar hit her a blow on the shoul- 
 der, and the pedal raised a painful lump on her 
 leg, besides tearing a great hole in her stocking. 
 Miss Hildegard swore aloud, and clasped her 
 shoulder with one hand and her leg with the 
 other. Then she gave the bicycle an angry kick 
 and sat upright to take stock of the situation. 
 The mishap had occurred in the uphill cut be- 
 tween Ludwigshohe and the railroad bridge at 
 Grosshesselohe. Worst of all she hadn't even 
 a pin with her to make the necessary repairs to 
 her stocking, and the bumps hurt. She was 
 breathless and perspiring besides, from the sharp 
 pace at which she had been riding. She pushed 
 her wheel up the gentle incline at the side of the 
 road until it was hidden by the trees, and then 
 she looked about for a comfortable place to rest. 
 But there were ants in one spot, too much under- 
 brush in another, stones or toadstools elsewhere, 
 or too much sunlight; nothing quite suited her
 
 THE THIRD SEX 59 
 
 and she must have gone at least fifty paces from 
 the roadway without finding a proper place. 
 
 Suddenly she saw something gleaming between 
 the trees. It was two bicycles, a man's and a 
 woman's, leaning amicably one on the other. 
 Box crept carefully a few steps further, then 
 stopped to listen, for she had heard voices al- 
 though the words were indistinguishable. Just 
 a little beyond she came to the edge of a tiny 
 precipice and looked down on a little trough-like 
 hollow, and there, on the opposite flower-strewn 
 slope, she saw the owners of the two handsome 
 machines. She sat in the grass with her lap full 
 of flowers, weaving a wreath, and he lay out- 
 stretched before her, gazing at her, and tenderly 
 stroking her legs in their gray silk stockings. It 
 was really a very pretty picture, and Box ducked 
 noiselessly behind the nearest bush, so as not to 
 disturb the pair. It was a pity she could not 
 hear what he was saying to her, but she could 
 judge from the lady's face that it must have been 
 something very agreeable, for she looked bliss- 
 fully happy, and ran her fingers through his hair 
 now and then with a laughing warning. " Oh, 
 no! please don't! you mustn't say such things! 
 but you are a dear boy! " 
 
 Her wreath was finished, and she took off her
 
 60 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 hat to press the flowers on her heavy pale blonde 
 hair. 
 
 "Am I pretty?" she cried merrily, brushing 
 the unused blossoms from her lap. Her com- 
 panion threw himself around, laid his head on 
 her knee, and held out his arms. He asked a 
 question so softly that Box could not hear it, but 
 she heard the answer in the woman's clear high 
 voice. ** Of course, I love you very much, but 
 you mustn't " 
 
 But he let her go no further, and drew her 
 head down to his, closing her mouth with kisses. 
 Then he threw himself around again, and pressed 
 her to him so violently that the dainty little fig- 
 ure was lost behind his broad back. And all of 
 a sudden they both rolled down the slope, falling 
 apart, and she scolded him and laughed, and he 
 laughed, too, and they brushed the pine needles 
 'from each other's clothes, and put on their hats 
 again. Her pretty wreath was crushed and 
 broken, and he had lost his penknife. 
 
 " That's the punishment," she said. " You 
 wouldn't be good!" And he kissed her again, 
 and she kissed him, and finally they found the 
 knife and walked slowly to the wheels, his arm 
 around her waist, her hand on his shoulder. 
 
 Miss Hildegard Haider remained in her
 
 THE THIRD SEX 61 
 
 hiding place, pondering deeply. Now she had 
 seen it for herself, with her own eyes, this cele- 
 brated love-making they talked so much about. 
 Hm ! it really was very pretty, quite as charming, 
 indeed, as the silly poems make it out to be. She 
 would very much have liked to know what sort 
 of people these two were the gentleman looked 
 familiar to her somehow, but she had not been 
 able to see his face plainly. She sprang to her 
 feet, forgetting the bumps and the hole in her 
 stocking; she must follow this couple and see 
 what happened further, for she wanted to find 
 out how one must act when in love. She wanted 
 to learn all about it this very day, this beautiful 
 summer day! 
 
 She pushed her machine back to the road, but 
 in the moment of mounting discovered that the 
 steering gear had been bent by the fall. As she 
 was looking over her tools for the proper screw- 
 driver, a cyclist pedaling past stopped, jumped 
 off his wheel beside her and inquired, with a po- 
 lite raising of his cap: " You have had a mis- 
 hap? Can I be of service?" 
 
 Box replied with some indefinite phrases, for 
 it was one of her many principles not to accept 
 such chance attentions. But the young man was 
 not to be deterred from examining the damage.
 
 62 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 He calmly took the tools from her hand, and 
 set the bar straight again. Without being asked, 
 he gave his opinion as to the style of her ma- 
 chine, and was anxious to know if she had hurt 
 herself in the fall. 
 
 By rights, Box should have found all this 
 somewhat officious, but the young man's manner 
 was so easy and amiable that she could not be 
 angry with him. Smilingly, she showed him the 
 hole in her stocking. 
 
 " Good," he exclaimed merrily, " I can rem- 
 edy that." He took a tiny leather case from his 
 pocket, and showed her that it contained some 
 medicines, court plaster, bandage and sewing 
 materials. 
 
 " I have carried this case as long as I have 
 been riding a wheel," he continued, " and have 
 never yet had occasion to use it. I bless your 
 mishap! If you will permit me, I will try my 
 very defective talent for sewing on your stock- 
 ing." 
 
 Box found herself thinking this young man 
 very agreeable. She did not raise much objec- 
 tion to his assistance, for she was a rank amateur 
 in such matters. So she sat down at the road- 
 side while he knelt before her, and with needle 
 and thread white thread, it must be confessed
 
 THE THIRD SEX 63 
 
 pulled together the huge three-cornered hole 
 in her black stocking. She declared his per- 
 formance most satisfactory, considering the cir- 
 cumstances. 
 
 " Wait a moment, I can improve on it," he 
 exclaimed, and taking a fountain pen from his 
 pocket, he skillfully colored the white thread with 
 the ink. " There now," he cried, pleased with 
 his good idea, " you must confess I have done my 
 work marvelously well." 
 
 " I shall take pleasure in recommending you to 
 my friends," she answered in amusement, and 
 took the hand he offered to assist her in rising. 
 Never before had she let a man help her on her 
 feet, but this one was really very nice. She 
 thought him quite good-looking, too, although he 
 was not in any way remarkable in appearance. 
 He was rather small, apparently about her own 
 size, but well built, with plenty of muscle, as was 
 shown by the modishly cut suit he wore. His 
 face had an expression of good-natured intelli- 
 gence, the eyes were too small and too colorless, 
 the nose too flat and the lips too thin, while the 
 beard was lacking entirely. But his brown hair 
 was prettily curled, his ears remarkably small and 
 well-shaped, as were also his hands and feet. 
 His skin was pale, and showed many little blem-
 
 64 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 ishes but what young man hasn't a pimple or 
 two? Miss Hildegard Haider was ready to 
 swear that even Juliet's Romeo must have had 
 pimples, although Shakespeare does not make 
 any mention of the fact. 
 
 Here was a stroke of luck ! This was the very 
 object she was wishing for, this young man 
 should be the victim for her experiment! Who 
 might he be? He was of good family appar- 
 ently, and a stranger, for he spoke with an in- 
 teresting foreign accent. And he knew her as 
 little as she knew him, that was the main 
 thing. 
 
 " Were you going this way, and would you 
 allow me to accompany you ? " he asked politely, 
 as they made ready to mount their wheels. 
 
 "Oh, please that is " Box hesitated. 
 
 She really didn't know what the average young 
 German girl would do in such a case. An added 
 allurement through gentle resistance would prob- 
 ably be considered the proper thing, but she 
 didn't know just how to show this gentle re- 
 sistance. She felt herself blushing in her embar- 
 rassment. Heavens, she could blush! In her 
 joy at the discovery she blurted out: 
 
 " All right, come along then ; want to go to 
 Grunwald?"
 
 THE THIRD SEX 65 
 
 " With the greatest pleasure, anywhere you 
 say." 
 
 They rode to the railway station, and pushed 
 their wheels across the bridge, from which the 
 well-known view over Munich and the Isar val- 
 ley can be enjoyed. Half-way over, they halted 
 to admire the beauty of the picture. 
 
 " I am glad I am not alone on this bridge," 
 remarked the young man. " The thought of a 
 spring from here has something very alluring for 
 me. The water below is like milk in a green 
 glass. A bath in milk, a very poetic image, 
 don't you think? And then a salto mortale in 
 the face of the whole city, as it were, and yet in 
 sun-bathed solitude it has something so dis- 
 creetly sensational about it. One would turn 
 over two or three times en route, and the air 
 pressure would kill one before the water was 
 reached. Suicide elegant! Don't you agree 
 with me? " 
 
 " He's trying to make himself interesting," she 
 thought, but she said merely: " Famous idea 
 that, but you'll leave the carrying out of it for 
 some future time, won't you?" 
 
 " Who knows," he answered with a shrug 
 which might mean anything. " What is life 
 worth anyway? My life at least? This is not
 
 66 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 the first bridge upon which I have stood with 
 such thoughts, nor the first track-rail upon which 
 I have longed to throw myself. I am four-and- 
 twenty, ah, yes I but there are countries where 
 youth cannot come to happy maturity. Permit 
 me to introduce myself, by the way." 
 
 He put his hand to his breast pocket, took out 
 a dainty card-case of green leather, ornamented 
 with gold initials surmounted by a crown, and 
 handed her his card. 
 
 Le Baron Raoul de Kerkhove, 
 Docteur en philosophic. 
 
 " Ah, you are French or Belgian, perhaps ? 
 From Flanders, judging by your name?" queried 
 Hildegard, with curiosity. 
 
 " No, I am from the Baltic Provinces, 
 refugie," he replied, seeking her glance with an 
 elegiac expression which seemed to say: " Can 
 you now measure my sorrow? " 
 
 She made a somewhat unsuccessful attempt at 
 a courtesy. " My name is Hildegard Schneider. 
 I am visiting an aunt here." 
 
 "An aunt? Oh, dear," he echoed. 
 
 " Does that disturb you? " 
 
 "A little perhaps." He smiled gently. 
 " Some aunts are so disagreeable."
 
 THE THIRD SEX 67 
 
 " Mine is quite passable," said Box, amused. 
 
 " It would seem so, since she allows you to 
 ride out unattended." 
 
 "Allows me? How delightful." 
 
 " You appear to be of a very independent na- 
 ture." 
 
 " Yes, I fancy one could call it that," giggled 
 Box. 
 
 He looked at her, and gave a droll sigh. 
 
 "Does that disturb you, also?" she asked. 
 
 " Oh, no ! quite the contrary. Really inde- 
 pendent women are so rare, and we need them 
 sorely." 
 
 " But why do you sigh?" 
 
 " Did I sigh? Oh, about life in general, I 
 fancy; it has so much that is beautiful." 
 
 " Why, yes, I believe you. For instance, 
 beautiful summer days, beautiful views, beautiful 
 cycle paths " 
 
 " Yes, and by the roadside sit beautiful young 
 ladies, with beautiful holes in their stockings." 
 
 " A sweet young man," thought Box, and sug- 
 gested that they continue their ride. They nat- 
 urally chose the wood path, as do all sensible 
 cyclists, for wheeling is forbidden there. She 
 rode on ahead to set the pace, and he followed 
 close behind. The rubber tires glided noise-
 
 68 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 lessly over the smooth carpet of needles, and 
 every now and then the shining machines sprang 
 gayly as young fawns over the tree roots stretch- 
 ing themselves like fat lazy snakes across the 
 path. Miss Hildegard Haider was as happy as 
 if she had just received a telegram to the effect 
 that her Turkish Consols had gone up to 76^, 
 much happier, indeed. Her headache had disap- 
 peared entirely. What a charming young man 
 this was, and so interesting, too! A Baron, 
 refugie, Baltic Provinces, deep sorrow, docteur 
 en philosophief she had not imagined such good 
 luck possible. How would he be likely to be- 
 have if she allured him into that hidden hollow 
 on the return route? Anyway she would begin 
 by making a wreath. Mercy! Was she falling 
 in love with the young man? Nonsense! It 
 was probable that by to-morrow morning she 
 would think him a silly little monkey, but for the 
 present moment he was just about right. 
 
 It was almost eleven o'clock when they 
 reached Grunwald. They turned in at the Cas- 
 tle Inn, and were looking about for a pretty and 
 shady seat when they suddenly became aware of 
 another pair of cyclists. Hello! There were 
 the couple from the flowery hollow, the large, 
 brown-mixed gentleman and the charming blonde
 
 THE THIRD SEX 69 
 
 in the white shirt waist, gray cloth knickerbock- 
 ers and gray silk stockings. How pretty she 
 was, with her graceful, almost boyishly slender 
 figure and her rich ashen blond hair! And how 
 well her clothes became her, fitting her with such 
 easy natural style, from the simple straw hat with 
 its white veil, down to the little black shoes. 
 Box forgot her escort completely and stood in 
 the entrance to the veranda, her eyes fixed on the 
 charming picture. 
 
 But the lady touched her companion, and the 
 brown-mixed gentleman turned to look at the in- 
 truders. 
 
 My goodness ! Why, that was of course 
 it was! She had met him socially and in busi- 
 ness, although he was not one of her more inti- 
 mate circle of acquaintances; but there could be 
 no mistake, it was Mr. Franz Xaver Pirngruber, 
 the well-known genre painter. 
 
 "Well, well, well!" thought Box. Franz 
 Xaver Pirngruber was a man of forty or there- 
 abouts, most agreeably situated in life. For not 
 only did he sell his pictures well, but he was also 
 the possessor of a wealthy and beautiful wife, 
 and six lovely children, who were a bone of con- 
 tention among all the photographers of Munich. 
 
 " Just wait," thought Box. " I'll frighten
 
 7 o THE THIRD SEX 
 
 you, all right." And she walked briskly to the 
 table where sat the happy couple, holding out her 
 strong right hand to the brown-mixed gentleman. 
 " Good morning, Mr. Pirngruber, delighted to 
 meet you! It was sensible of you to come out 
 and enjoy this lovely day instead of wasting it 
 shut up in a studio. All well at home? How is 
 Mrs. Pirngruber? I haven't seen her for some 
 time." 
 
 She chatted on merrily, and Mr. Pirngruber's 
 friendly open countenance expressed plainly that 
 he would have preferred to answer her with a 
 hearty, "Go to the devil!" But as a man of 
 breeding, he said instead: " Many thanks, my 
 wife is doing the watering places. About this 
 time of year she begins to feel the necessity of 
 showing herself at the most fashionable of them. 
 I have too much to do to go with her, unfortu- 
 nately. So you too have come out for the day, 
 Miss Haider?" 
 
 " Schneider ! " whispered Box, in alarmed 
 haste. And as Mr. Pirngruber looked his aston- 
 ishment, she added: "Please don't give me 
 away; my name is Schneider to-day." 
 
 Mr. Pirngruber saw the young man in the 
 background and understood. He smiled a mean-
 
 THE THIRD SEX 71 
 
 ing smile and with a wave of his hand toward 
 his beautiful companion, he said: 
 
 " Permit me to make you acquainted with my 
 niece, Mrs. von Robiceck." 
 
 The ladies bowed politely to one another, and 
 then Box motioned up her young man and intro- 
 duced him: 
 
 " My cousin, Baron Raoul de Kerkhove, doc- 
 teur en philosophic." 
 
 Bows, meaning glances, four congenial souls 
 had met and understood each other! 
 
 Mr. Pirngruber and Mrs. von Robiceck, (her 
 name was probably as much Robiceck as Box's 
 was Schneider) were already deep in the enjoy- 
 ment of several pairs of white sausage with beer, 
 and Box had no intention of hard-heartedly dis- 
 turbing their idyl. After a few polite phrases 
 she withdrew with her escort to a far corner of 
 the garden, to sample likewise the white sausage. 
 This delicately compounded specialty of the 
 Munich sausage-maker's art, particularly when 
 combined with the lighter brown beers, seems to 
 exert a remarkably soothing influence on the 
 nerves. Harmonious natures, such as retired 
 grocers, royal policemen, and Bavarian deputies, 
 consider the white sausage finer than the oyster.
 
 72 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 Why, then, should not happy lovers enjoy its 
 mild charms? Box ordered white sausage and 
 beer. 
 
 But the conversation did not flourish, for 
 Baron Raoul de Kerkhove was suddenly struck 
 dumb. Hildegard noticed that he glanced over 
 to the other couple more often than was natural 
 or excusable, especially when he raised his glass 
 to his lips, as he seemed to think she would not 
 notice it then. Talk at the other table was not 
 particularly lively either, and the two ate their 
 lunch in evident impatience. There was a gen- 
 eral feeling of embarrassment on both sides. In 
 about ten minutes, Master Franz Xaver Pirn- 
 gruber rose with his beautiful companion, and 
 bowed politely as he passed their table, saying: 
 " Au revoir, Miss Schneider. We're going for 
 a little walk in the woods, please don't let us dis- 
 turb you. By-by." 
 
 The charming lady bent her graceful head just 
 a little, and the two ran lightly down the steep 
 slope to the river. When they were out of hear- 
 ing the Baron inquired eagerly who they were. 
 
 " Don't you know Franz Xaver Pirngruber? " 
 exclaimed Box. " He is one of our favorite 
 genre painters. You must have seen some of his 
 things funny peasant scenes, and such."
 
 THE THIRD SEX 73 
 
 " Yes, I think I remember now," replied the 
 Baron, indifferently. " And who is the charm- 
 ing young lady, Mrs. von Robiceck, I think it 
 was?" 
 
 " Hm! yes; at least that was the name I un- 
 derstood," said Box, lifting her black brows. 
 " A model probably, she is so well built." 
 
 "A model? Oh, you are joking!" cried the 
 young man, almost shocked. " This exquisite 
 delicacy, this aristocratic grace, oh, it is impossi- 
 ble ! " 
 
 Box shrugged her shoulders. " Nothing is 
 impossible in that quarter. There are non-pro- 
 fessional models, too." 
 
 The young man sat silent and in thought. He 
 pressed a white sausage through his teeth, then 
 laid the empty skin on his plate with a grimace 
 and remarked: 
 
 " That is an enjoyment one must be born to to 
 appreciate." 
 
 As his companion had nothing to say to this, 
 he drank a long swallow of beer, and asked for 
 permission to light a cigarette. He took out a 
 pretty case of Tula silver with gold lining, and 
 offered it to Miss Schneider. She took a cigar- 
 ette and they began to smoke. The Baron 
 gazed thoughtfully at the gray rings that came in
 
 74 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 artistic perfection from his lips, and made an- 
 other remark: "It must be rather nice, some- 
 times, to be a painter." 
 
 "Think so?" said Box, crossly. "I consider 
 painting a foolish sort of occupation, just about 
 one degree better than fishing. But pardon me, 
 if you don't paint, what are you doing here in 
 Munich? All the strangers who come here, 
 come to paint." 
 
 " Alas, I have no talent of any kind," an- 
 swered the young man, pathetically. " Art is a 
 sealed book to me. I am busied with the pre- 
 paratory studies for a great sociological work, 
 and then I am also preparing myself for a jour- 
 ney around the world. I am waiting for the 
 outcome of a lawsuit upon which will depend 
 whether I possess a million rubles more or less. 
 At present, I must make out with a paltry ten 
 thousand a year." 
 
 " I should imagine that was quite enough for 
 one young man," said Box. 
 
 " I must make it do. I have a little furnished 
 apartment of four rooms in the Schellingstrasse, 
 but have not even a servant of my own. I must 
 ride hired horses, something that was not prophe- 
 sied at my cradle, I can assure you. My father 
 died in Siberia, you understand, and the govern-
 
 THE THIRD SEX 75 
 
 ment confiscated the greater part of his estates. 
 But there is now a well-founded hope that my 
 family may win its case. I am waiting the result 
 here." 
 
 Box played with the silver cigarette case, and 
 said some admiring words about it. 
 
 "Its actual value is not much," he answered, 
 with an expressive glance of his gray eyes. 
 " But I prize it as my most cherished treasure. 
 It was a present from my uncle, Prince Krapot- 
 kin." 
 
 "Not the well-known Nihilist leader?" 
 
 " The same." He smiled strangely. 
 " Please do not betray me. The police in your 
 country have so much time on their hands to 
 busy themselves with harmless foreigners." 
 
 "Mercy! are you one of those of that 
 kind, too?" exclaimed Box in lively curios- 
 ity. 
 
 "I, Mademoiselle?" he smiled his mysteri- 
 ous smile again. " I told you I am from the 
 Baltic Provinces, my father died in Siberia 
 for the rest, I have studied philosophy." 
 
 " Oh dear I oh dear ! what a delightfully un- 
 canny young man you are," whispered Box 
 highly amused. " You have so many pockets 
 and so many pretty little cases in them, haven't
 
 76 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 you a gold snuff-box with dynamite among the 
 lot?" 
 
 " Mademoiselle, there are some things about 
 which one should never joke," he answered 
 gravely. 
 
 "As for instance?" 
 
 " For instance, one's country, and love." 
 
 "Aren't you going to eat that last sausage?" 
 asked Box, rather inapropos. " Then please let 
 me make this hideous dog happy with it." She 
 threw the sausage to a lazy black monstrosity of 
 a dog, which wandered about on crooked 
 dachshund legs, betraying unabashed the dis- 
 grace of its ancestors, who had evidently had lit- 
 tle regard for the purity of the race. Then she 
 called the waitress, paid her little bill, (she 
 would not hear of the Baron doing it,) and 
 sprang up, saying cheerily: " Well, then, Baron, 
 if it please you, let us walk in the woods and talk 
 of love." 
 
 And just as the pretty Mrs. von Robiceck had 
 done, she sprang down the steep slope to the 
 river, followed by her escort. She soon left the 
 path, and began to look for flowers on the slope 
 under the shadow of the magnificent oaks and 
 beeches. He helped her kindly, about as a good 
 brother would aid an elder sister, and chatted
 
 THE THIRD SEX 77 
 
 on about his childhood on the immense family 
 estates in Livonia, about his scientific studies, and 
 his proposed journey around the world. It was 
 all very interesting, but a young man of breeding 
 ought to be able to think of something else to 
 say, when engaged in picking flowers with a 
 young lady. If she had been in his place . . . ! 
 But he was probably a little too young, he needed 
 encouragement. She had gathered a clumsy bou- 
 quet and was hot and red from much bending, so 
 she threw herself down on the thick moss and 
 began to weave a wreath. She did it awkwardly, 
 for it was many years since she had tried making 
 flower wreaths. 
 
 Raoul de Kerkhove sat at her feet in the green 
 moss, and smoked one cigarette after another. 
 He had apparently no intention whatever of 
 stroking her shins. She would not have advised 
 him to do it, for, as she knew herself, she 
 would probably have become exceedingly out- 
 spoken. But he might at least have tried! In- 
 stead of doing so, however, he preached a sermon 
 on the ethics of capitalism, and explained to her 
 that interest was the root of all evil in the world. 
 " As long as money can produce money without 
 work," this was his peroration, " we can have 
 neither justice nor contentment."
 
 78 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 "What do you expect, then?" answered Box, 
 slightly irritated. " That's the law of nature. 
 Like produces like, and without much work, 
 either." 
 
 " But money is not a living organism," he 
 said, with a weak attempt to smile at her joke. 
 
 "Isn't it?" she cried. "Well, I should 
 rather say it is, and a very complicated one at 
 that. You don't appear to know much about it." 
 
 Now that was stupid! She did not want him 
 to see how much she knew about money matters, 
 so she cut off further remark by telling him that 
 they were wandering from the subject. 
 
 "From what subject?" he asked stupidly. 
 
 " Why, love ! " she answered impatiently, and 
 there! her wreath was torn again. She held the 
 larger piece to her forehead, and asked, with as 
 much coquetry as she could muster: "Do you 
 think it becoming?" 
 
 He was just lighting a fifth cigarette on the 
 stump of the fourth, but glanced at her out of 
 the corner of his eye, and remarked dryly: 
 " No, I don't." 
 
 "Oh, indeed?" said Box angrily. "And 
 what would you have me wear, if you wanted me 
 to look pretty? " 
 
 He thought the matter over, and then said,
 
 THE THIRD SEX 79 
 
 suddenly beaming: " I know, a high silk hat! " 
 
 "A silk hat?" 
 
 "Yes; I would put you on a prancing steed, 
 with a long flowing skirt and a shiny silk hat; 
 I think you would look fine that way." 
 
 Box was only partially mollified. She threw 
 away her unsuccessful wreath, and stretched her- 
 self flat on her back. 
 
 " Please give me another cigarette," she said. 
 " Isn't this charming! I could dream here for 
 hours." 
 
 He took out a match, but she stopped him, 
 thinking of the danger of forest fires. A police 
 warning as to throwing away burning matches 
 was in evidence near by. " Let me have some 
 of your own fire," she said with tender meaning, 
 as she took her cigarette between her teeth and 
 smiled at him. She could risk that, for she had 
 beautiful white teeth. 
 
 Now if he had been at all promising he would 
 have bent over her with his cigarette, would have 
 gazed deep into her eyes, and kissed her without 
 another word. But this unfortunate young 
 Baron didn't seem to have a soul above mending 
 stockings. He held out his cigarette to her at 
 the end of his arm, as far away as possible. And 
 when hers was lighted, he looked away again,
 
 80 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 and let his eyes rest on her yellow leather Kneipp 
 sandals. 
 
 Kneipp sandals were among Box's twenty- 
 seven principles, but they certainly were not 
 pretty. 
 
 "Do you admire the Russian girls?" queried 
 Box after a time, with but mild interest. 
 
 " I suffer with them," answered the young 
 man. 
 
 " They are said to be so soft in the joints," 
 continued Box. 
 
 " Yes, particularly in the joints of the soul," 
 he differentiated cleverly. " They can be bent 
 for good or for bad, and when they love, they 
 wear no corsets.'* 
 
 " Oh, how extremely interesting ! " exclaimed 
 Box with greater eagerness. 
 
 " I mean only figuratively, of course," ex- 
 plained the young man politely. " The women 
 in this country seem to me to be always tightly 
 laced mentally, I mean; they are stiff to the 
 touch, even if they have no bones." 
 
 " I'm not ! " cried Box, stretching herself with 
 pride. 
 
 " Oh, yes, Mademoiselle, you have bones," 
 said the young Baron with quiet gravity. 
 
 This didn't satisfy Box either.
 
 THE THIRD SEX 81 
 
 Raoul de Kerkhove smoked and meditated, 
 suddenly he raised his finger, " Hark! " 
 
 "What is it? Oh, that is a chaffinch." 
 
 " I don't mean the bird, don't you hear that 
 voice? That must be charming little Mrs. von 
 Robiceck." 
 
 " Suppose it is? " said Box, hitting at an obsti- 
 nate fly with her cap. 
 
 " Let's go and see what they are doing." 
 
 Box smiled maliciously: "I wouldn't go too 
 near, if I were you." 
 
 But Raoul de Kerkhove was already on his 
 feet and steering toward the direction from which 
 the sweet silvery laugh seemed to come. So 
 there was nothing for Box to do but to follow 
 him. Fifty paces further they saw the brown- 
 mixed coat and the white shirt waist shining 
 through the silvered beech trunks, and then they 
 saw Franz Xaver Pirngruber, the master of the 
 humoristic brush, raise his so-called niece in his 
 arms until she could reach the lowest branch of 
 a great beech tree, whereupon the graceful little 
 figure swung itself up, and climbed lithe as a cat 
 from limb to limb. 
 
 " Good idea 1 " said Box, " I can do that too, 
 and you needn't help me, either." 
 
 She found a tree that did not look difficult,
 
 82 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 reached the first limb without assistance, and 
 climbed on higher and higher. And when she 
 was almost at the top under the very highest 
 point, she looked down triumphantly on her 
 young friend. 
 
 But he stood with his back to her, staring over 
 to the other beech tree, where the sweet silvery 
 laugh of pretty little Mrs. von Robiceck pearled 
 out of the thickest green. 
 
 " Idiot! " thought Box, " I have greatly over- 
 rated you." And she climbed down again, 
 knowing that she looked hot and scratched and 
 at a disadvantage generally. 
 
 " Bravo 1" said Raoul de Kerkhove. "I 
 have never seen a lady rise to such heights ! " 
 
 This was meant for a joke, but Box didn't 
 think it at all funny. She declared with decision 
 that she must go home now, and that he could 
 stay and enjoy the society of charming little Mrs. 
 von Robiceck as long as he liked. 
 
 " Oh 1 " was all he said, as he climbed back to 
 the inn in her wake. When they stood by their 
 wheels, he caught her hand and said with warm 
 friendliness: "Are you angry with me, Made- 
 moiselle? Truly I did not wish to offend you." 
 
 He seemed to think she was jealous, so she 
 hastened to assure him that she was not in the
 
 THE THIRD SEX 83 
 
 least angry. He raised her hand to his lips and 
 kissed it. He was a nice boy after all and 
 so well brought up! Then they mounted their 
 wheels and rode home in double quick time. 
 
 And on that day they loved no more, but they 
 arranged a meeting for the following evening in 
 the Blumensalen.
 
 CHAPTER IV 
 
 MR. AND MRS. ARNULF RAU were in- 
 vited to supper at the Reithmeyers. 
 Claire de Fries had grown rather fond of Mrs. 
 Katia Rau in the course of her visits to Munich. 
 It was impossible for her to become very intimate 
 with any woman, for she found warm friendships 
 within her own sex wasteful of time, and little 
 productive of mental gain. She could not endure 
 the constant chattering for the mere pleasure of 
 talking, which seems indispensable to friendship 
 among women. 
 
 In this respect, almost more than in her serious 
 interest for science, the beautiful Claire was an 
 unusual woman. She could talk, and talk well, 
 when the subject interested her, but otherwise she 
 was very silent, from sheer laziness. Phys- 
 ically Claire de Fries was astonishingly lazy. 
 The one great hardship of her medical course 
 was the amount of sitting or standing demanded 
 by her studies, and she made up for this sacrifice 
 by spending most of her leisure time flat on her
 
 THE THIRD SEX 85 
 
 back. She was the only woman who did not ride 
 a wheel, among her student comrades and circle 
 of acquaintances. Mrs. Katia Rau did not 
 wheel either, as her husband disapproved, and 
 that was one reason why Claire found the clever 
 little woman with the heavy dark hair and the 
 mocking black eyes so sympathetic. 
 
 And she could not deny a strong measure of 
 respect for Mr. Arnulf Rau, for he outdid her 
 by considerable in laziness. If his magnificent 
 laziness had not deterred this handsome man 
 from preserving, in vile ink, all the world-mov- 
 ing ideas and the marvelous works of art which 
 lay complete in his brain, he would undoubtedly 
 have been looked up to by the entire civilized 
 globe (and not, as at present, by himself alone) 
 as its leading poet and thinker. He considered 
 physical exertion unworthy a noble mind. " Let 
 the herd sweat," he would say, and a celebrated 
 aphorism, which he had improvised but never 
 written down, ran: 
 
 The Free Man heateth not himself, 
 The Super-man sweateth not himself. 
 
 Following this principle faithfully, he had 
 risen, if not to the status of the Super-man, at 
 least to the possession of a stately Embonpoint.
 
 86 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 Even Envy must acknowledge that he was a hand- 
 some man. He looked like Lohengrin or Sieg- 
 fried, if one could imagine those worthies with 
 hair and beard trimmed by a tasteful barber, and 
 with the soft hands and well-kept nails of the 
 modern man of breeding. A suit of carefully 
 chosen cut and easy elegance, and a cravat which 
 was always odd and of joyous coloring, com- 
 pleted the harmonious and agreeable picture of 
 his outer man. As to the inner man, his wife 
 alone could possibly have given a true account, for 
 his words showed much intelligence, but no char- 
 acter. But his wife made no such revelation, she 
 preferred to keep the sweet secret to herself. 
 And in whom could this egotism of love be more 
 pardonable, than in the wife of a man, who, be- 
 cause of his mental caliber, belonged by right to 
 the whole world? 
 
 It was a cold supper, such as the cookless bach- 
 elor can procure from the nearest store; lobster 
 salad, the finer kinds of sausages, and various 
 cheeses. The meal had been eaten under the 
 awning on the roof. Later, the cool of the 
 Munich evening air had driven the party into the 
 study, mainly out of respect for the great Arnulf, 
 with whose views of life a catarrh was irrecon- 
 cilable.
 
 THE THIRD SEX 87 
 
 The coming Super-man, who will not perspire 
 even when dancing, will also be spared the 
 catarrhs of the common herd. 
 
 Claire de Fries lay outstretched on the divan 
 as usual, while little Mrs. Katia crouched on the 
 arm of the sofa at her head, running her pointed 
 fingers through the blond curls. The gentlemen 
 made themselves as comfortable as possible in the 
 two armchairs. All were smoking cigarettes, 
 with the exception of Arnulf Rau, who, as Mas- 
 ter of Himself, was allowed the liberty of enjoy- 
 ing his own imported cigar. As was natural, 
 the conversation had worked around to the sub- 
 ject which was still a burning question in this 
 circle, that is, whether the Reithmeyers should 
 marry or not. 
 
 "Of course I understand entirely, theoret- 
 ically," said Dr. Reithmeyer, playing nervously 
 with the tassel of his chair, " that any official 
 
 marriage is quite unnecessary for us, but " 
 
 He finished the sentence by a shrug of the shoul- 
 ders. 
 
 " Theoretically, civilized man stands above na- 
 ture," began Arnulf Rau after a short pause of 
 meditation, " but in reality he has sold himself 
 into the most unworthy slavery just because of it. 
 To rule means to oppress, does it not? To say
 
 88 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 man rules nature, means he oppresses her. He 
 thinks out religions, and votes moral laws, by 
 means of which all that is natural is considered 
 sinful, and sins against nature declared moral. 
 It is only his petty vanity of mental sovereignty 
 which has induced man to relinquish his rights 
 as Super-ape. If it is a possibility that in a state 
 of super-mankind we shall have outgrown our 
 adherence to the class of the mammalia, then per- 
 haps, the thousand years of sacrifice of individual 
 freedom may be worth while, but meantime 
 but pardon me, I am boring you, Madame 
 Claire," he concluded, for he perceived that she 
 was suppressing a yawn. 
 
 "Oh, no, indeed! " she answered, smiling; " I 
 am quite of your opinion. It would really in- 
 terest me to hear your ideas about marriage." 
 
 "About marriage? With pleasure," said 
 Arnulf Rau. Running his soft white hand gen- 
 tly through his wavy blond hair he began to 
 preach : 
 
 " Were marriage truly one of the natural laws, 
 it would be the surest proof of the non-existence 
 of a God. For inasmuch as this God has created 
 man polygamous and woman monogamous by in- 
 stinct, he has made a lasting union between them 
 impossible from the first, which would therefore
 
 THE THIRD SEX 89 
 
 disavow his claim to logical action. But as all 
 else in the scheme of creation is built up in such 
 flawless logical sequence, it follows that marriage 
 cannot be the disposition either of God, or of 
 Nature." 
 
 He made a slight pause. No one said any- 
 thing. Dr. Reithmeyer smiled uncomfortably. 
 
 " The ideal marriage can be found many times 
 in the natural world," continued the handsome 
 Arnulf, with brows creased in thought. " Just 
 look at the cock in the poultry yard, there you 
 have a case in point. What pride and dignity 
 are his I How nobly he bears himself, turning 
 over the choicest tidbits to his womenkind, always 
 ready for their protection, and making light of 
 wounds received in battle. And then the hens 
 with their stupid content, their cackling zeal in 
 fulfillment of their duties I There you have fam- 
 ily happiness, true nature, and individual free- 
 dom." 
 
 " Have you become a Mussulman, my dear 
 friend?" asked Dr. Reithmeyer, slightly irri- 
 tated. 
 
 " We need not introduce personalities," re- 
 plied Arnulf mildly. 
 
 " I can quite understand that the life of the 
 cock arouses your envy, my dear sirs," said Claire
 
 9 o THE THIRD SEX 
 
 de Fries, " but I doubt very much, if, in the pres- 
 ent state of your development, you would be sat- 
 isfied with a bunch of hens." 
 
 " That is exactly what my husband means to 
 say," joined in Mrs. Katia. " That is just where 
 the tragedy of modern marriage lies, in that the 
 man, in the main, is still only the cock, whereas 
 the majority of women have raised themselves 
 as far above the hen standpoint, as man has 
 raised himself above the apes." 
 
 " Precisely," agreed the handsome man. " As 
 soon as woman desires to be anything else than 
 the bearer of the new generation, who receives 
 care and protection in return for her labor, she 
 oversteps her natural sphere. For him who 
 would raise himself above nature, there remains, 
 as I said before, only the hardest slavery to mor- 
 tal moral laws. The basic physical conditions 
 for the sexes have not changed at all, but the 
 moral viewpoint has changed immensely, and the 
 consequence of this is, that while man's morality 
 is not influenced in the least by his attitude on 
 sexual questions, woman's morality suffers greatly 
 by it." 
 
 " Prove it I " cried Claire, angrily. 
 
 "Must I, really?" asked Arnulf, stretching 
 himself wearily. But as no one offered to spare
 
 THE THIRD SEX 91 
 
 him the trouble, he continued, after some medita- 
 tion : " It is very simple. Man's love-excite- 
 ment is a short, acute disease, which leaves him 
 stronger than before. He can have the love- 
 fever to such a degree that he is capable of the 
 most senseless actions, of crimes even. Yet when 
 he has reached the goal of his longing he is healed, 
 and what is more important, he is then no longer 
 a sex apparatus, but only a power-producing or- 
 ganism. Love is a hampering obstacle for the 
 machine, Man; for the machine, Woman, how- 
 ever, it is the movens, the agens. For the ma- 
 chine, Woman, is planned, I might say, merely 
 to produce the fruits of love. Of course this fe- 
 male machine possesses the important integral 
 parts in common with the male, it could not be 
 a machine without connecting-rod, flywheel, and 
 governor, and it can therefore use its power 
 for other objects than the one for which it is es- 
 pecially planned. But this is always done at the 
 cost of harm to the machine, and the product is 
 invariably inferior." 
 
 " I dispute that," interpolated Claire. 
 
 " But without success," replied Arnulf disdain- 
 fully. " The few women who have accomplished 
 anything worth while in art or science, were as a 
 usual thing not womanly. Oh, fair Madame
 
 92 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 Claire, spare yourself the pains," he put in with 
 a deprecatory wave of the hand as he saw that 
 she was about to speak, " you were about to name 
 that unhappy Sonja Kowalewska, of course. One 
 amorous professoress of mathematics proves as 
 little against my assertion, as the fact that occa- 
 sionally a calf is born with five legs or two heads, 
 proves anything against the rule that calves have 
 one head and four legs." 
 
 " By this style of argument," cried the beauti- 
 ful Claire, looking at him with pity, " I could 
 prove to you that man is the inferior product, 
 for there have been women who have accom- 
 plished results in man's own field of labor, whereas 
 no man has ever borne a child." 
 
 " Oh, Clarchen I " said Dr. Reithmeyer, gently. 
 
 There was a pause, for the handsome Arnulf 
 was offended. His wife broke the silence with 
 a droll sigh, and then announced with smiling 
 pathos: "'Man's love is the world; woman's 
 world is love,' thus sayeth P. A." 
 
 " Who's P. A. ? " asked Dr. Reithmeyer calmly. 
 
 " Oh, my dears! how ignorant you are," 
 laughed Mrs. Katia. " P. A. is Peter Altenberg, 
 of course." 
 
 " Oh, the crazy young Viennese? " 
 
 " Crazy? Well, yes, in his style, if you will.
 
 THE THIRD SEX 93 
 
 His intrusive manner might be called crazy, too, 
 but I must confess I like Peter Altenberg. He 
 is like a bee, he sees only flowers everywhere, 
 draws out their sweetness, and gives it to the world 
 as honey in return." 
 
 Arnulf came to the assistance of his wife. 
 " That was very well said. A little honey spread 
 on one's bread gives pleasure, but it would be dire 
 punishment to have to eat out an entire honey- 
 jar. A book by Peter Altenberg is a honey jar, 
 but enjoyed in small doses it is productive of much 
 keen pleasure. For the rest, he is the only one 
 who sees it as I do." 
 
 " What ' it '? " asked Claire, lazily. 
 
 And Arnulf, " Oh, the world, life, everything." 
 
 Then said Claire again, after a pause: "But 
 you have not yet told us how you look on mar- 
 riage, a marriage between the cock-man and the 
 modern woman." 
 
 " My fair friend, you would still have your fun 
 with me?" returned Arnulf Rau, changing the 
 position of his legs. 
 
 " How could I dare take such a liberty? " cried 
 Claire in the voice of innocence, closing her eyes 
 peacefully. But the poet and thinker could not 
 quite come to a decision. He smoked thought- 
 fully and admired his finger nails. Dr. Reith-
 
 94 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 meyer rose and walked up and down nervously. 
 
 " I am afraid all this won't help us much in 
 the question as to whether we shall marry or not," 
 he said in some irritation. " I think I'll count it 
 off on my buttons." He looked down at the right 
 lapel of his coat. " Yes no yes no " 
 
 Mrs. Katia bent over her pretty friend, who 
 wore a Spanish jacket trimmed with many little 
 buttons. 
 
 " Yes no yes no yes yes ! Then 
 it's ' yes,' " she cried, clapping her hands. 
 
 The beautiful Claire smiled : " Katia, dear, 
 ask your husband if he does not think masculine 
 buttons most to be believed? " 
 
 " You are malicious to-day," laughed the little 
 dark-haired lady, and kissed her tall friend on 
 the forehead. Then, pulling her saucy face into 
 serious folds, she continued: 
 
 " Some day my husband will write the book 
 on marriage." 
 
 Arnulf Rau sent a distrustful glance from one 
 to the other, but as they all looked equally seri- 
 ous, he said : " I did think of doing so at one 
 time, but as years go on, I am becoming convinced 
 that I had better give it up, for decency's sake." 
 
 " For decency's sake? " asked Dr. Reithmeyer, 
 and Claire opened her eyes in curiosity.
 
 THE THIRD SEX 95 
 
 " Simply because the naked truth of almost any 
 marriage is unendurably unesthetic," replied Ar- 
 nulf with gloomy mien. " Much, and much of 
 importance, too, has been written in the modern 
 realistic novel about the psychology of marriage. 
 And due consideration has also been given the 
 social and economic conditions upon which mar- 
 riage to-day must rest. But one man only has 
 dared to draw away the veil from the brutalities 
 of the bedroom, one only Strindberg and he 
 has written an indescribably disgusting book." 
 
 " That must have been a particularly disgusting 
 marriage," suggested Dr. Reithmeyer. 
 
 " Not necessarily," responded the speaker. 
 " Question priests of the confessional, physicians, 
 lawyers, any others who have had the opportunity 
 of seeing behind the scenes of many a marriage, 
 and you will turn in horror from the pictures un- 
 rolled before you. And I assert that these are 
 not the exceptions. Almost every apparently 
 harmonious marriage hides somewhere the worm 
 in its blossom; the nerves of even the most soul- 
 less Philistine cannot endure what is sometimes 
 forced upon them in the intimacy of the four walls. 
 It costs considerable money at the very least, if 
 nothing else, to avoid the coarse realities of the 
 married state; large and numerous apartments,
 
 96 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 and the possibility of taking the next best express 
 train. Believe me, the saddest tragedies of mar- 
 riage spring from causes that would be infinitely 
 ridiculous, were they not so infinitely tragic. I 
 once loved a marvelous woman. She had just 
 been divorced when she crossed my path. She 
 had met her husband in the way usual with girls 
 of good family. He was a man of intelligence, 
 high up in his profession, stately in appearance, 
 and very well off. She was an innocent, inexperi- 
 enced young thing, who looked up to him with 
 respect and admiration, and he was as if intoxi- 
 cated by her beauty. But in the bridal night he 
 so frightened and horrified her that she never re- 
 covered from it. She hated him, she hated even 
 her children, she came near to insanity, and yet 
 he loved her all the more, as she let him see her 
 growing hatred. There was no other woman in 
 the world for him. She could weep in pity for 
 the pangs she made him endure, and yet she hated 
 him all the more because he drew her pity. She 
 demanded a divorce, but he would not give her up. 
 She accused herself of infidelity, she threatened 
 him with disgrace ; then at last he let her go. She 
 gave up her children, she would not take a cent 
 of money from him, but earned a scanty living by 
 copying and translating. She hid herself from
 
 THE THIRD SEX 97 
 
 him, but from time to time he would discover her 
 whereabouts, and come to her whining for for- 
 giveness and love. She clung to me to find shel- 
 ter from him, she loved me with a devotion which 
 was spurred by the fire of her hatred for her 
 husband. I saw him one night, through a crack 
 in the closed curtain of her room, standing in the 
 street and gazing up at the house like a madman. 
 There you have the intimate tragedy of a mar- 
 riage, which, seen from the outside, must have 
 seemed to everyone a most happy one, and 
 there are millions and millions like it." 
 
 A long pause followed, then Claire sat up, and 
 looked the handsome Arnulf full in the face, as 
 she said : " What did you do with the hus- 
 band?" 
 
 "I? With the husband?" he asked sur- 
 prised. " Ah, yes. Chance brought us together 
 later. He was really a remarkable and withal a 
 most charming man. He made an invention of 
 immense importance, and won a fortune by it. 
 I could not detect one unpleasant quality in him. 
 He did take some magnesia occasionally, but took 
 it with a tiny golden spoon from a golden box. 
 The man was quite satisfactory from an esthetic 
 point of view." 
 
 " And what did you do with the wife? "
 
 98 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 " Ah hm ! She soon began to bore me by 
 her mania for indulging in indiscreet revelations 
 of past troubles. Then the most remarkable 
 part of it all came to pass." 
 
 "Aha!" exclaimed Dr. Reithmeyer. "I 
 wager she married her husband a second 
 time." 
 
 " No, she married an English Major with a 
 wooden leg and shaky hands, and went to Canada 
 with him." 
 
 " Fie 1 " said Claire audibly. 
 
 The handsome Arnulf shrugged his shoulders. 
 " Que voulez vous, madame, c'est la vie? " And 
 he stood up to take a little exercise. 
 
 When his back was turned Claire de Fries 
 grasped little Mrs. Katia's hand. She did not 
 look at her, but pressed her hand hard in warm 
 womanly sympathy. 
 
 The bell rang, and Dr. Reithmeyer rose to open 
 the door. It was Martha Haider, who ran in to 
 see Claire about a proposed excursion. Dr. 
 Reithmeyer asked her to come in, and she was evi- 
 dently unpleasantly surprised to find the Raus 
 there. She was asked to stay, but said she could 
 not do so, as her young friend Baron Raoul de 
 Kerkhove was waiting downstairs with their 
 wheels.
 
 THE THIRD SEX 99 
 
 " Aha ! " teased Dr. Reithmeyer, with threat- 
 ening forefinger. 
 
 Martha laughed embarrassed, and answered: 
 " Nonsense, little Raoul is so nice and so harm- 
 less." 
 
 A general wish to have little Raoul brought up 
 was expressed, and to end the matter, Dr. Reith- 
 meyer ran down himself to the street door. Claire 
 noticed that Arnulf Rau stroked his hair and 
 beard nervously, with a quick glance in the mir- 
 ror hanging between the windows. And she 
 smiled gently to herself, glad of the interruption 
 that put an end to the painful discussion on mar- 
 riage. She took Martha by the arm and walked 
 out onto the roof with her, while the Raus re- 
 mained silent and alone in the room. 
 
 The explanation of little Raoul was as follows : 
 After he had spent an evening alone with Hilde- 
 gard in the Blumensalen, without making any 
 greater headway in her favor than the strictest 
 propriety permitted, the comedy began to tire 
 Box. She apostrophised herself with wholesome 
 candor, and gave up -the attempt to utilize this 
 young man as the victim of her experiment. He 
 took the revelation of her profession with sur- 
 prise, but without any evidences of grief, and then 
 she invited him to call. Here he met Martha,
 
 ioo THE THIRD SEX 
 
 and from that moment on had eyes only for the 
 beautiful girl. He followed her everywhere and 
 was delighted when she allowed him to do er- 
 rands for her. He brought flowers every day, 
 bought tickets for theater or concert, took 
 Schampus out to walk, and accompanied Martha 
 on her bicycle rides. Box was a little angered 
 at first at this sudden switching off of her inter- 
 esting conquest. But after twenty-four hours her 
 anger evaporated, and she was glad that her sis- 
 ter should have something to make her forget her 
 unfortunate adoration for Arnulf Rau. The 
 young man seemed to act beneficially on Martha's 
 mental condition. His respectful admiration 
 flattered her, without exciting her in the least. 
 She would vent her moods on him, and then make 
 him happy again with her innocent coquetry. It 
 was a game that amused her very much and she 
 saw no harm in it, for the young man was only 
 twenty-four, and about to take a journey around 
 the world. Martha did not see Arnulf Rau dur- 
 ing this period, not as much because of her sister's 
 harsh methods of discouragement, as in obedience 
 to Claire's sensible advice. She had her thoughts 
 and feelings back again in their accustomed order, 
 and managed to be quite fairly comfortable in 
 this transition stage from a disappointment to a
 
 THE THIRD SEX 101 
 
 new hope, a condition by no means new to her. 
 Now came the unexpected meeting with the man 
 she had given up only under compulsion, and ter- 
 ror of the ordeal clutched at her throat and red- 
 dened her cheeks to her ears. She was glad to 
 have her harmless escort brought up as reinforce- 
 ments, and she determined to make Raoul su- 
 premely happy, in revenge for the discomfort the 
 handsome Arnulf had cost her. It cost so little 
 to make Raoul very happy. 
 
 The young Baron came in, was introduced, and 
 delivered himself of the usual phrases of excuse 
 for his intrusion. He was supplied with drinks, 
 and the conversation began slowly to move on- 
 ward again. As politeness demanded, the guest 
 was made the subject of the first remarks, with 
 questions as to his When and Why and Where, 
 and inquiries as to his studies and plans. He 
 contented himself with the same interesting reve- 
 lations he had made to win Hildegard Haider's 
 sympathy, and the fair Martha was proud of the 
 impression her escort seemed to make, even in 
 such intellectual company. She ventured a secret 
 side glance at Arnulf Rau, for she was curious 
 to know what the Great One would say to the 
 young stranger with the pimples. And it was 
 with considerable anxiety that she noticed a swell-
 
 102 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 ing about her oracle's throat, something that al- 
 ways happened when the potentiality of criticism 
 within him demanded expression. 
 
 And the handsome man was already opening 
 his mouth. Fixing his stern glance on the young 
 Baron's yellow shoes, he began: " I believe to 
 have understood from your remarks that you are 
 preparing yourself to join in the conflict against 
 absolutism." And as Raoul de Kerkhove looked 
 at him, uncertain as to whether he ought to say 
 just simply "yes," the other continued: "I am 
 no spy, Baron, you can speak openly in our little 
 circle. All we who count ourselves as belonging 
 to the scattered community of the * Free Ones ' 
 work together toward the revolution, for the 
 overthrow of all that is rotten, obsolete and un- 
 worthy. But we shall not do it by an attack with 
 dagger and dynamite on the isolated rulers of 
 the Kingdom of Darkness, as do your Nihilists; 
 we disarm them all at one stroke, simply by re- 
 moving our own persons from their sphere of in- 
 fluence." 
 
 " That is just what I am doing," said the young 
 Baron, " by deserting my poor country for a long 
 time. But I do it only because I feel that I have 
 so much to learn before I can really serve the 
 cause of my nation."
 
 THE THIRD SEX 103 
 
 " Ah, you would serve? " cried Arnulf, in 
 irony. " We desire to rule, Baron." 
 
 " I don't know that I quite understand," mur- 
 mured Raoul hesitatingly. 
 
 Arnulf Rau smiled a satisfied smile, as if he 
 would say: " I can believe that," then he emptied 
 his glass in one draught, and cleared his throat 
 as if preparing for a lengthy harangue. 
 
 " The revolutionaries of yesterday were lib- 
 erators of the herd," he began, " and our social- 
 democrats of to-day are the fruition of those of 
 yesterday. To my taste there is nothing so hide- 
 ous as the Sovereign Mob, and I count everyone 
 of the Mob who runs with the herd. Our entire 
 development points more and more to a disgust- 
 ing equalization. Religion, state and moral laws, 
 and most of all the schools, all work toward the 
 sinking of the individual in the mass. Differen- 
 ces of class no longer have importance, for the 
 classes make herds among themselves, distin- 
 guished one from the other only by the particular 
 brand burnt into their skin. What else can re- 
 sult from a conflict of the various herds among 
 themselves, than that the largest herd conquers 
 the smaller ones? And the largest herd is nat- 
 urally merely the union of the stupidest and the 
 coarsest elements. It is easy to picture what
 
 io 4 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 would then happen, when all else is absorbed in 
 this greatest herd. Culture becomes systematized 
 to caricature, and instead of the handful of rulers 
 by birth of to-day, a legion of the Uncalled will 
 press to the places of power, and give the world 
 the ridiculous spectacle of a battle in the sheep 
 flock. The born leaders, however, the pathfind- 
 ers and the guides, the Free and the Unusual, they 
 will be kept down, even more than now, by coward 
 fear and malicious envy. True freedom will be 
 crushed out in bloody oppression, that the broad 
 stream of mediocrity be not held up in its lazy 
 flow. This is the noble goal toward which the 
 powers of to-day are laboring with their churches, 
 schools, armies and law codes. Now do you be- 
 lieve, Baron, that we few truly free and inde- 
 pendent spirits should join in the foolishness? 
 Are you willing to crush out your capacity of in- 
 dividuality that no drunken peasant may ever be 
 punished with the knout, or no stupid lump of 
 muscular humanity have to clean cesspools longer 
 than three hours a day? " 
 
 Raoul thought it over a few moments, then he 
 answered with a modest blush, but not without a 
 delicate irony: "I have not gone that far in 
 Nietzsche yet." 
 
 Dr. Reithmeyer laughed, and his fair friend
 
 THE THIRD SEX 105 
 
 smiled cordially at the young man, for the answer 
 pleased her. 
 
 But Arnulf continued with a patronizing ex- 
 pression: "Well then, let me give you a piece 
 of advice, my dear Baron. Enjoy Nietzsche as a 
 poet; for practical purposes you will find him al- 
 most useless. He is a tuning fork which strikes 
 the a, but leaves you to find the other tones by 
 yourself." 
 
 " And may I ask, doctor, what line of study 
 you practice?" asked Raoul. 
 
 " What study? I that is but first of all, 
 let me tell you that I am not a doctor. It would 
 have cost me a certain measure of sacrifice of per- 
 sonal freedom to take a state examination. And 
 to gain the doctor diploma I should have been 
 obliged to take part in studies which I consider 
 unnecessary, or at least inferior. Therefore, 
 why waste time to win a title which is of value 
 only in the eyes of the herd and of the authori- 
 ties? Pardon me, dear friend," he turned to 
 Dr. Reithmeyer, " this is not intended as a slur 
 on your title. I feel assured that the scientific 
 labor through which you have won it gave you 
 true pleasure, and then you need the state for your 
 support. You will not think me petty? " 
 
 Dr. Reithmeyer made a gesture of remon-
 
 106 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 strance, and Arnulf Rau turned again to the 
 Baron. " You ask what line of study I prac- 
 tice. Well, then I observe and I despise. 
 This may seem little to you, but it may yet be of 
 importance, when you consider that through the 
 result of my observing, in spoken and written 
 word, others are excited also to despise to de- 
 spise all Philistinism, all authority become absurd, 
 all narrow-heartedness, all thoughtless custom. 
 Such scorn becomes a freedom of the spirit, and 
 the more scorners I make, the more free ones do 
 I make. And these free ones can easily find the 
 courage and the power to withdraw from the 
 laws of the herd. The rulers of the herd have 
 no power over us; we ourselves are rulers, in that 
 each stands alone for himself. If we wished it, 
 each could himself find a herd over which he 
 could rule, for the mass looks up ever in awe to 
 him who can stand alone." 
 
 " Then you would still have rulers and sub- 
 jects? " asked the baron. 
 
 "Naturally. It is the law of nature; those 
 who devour and those who are devoured. But 
 at present it is the Unfree who rule, and the few 
 strong intellects there may be among them pre- 
 tend unfreedom, because they fear to give the 
 herd a dangerous example. In the future the
 
 THE THIRD SEX 107 
 
 Free will be the Rulers, and they will scorn to 
 talk to the herd of freedom. They will say to it 
 honestly and openly, * Ye are slaves, and must 
 obey,' and believe me, they will be happy in obey- 
 ing." 
 
 " Do you really think so? " asked Raoul, 
 sadly. 
 
 " Most certainly. I am convinced that even 
 now the truly Free Man would exercise an im- 
 mense power, but he must be born to a throne. 
 He would be a king who laughed at fear, who 
 had the courage to be the most dangerous atheist 
 in his own kingdom; and to whom it would be a 
 heavenly pleasure to laugh in the faces of his par- 
 liament, his ministers, his bishops and his gen- 
 erals." 
 
 Dr. Reithmeyer nodded contentedly: " ' The 
 laughing king,' a delicious catchword. What do 
 you think of it, Claire? " 
 
 " I ? " asked the beautiful woman, going to her 
 friend, and leaning gently on his shoulder. " I 
 should certainly fall in love with him." 
 
 " So should I," cried Katia in merry convic- 
 tion. 
 
 But Martha queried with a soft raise of her 
 eyes: "Would you not like to be that king?" 
 
 " I do not know whether it would be worth the
 
 108 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 trouble," replied Arnulf Rau, with a slight shrug. 
 And then, having ascertained that the others were 
 not looking, he threw the adoring girl a fiery 
 glance. 
 
 Little Raoul was evidently oppressed by the 
 overwhelming assurance of the blond giant, yet he 
 ventured a shy suggestion : " But then we would 
 have absolutism again." 
 
 " Of course," said Arnulf, laughing, " the ab- 
 solutism of the mind. Do you know a higher 
 ideal?" 
 
 The young man was silent in embarrassment. 
 
 " And what will be the position of woman in 
 your ideal kingdom? " asked Claire de Fries with 
 a sly smile. " Do you believe the absolute mind 
 can exist in the absolute Cock?" 
 
 " Woman will rule by beauty more than ever," 
 he replied, kissing her hand gallantly. " But la- 
 dies, let me end this question once for all; I know 
 of but one reason for the emancipation of woman, 
 and that is to educate mothers for free sons. At 
 present woman is one of the hindering powers, 
 because she is the keeper of blind belief and 
 weak prejudice, and because it is still her hope to 
 cut the wings of her gifted sons, for fear they 
 should come to harm in their flight. We need 
 free mothers for free sons. Therefore, you
 
 THE THIRD SEX 109 
 
 have me on your side when you fight for the free- 
 ing of your intellect. But I am your bitter 
 opponent when you attempt the crushing out of 
 your sex." 
 
 "Bravo, my dear fellow!" cried Dr. Reith- 
 meyer. " Just my opinion. There is nothing I 
 dislike so much as this dreadful Third Sex." 
 
 " The Third Sex," smiled the handsome 
 Arnulf. " You caught that expression from me." 
 
 " No, pardon me, I read it somewhere else." 
 
 Arnulf shrugged his shoulders. " Ah, yes, 
 they always seem to anticipate one somehow. 
 Well, I can endure it. The Third Sex interests 
 me as little as it interests any true man. Thank 
 Fortune, none of our charming friends here pres- 
 ent belong to it." He bowed to Claire and 
 Martha and nodded lightly to his wife. Then 
 he approached Katia and asked her to lend him 
 her scarf, as he desired to breathe a little fresh 
 air, and feared a cold, having talked himself 
 warm. The handsome Arnulf knew quite well 
 that he would be discussed as soon as his back 
 was turned, and this was the tactful cause of his 
 departure. For he wished to give these shaken 
 spirits and excited minds the opportunity for a 
 free appreciation of his personality. 
 
 And that was exactly what did happen. Raoul
 
 no THE THIRD SEX 
 
 de Kerkhove had read much, and as a Russian 
 student he had heard many flaming harangues by 
 fiery young spirits in secret convention. But this 
 calm and well-rounded argumentation of a ma- 
 ture man was something quite new, and the ideas 
 struck him as daring and original. He ques- 
 tioned Dr. Reithmeyer about the imposing gen- 
 tleman. Dr. Reithmeyer made some excuse to 
 take the young man into another room, as he did 
 not like to discuss Katia's husband in her pres- 
 ence. 
 
 The three ladies remained alone, and while 
 Claire and Katia continued the discussion on the 
 Woman Question, Martha sat dreaming with 
 wide eyes and quiet smile, without giving much 
 heed to the conversation. What a great man he 
 was, and how he dwarfed all the others! That 
 was all she could think of. 
 
 Arnulf Rau appeared in the open balcony 
 door, and called: " Miss Haider, won't you 
 come here a moment? I want you to help me 
 enjoy the quaint charm of this courtyard milieu." 
 
 Martha rose obedient as a child, and joined 
 her adored one on the roof. Claire noticed the 
 bitter smile on Mrs. Katia's lips as her eyes fol- 
 lowed the pretty girl. She drew the faded little 
 woman down beside her on the divan, laid her
 
 THE THIRD SEX in 
 
 arm in sisterly pressure about her, and said: 
 " Why do you endure it so calmly, Katia dear? " 
 
 "Calmly?" 
 
 "If it angers you, why do you not revolt 
 against it? and it must anger you. Even if I 
 were not jealous, I should rebel against the vul- 
 garity of a man relating his amorous adventures 
 in the presence of his wife." 
 
 " I know them all, he conceals nothing from 
 me. In this respect he is candor itself," replied 
 the little wife, with poorly assumed calmness. 
 
 "And you endure it?" 
 
 " I have learned to listen with purely psycho- 
 logical interest." 
 
 " Honestly? " 
 
 " Well, Claire dear, one does one's best. He 
 feels himself so great and so objective in this re- 
 gard and he takes it ajs a matter of course that 
 in the seven years of our marriage I should have 
 risen to his point of view. If I did not keep this 
 belief alive in him, there might really be danger 
 of losing him." 
 
 "And you think there is no danger now?" 
 
 Katia smiled, this time in true assurance. 
 " No, the danger does not exist at present. He 
 always returns to me from his little excursions 
 into forbidden territory. He is, fortunately,
 
 ii2 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 much too lazy to follow up any affair to a point 
 where it might become unpleasantly exciting. 
 You can't imagine how glad I am of this laziness. 
 And then besides, each time he brings his dam- 
 aged heart and lays it at my feet, he is so sweet 
 and so really concerned to win my favor, that I 
 can only laugh at him a little as punishment, and 
 that soon heals his pangs of conscience." 
 
 " And how long does such a return of marital 
 feeling last?" asked Claire in curiosity. 
 
 " Oh, until the next time," laughed Katia, 
 recklessly. 
 
 A little pause followed, and from the roof 
 they heard Arnulf's fine voice softened to a whis- 
 per. 
 
 Claire nodded in that direction and qlueried 
 softly: "And this affair? does it not alarm 
 you?" 
 
 Katia shrugged her shoulders lightly. 
 
 Claire continued eagerly: " But he has com- 
 pletely turned the girl's head, and she is of an 
 age to cling to any hope. She will not be shaken 
 off so easily. You can see yourself that she is 
 over ears in love with him." 
 
 "Ah, don't let's talk about it," begged Katia 
 as if in pain. " He'll come back. He knows 
 well enough that he will never find another
 
 THE THIRD SEX 113 
 
 woman who understands him so well, and with 
 whom it is so easy to live, as with me." 
 " You must love him very deeply." 
 " Why not ? I have no children, no one else 
 near to my heart. I am faded, and never did 
 expect to play any great part in the world. I 
 have nothing but my open eyes and my good com- 
 mon sense " 
 
 " But you must see how she " 
 
 " Please don't ! I know he has his little van- 
 ities, and poses, and that he does not do what he 
 might do. I know all that, but I know better 
 than any of you what he really is. He has a 
 wonderfully broad mind, he brings so many 
 things into the realm of his contemplation and 
 his sympathy, that the concentration on one field, 
 and the mild triumphs of mediocre work would 
 never satisfy him. He feels and desires the 
 highest only, why should he not be proud of that? 
 He does not need the applause of the mass, and 
 he gives so much to me! I have such a rich 
 beautiful mental life through his help no, in- 
 deed, I may well be content." 
 
 The beautiful Claire sat for a moment in 
 thought, then she suddenly grasped Katia's hand 
 and pressed a hasty kiss on it. " You are truly 
 a clever woman," she said, " and an artist in liv-
 
 n 4 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 ing. But I do not believe that any woman with- 
 out your talent and your cleverness should 
 marry." 
 
 " If you love him, then you need not fear to 
 marry him," whispered Katia in the ear of her 
 beautiful friend. " You can see how he suffers 
 from your refusal, and he is so goodl If you 
 really love him you cannot endure to see him suf- 
 fer." 
 
 While the two women thus exchanged their 
 whispered confidences, Arnulf Rau stood outside 
 on the roof, his wife's scarf about his throat and 
 Martha's fever-hot hand in both his own. From 
 a restaurant in the neighborhood could be heard 
 the songs of a male quartette. They were fresh 
 voices, and sounded softened and well harmon- 
 ized in the distance and the evening quiet. The 
 reflection of the electric street lamps brightened 
 the dark sky above the peaceful city, and the stars 
 gleamed pale as travel-worn coins, or like hack- 
 neyed lyrics, the easy melody of which can still 
 work its effect if it fall on the right mood in the 
 human heart. And Martha Haider's heart was 
 as soft as porous clay after long rain; every seed 
 must come to ripeness there, be it nettle or fiery 
 gladiolus. She dared not draw her hand away, 
 and her ears drank his whispering greedily.
 
 THE THIRD SEX 115 
 
 " Does this marvelous harmony of sensation 
 give you also such voluptuous pleasure?" he 
 breathed. " What silly talk we hear of things 
 poetic and unpoetic! You feel as I do, Miss 
 Martha, I know it. Loving comprehension can 
 dissolve even apparent discord in pure harmony. 
 Can you now, in this moment, feel any difference 
 between the poetry of a mountain lake in the 
 sunset glow, with tinkling cow bells and the smell 
 of the meadows, . . . and this back-yard view 
 with narrow courts, tiny gardens, roofs, tele- 
 phone wires and pale stars? The singers down 
 there may be very ordinary fellows, but do they 
 not send their song as direct to our hearts as 
 does the love-sick nightingale? See that window 
 over there, with the cobbler bent over his work- 
 table under his" light-ball, does he spoil the effect 
 for you? I should miss the cobbler were he not 
 just where he is. And see, down in the garden 
 there, the cook and her lover, can you see her 
 white apron gleam in the shadow? She has both 
 arms about his neck and believes all he is saying 
 to her. No, do not turn away, love is beautiful 
 in whatever shape, except " 
 
 He broke off, for he felt it were better not to 
 become too explicit. Then they were silent for 
 some while. The tenor of the quartette rang out
 
 n6 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 with a high b; a dog in the courtyard seemed to 
 take it as a personal offense and howled aloud. 
 And then it grew suddenly still, very still. The 
 softened city noises murmured like distant surf 
 on the shores of the great quiet. And down in 
 the black garden shadows the Chevauxleger 
 kissed the cook or he might have been a heavy 
 cavalryman, his saber rattled as he drew the girl 
 to his breast. 
 
 Then Arnulf Rau suddenly threw his arms 
 around Martha, pressed her wildly to him, and 
 whispered hotly in her ear: " Kiss me, girl, 
 kiss me I " 
 
 She pressed both little fists against his breast 
 and pushed him back violently. Her eyes 
 flamed, her lips trembled, but the words would 
 not come. She ran hastily to the door, paused 
 there, laid one hand on her heart and fought for 
 breath. Then she stroked smoothingly over her 
 hair, and entered the room. 
 
 " We have been laughing so," she said. 
 " There's a dog out there, that howls whenever 
 the tenor strikes a high note." 
 
 Dr. Reithmeyer and Raoul de Kerkhove had 
 just joined the two ladies again, and a few sec- 
 onds later Arnulf Rau came in. He coughed 
 and held his wife's scarf close around his throat.
 
 THE THIRD SEX 117 
 
 Martha took a hasty leave, saying that she must 
 hurry home, or Box would be alarmed at her 
 long stay. The young Baron thanked his hosts for 
 their kind reception, then the two hurried away. 
 
 The other couples sat together about two hours 
 longer, but it could hardly be said that they pro- 
 duced any abnormal amount of intellectuality. 
 
 It was slightly past midnight when Mr. and 
 Mrs. Arnulf Rau made their way homeward. 
 He took such long steps that the little woman on 
 his arm had to trot almost to keep up with him, 
 and when they had nearly reached their own 
 house, she asked breathlessly: "Well, you bad 
 man, have you quite turned the dark Madonna's 
 head? What were you whispering about out 
 there?" 
 
 " Oh, don't mention that woman again," 
 growled Arnulf. " She is a silly little goosq, a 
 counting-machine without a trace of poetry! Let 
 her stay behind her desk, and not imagine she is 
 fit for the society of higher organized intellects." 
 
 And at the bottom of the last flight Mrs. Katia 
 giggled gently up at her giant : " Well, who's 
 the best, after all?" 
 
 And he answered as merrily : " Suffering 
 from swelled head again, you heap of vanity? 
 There, there, you are my only one! Now you
 
 US THE THIRD SEX 
 
 know it ! " He pressed three hearty kisses on 
 the longing lips, raised the slight form in his arms 
 and carried her up the stairs. 
 
 Claire de Fries was tired when the last guests 
 had gone and went to bed at once. Dr. Reith- 
 meyer wished to read a little, and remained in 
 the living room. Claire left the bedroom door 
 open to enjoy the fresh air from the balcony win- 
 dows. About half an hour later, he heard his 
 name called. He went in and sat down on the 
 edge of her bed. She took his hand and stroked 
 it, and then said slowly and deliberately: " I 
 have thought the matter over, dear, and will do 
 as you wish." 
 
 "You will? Oh, Claire, my darling, mine at 
 last before all the world I " he rejoiced. 
 
 " Yes," she said, " it is really only because your 
 handsome Arnulf made me so angry with his vul- 
 garities about marriage. Just to spite him, I'd 
 like to show him that we can live a true mar- 
 riage, even in the conventional form." And he 
 drew her hastily to him, covering her face with 
 kisses, and stammering blissfully: "Ah, my 
 darling, my own one! Don't be so awfully 
 clever! just love me, dearest, understand! just 
 love me!"
 
 CHAPTER V 
 
 THE hot sun of a shining September day 
 brooded over the art city Munich, and the 
 Old Pinakothek was full of strangers, who, 
 Baedeker in hand, were endeavoring to live up 
 to their education. But the sultriness in the wide 
 halls was too oppressive even for eager tourists 
 who usually rush through museums on the double- 
 quick. They wandered about with deliberation, 
 like people who have plenty of time and perhaps 
 even a little interest for the glories of the past. 
 It was more comfortable here than outside in the 
 heat of the sun, and it was possible to take a 
 little rest occasionally, on a soft bench in front 
 of a picture marked with one or two stars in the 
 useful red books. The stream of sightseers 
 moved lazily along, pretty evenly divided 
 through the main halls, and the odor of warm 
 humanity filled the sacred chambers. The indus- 
 trious copyists, about whom little circles of crit- 
 ical spectators were wont to gather, were con- 
 spicuous by their absence at this time of the year. 
 119
 
 120 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 They were enjoying the charm of woods and fields 
 under the pretext of studying from nature. 
 
 In one of the darker and therefore cooler side 
 rooms, where old German art was housed, a soli- 
 tary painter-lady was still at work. She was a 
 dainty, pretty little person in a simple, greenish 
 homespun skirt, and a white waist with green 
 piping. She stood before her easel with the 
 palette over her thumb, scratching thoughtfully 
 through her rich ashen-blond hair with the handle 
 of her brush, then she glanced imploringly at the 
 honest Old Master's peacefully silly Madonna 
 with the Child, which she was trying to copy. A 
 sincere critic could hardly have dared to assert, 
 with a clear conscience, that this painter-lady's 
 work showed any remarkable talent. The shin- 
 ing gold background was well caught, as were the 
 lilies in the hands of the Queen of Heaven, and 
 the ornamentation on her robe; but the flesh tints 
 were very uncertain, and some sad faults in the 
 drawing of eyes, mouth and nose struck the ob- 
 server at the first glance. The dainty little lady 
 seemed to realize that all was not well. She 
 came close up to her canvas, then stepped back 
 again, gazing .at it with her head tilted, sighed, 
 laid her white brow in furrows, and endeavored 
 to give the queerly swelled nose a more Madonna-
 
 THE THIRD SEX 121 
 
 like shape by several timid brushstrokes. It was 
 no good. She laid aside her palette, sat down 
 with a sigh on the cane-seated bench, folded her 
 hands on her knees, and blinked wearily at the 
 white curtained windows. She gave a long and 
 heartfelt yawn, then she noticed that her shoe 
 lacing was undone and tied it afresh. The 
 brown leather shoe and openwork silk stocking 
 encased the daintiest little foot in the world, and 
 this foot was as undoubtedly a perfect work of 
 art as the Madonna's nose was an imperfect one. 
 The pretty artist next took a little leather-covered 
 mirror from her pocket, looked at herself care- 
 fully, and busied herself with the turn of the curls 
 on her forehead and the set of her silk tie. 
 Then, as she heard a firm masculine tread ap- 
 proaching, she let the mirror fall into her pocket 
 again, and took up her palette knife. Although 
 she did not turn, she was well aware that the 
 man who had just crossed the threshold behind 
 her was by no means so fascinated by the simple 
 charm of the Old German Masters that it should 
 hold him motionless for several minutes. She 
 knew very well that his eyes were resting on the 
 fine lines of her own figure. She scratched about 
 on the swollen nostrils of her poor Madonna, 
 with a graceful crook of her little finger with its
 
 122 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 diamond ring, and bent her head now to the 
 right, now to the left, all of which, as she knew, 
 was very pretty to look at. Then the man be- 
 hind her back took a few more steps and she ven- 
 tured to peek in his direction. It was only a very 
 young and quite harmless-looking ordinary youth 
 with no beard and many pimples. And the 
 painter-lady scratched away eagerly, without both- 
 ering to take any more pretty attitudes. 
 
 The youth came forward, and turned his back 
 on her, but it was astonishing how quickly he 
 finished with the other wall. Then he ap- 
 proached her easel again, stopped three steps 
 away, and gave a gentle cough. But as the artist 
 paid no attention, he walked on to the opposite 
 door. On the threshold he turned again, as if to 
 take in the general effect of the room, and as his 
 eye fell on the pretty painter-lady, he pretended 
 to have just discovered her, and bowed with an 
 embarrassed smile. 
 
 The young lady looked up in surprise. Was 
 this young man trying to make her acquaintance 
 in such a clumsy manner, or had she really met 
 him somewhere? 
 
 " Have I not the pleasure? Mrs. von Robi- 
 ceck, is it not ? " said the young man, coming up 
 with his hat in his hand.
 
 THE THIRD SEX 123 
 
 "Yes, but pardon me, sir, I can't remem- 
 ber " 
 
 " My name is Baron Kerkhove. I had the 
 honor of being introduced to you by Miss 
 Haider." 
 
 " Haider." She could not remember that 
 either. The young Baron smiled his embar- 
 rassed smile. 
 
 " The lady called herself Schneider that day. 
 You were in Grunwald with your uncle, and we 
 were there, too." 
 
 " Oh, yes, now I remember," cried the pretty 
 little Mrs. von Robiceck with a slight blush, " of 
 course, in Grunwald, it was such a beautiful 
 day." 
 
 " Yes, indeed, a beautiful day." 
 
 And then after another embarrassed pause, the 
 young Baron began : " I saw such pretty things 
 of your uncle's in the Exhibition you are his 
 pupil?" 
 
 Mrs. von Robiceck smiled a peculiar smile. 
 " No, I attend a ladies' art school. But it's vaca- 
 tion now, and I am trying to continue my studies 
 alone. I think I am the only one of the pupils 
 still in town." 
 
 "Oh, then you live with your uncle?" ques- 
 tioned Raoul de Kerkhove, somewhat foolishly.
 
 i2 4 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 Mrs. von Robiceck looked up as if startled, 
 and answered hastily: 
 
 " Oh, no, I live by myself." 
 
 The young man's face began to beam cau- 
 tiously, and he asked, almost in a whisper. 
 " You are a widow? " 
 
 " No, again," replied the charming lady im- 
 patiently, " I am seeking a divorce from my hus- 
 band, if you must know. But why do you ques- 
 tion me so, Baron? Do you think it quite 
 proper?" She smiled slyly. 
 
 " I beg a thousand pardons," stammered 
 Raoul, blushing. " I am so glad to find you 
 again after so many weeks. I could not forget 
 
 that meeting, I that is eh " He 
 
 stepped to her easel and gazed at her unfortu- 
 nate Madonna, with the flaming blushes of his 
 embarrassment on his cheeks. 
 
 Pretty little Mrs. von Robiceck laughed gently 
 and happily to herself, and thoroughly enjoyed 
 his discomfort. It was some time before she 
 broke the silence with the question : " Do you 
 understand anything about it?" 
 
 "About painting? Alas, no, I am quite with- 
 out talent. But I understand enough to see that 
 your copy promises to be a masterpiece.'* 
 
 " Oh, don't exert yourself, Baron ! I see you
 
 THE THIRD SEX 125 
 
 really don't know the first thing about it," 
 laughed the young lady. " Here I have been 
 killing myself over this picture for four weeks 
 now, and I simply can't get it right. I don't see 
 how those old gentlemen managed to paint so 
 smooth and thin. I can't seem to do anything 
 but daub. And the nose is rank blasphemy. I 
 have scratched it out for the tenth time at least. 
 It is dreadful!" 
 
 " But you do this for your pleasure merely, do 
 you not? " 
 
 " Do you think it can be a pleasure when I 
 have to work so hard at it? Or do you imagine 
 it's a pleasure to stay in the hot city all summer, 
 while the other painter girls are wandering 
 around in the mountains? " 
 
 " Then why do you do it, Madame? " 
 
 " Because I have no money to go away, that's 
 the simple reason. No, I do not paint for my 
 pleasure. I expect to earn my living at it when 
 I have gone through my little fortune, which is 
 likely to be the case in a very short time. Copies 
 of religious pictures seem to me to be the best 
 pay." 
 
 " Will you give me this picture when it is 
 done?" asked the young Baron quickly, and his 
 gray eyes sparkled.
 
 126 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 " What do you want with it? " 
 
 " I want to buy it. Name a good price. I 
 will pay it, for in the next few days I expect to 
 win a lawsuit which will bring me a million 
 rubles." 
 
 "A million rubles?" Pretty Mrs. von Robi- 
 ceck's great eyes shone admiringly on the young 
 man. " Oh, Baron, I shall be so glad to sell you 
 the picture. I have worked some time on it, and 
 all that is real gold it must have cost me at 
 least three hundred rubles." And she laughed 
 in charming coquetry. 
 
 " Then let us say five hundred rubles. You 
 must earn something on it yourself, you know. 
 Give me your hand on the bargain." 
 
 She held out her slim white hand, which he 
 pressed tight in his own. Then he added softly: 
 " Now I must ask for your address, that I can 
 inquire about the progress of the picture." 
 
 She withdrew her hand hastily and answered 
 coldly: "You can meet me here; I clo not re- 
 ceive gentlemen in my apartment." 
 
 Raoul de Kerkhove blushed again, and stam- 
 mered something about a misunderstanding. 
 
 One or two strangers wandered slowly through 
 the room, let their eyes rest wearily on the stiff 
 saints, martyrs, and Madonnas, honored the
 
 THE THIRD SEX 127 
 
 pretty artist and her work with a long imperti- 
 nent examination, then disappeared through the 
 other door. After this interruption the young 
 Baron thought he had better take his own depar- 
 ture. But he wanted to find the proper word of 
 farewell first, otherwise he would have felt as 
 if he had been thrown out, and he would not have 
 lost the thread of this happy acquaintance at any 
 price. 
 
 But while he was still seeking the connection, a 
 new visitor came through the door, and walked 
 up to Mrs. von Robiceck. This was a very tall 
 slender man in a stylishly cut summer suit, with 
 a head of a well-fed baby on his big body. 
 
 " Oh, Prince, so you have come to see me 
 again?" exclaimed Mrs. von Robiceck cordially, 
 and held out her hand to the gentleman. 
 
 The young cavalier kissed her hand, and held 
 it a moment to his nose. " Good morning, my 
 dear Mrs. von Robiceck! What a charming 
 odor of industry your little hand bears! no, 
 no, I am not joking, I love turpentine, it is 
 such a healthy smell!" The tall gentleman 
 spoke in the high nasal tone which seems to be 
 considered the proper thing in the diplomatic 
 world. 
 
 Mrs. von Robiceck then introduced the gentle-
 
 128 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 men. " His Highness, Prince Cloppenburg- 
 Usingen, Baron Baron " 
 
 " Raoul de Kerkhove, doctor of philosophy," 
 supplemented the young man with a correct bow. 
 
 The Prince bowed also, and let an inquiring 
 glance meet Mrs. von Robiceck's eye. 
 
 Her left nostril trembled a trifle, and she half 
 shut her eye as she said: "This is a Russian 
 Croesus, who has just bought my masterpiece here 
 for five hundred rubles." 
 
 " Donnerwetter ! " cried the Prince merrily, 
 but stopped himself at once with a " I beg your 
 pardon! There you see, my dear Lilly, there 
 are still some true lovers of art left alive. You 
 ought to celebrate the occasion by giving your 
 friends a nice, wholesome little punch, eh ? " 
 
 " I haven't the money yet, your Highness," 
 said Mrs. von Robiceck, with comic pathos. 
 
 " Payment follows," laughed Raoul, " as soon 
 as the Madonna is in possession of her proper 
 nose, and I have won my lawsuit. My father 
 died in Siberia, his estates were confiscated 
 your Highness will understand but in about a 
 week the suit will be settled." 
 
 " Well, then, we'll have the punch at my 
 rooms in the meantime," nasaled the Prince. 
 " I was at your place just now, to invite you for
 
 THE THIRD SEX 129 
 
 this evening. I have asked a few nice people, all 
 good friends, just a small party. Bring any- 
 one you like, Parole; beauty or wit. Don't for- 
 get the ' or ' both at once were too much." 
 
 Mrs. von Robiceck did not answer at once. 
 The young Baron perceived that his presence 
 embarrassed her, and he had sufficient breeding 
 to retire after a few polite phrases, and leave the 
 field to the Prince, who, he saw, had prior 
 rights. But he hung about in the next room, 
 which was near the entrance, in the hope of an- 
 other glimpse of the charming little lady, when 
 she should have finished her day's work. His 
 vigil was not long, for in about ten minutes 
 pretty little Mrs. von Robiceck left the 
 Pinakothek in company with Prince Cloppenburg- 
 Usingen. Raoul de Kerkhove followed the 
 couple at a discreet distance, and saw the Prince 
 bid farewell to the little artist at the corner of 
 the Barer and Theresienstrasse, where the lady 
 mounted a car of the Ring line. Raoul took the 
 nearest cab and ordered the driver to follow the 
 street car. At the station the young lady 
 changed to a car of the electric line, and the cab 
 horse had troubles of his own in the attempt not 
 to lose sight of the game. Fortunately the young 
 Baron had good eyes, and so, in spite of a dis-
 
 i 3 o THE THIRD SEX 
 
 tance of a good hundred paces, he could see that 
 Mrs. von Robiceck got out at the Lindwurm- 
 strasse and turned in to the Beethovenstrasse. 
 He stopped his wagon as soon as he saw the lady 
 disappear in the doorway of No. 10, and entered 
 the house himself after a few moments. He did 
 not have to mount any stairs, for on the ground 
 floor door he found the visiting card, " Lilly von 
 Robiceck," beside the porcelain name-plate of the 
 widow of a postoffice official. He wrote the ad- 
 dress in his note-book, and turned away satisfied. 
 In the courtyard he met an old lady of confidence- 
 awakening appearance, and inquired of her 
 whether there were any furnished rooms to be 
 had in the house. She gave him several names, 
 but said that as far as she knew, all rooms were 
 taken except one in the apartment of the widow 
 Huber on the ground floor. He thanked her 
 and left the house. The street windows of the 
 ground floor apartment were wide open, but the 
 curtains were drawn on the inside. Without 
 meaning any harm, Raoul stood a moment under 
 the corner window and listened. It would have 
 made him happy to have heard any sound that 
 recalled the presence of the charming one, such 
 as the fall of her little shoes on the floor, or the
 
 THE THIRD SEX 131 
 
 pouring of water in the basin or anything like 
 that. 
 
 And he did hear something! A man's voice, 
 deep and pleasant, whispered inarticulate hot ten- 
 dernesses; and her sweet voice, recognizable in 
 its characteristic change from gentle com- 
 plaint to droll high twittering, gave answer. 
 " Oho ! " thought the Baron, and bit his lips. 
 " She does not receive gentlemen in her apart- 
 ment ! Oh, you " He thrust out the 
 
 words almost audibly, then a truck rumbled past 
 and he could hear no more. He called up his 
 cab and drove away. 
 
 The man whose voice the listener had heard 
 was none other than Franz Xaver Pirngruber, 
 Mrs. von Robiceck's amiable bicycle-uncle. And 
 if Raoul de Kerkhove had been able to look in 
 at a crack of the curtain, he would certainly have 
 turned green with envy. For Mr. Franz Xaver 
 Pirngruber, the much-admired master of the 
 humoristic brush, sat on the sofa, held Lilly von 
 Robiceck tight on his lap, and showered kisses on 
 her sweet face, while he whispered in breathless 
 delight : 
 
 " Oh, my sweetest, my precious ! you don't 
 know how I love you you are much too stupid
 
 132 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 to understand it. Oh, you you, you let me 
 wait for three whole days, and didn't spend even 
 one and a half pfennigs for a stamp to send me a 
 greeting. Aren't you ashamed of yourself, lazy 
 little beast? Didn't you promise to write me 
 when I was to come? " 
 
 " But I didn't want you to come at all, sir," 
 laughed the little lady, trying in vain to free her- 
 self. " You know our agreement, but you don't 
 keep it. You are much too violent." 
 
 " I am sorry, my angel, but I can't help it. 
 That's my idea of love." And again he pressed 
 the little figure to him, and held his mouth to her 
 soft lips. 
 
 " Let me go," groaned Mrs. von Robiceck, 
 " I don't want to." Her arms were strong, and 
 she pushed them against his breast with such vio- 
 lence that he had to relinquish his hold. Then 
 she came out from behind the table, smoothed the 
 folds of her dress and her disordered hair. 
 " You horrid man," she pouted. " Huh, the 
 idea of making one so hot! in this weather! 
 Why did you come, Mr. Pirngruber, when I did 
 not invite you ? " 
 
 "Why, what's this?" he asked saddened. 
 " Lilly mousie, what's spoiled your temper, and 
 made you so cross ? "
 
 THE THIRD SEX 133 
 
 " Oh, nothing ! it's only oh, it's horrid any- 
 how! I wish I were so ugly that all the people 
 I met had to turn away in disgust." 
 
 "Why, Lilly! Come, tell me the trouble." 
 He rose from the sofa, stepped to her side and 
 laid his arm gently around her shoulder. She 
 stood pulling nervously at her delicate handker- 
 chief, and pouted, without looking up at him: 
 " I was planning to get dressed, take a nice slow 
 dinner, and then to walk about a little with my 
 new sunshade, the one the Prince gave me - and 
 then to take a nice nap to throw off everything 
 and sleep two long hours that's the best thing 
 I know, and then, toward evening, when it's 
 cooler, then we could ride out to the woods, and 
 have supper " 
 
 44 But we can do all that ! Why so scratchy, 
 sweetheart? " 
 
 " I am not your sweetheart," she exclaimed 
 impatiently, turning away from him. " I don't 
 want to be anybody's sweetheart ! What sort of 
 an affair is this, anyhow? You can't show your- 
 self with me anywhere, because everyone knows 
 you, and we have to play some silly comedy when 
 we do meet anyone. But you come here 
 whenever you like, and lie in wait for me, and 
 attack me with caresses, and when you have
 
 134 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 kissed me enough, away you go again and leave 
 me here in my miserable loneliness. What good 
 does a love like that do me? Am I nothing but 
 an object to be kissed, something you can take 
 out of its drawer when it suits you, and then shut 
 it in again? Doesn't that rob me of all self- 
 respect? " 
 
 " Why, why I what does all this mean ? Don't 
 you love me any more, Lilly?" His good-na- 
 tured blue eyes looked sadly into hers as he 
 stretched out his hands. She laid both arms 
 around his neck and said in her gentle, complain- 
 ing tones: "Don't be angry, dearest I do 
 love you you are the best of them all, I 
 know you don't think badly of me, 
 but " 
 
 "But?" he asked, as she did not finish the 
 sentence. He sat down in the nearest chair and 
 drew her on his knees. " Come, Lilly, tell me 
 what you want. You know we have agreed that 
 neither shall interfere with the other's freedom 
 would you rather have someone you could 
 marry? " 
 
 " For Heaven's sake, don't talk to me of mar- 
 riage." 
 
 " Well, then? You know I have a good wife, 
 whom I love and honor deeply, and you mustn't
 
 THE THIRD SEX 135 
 
 ask foolishness of me. I saw you and lost my- 
 self, and I am drawn to you as the moth is drawn 
 to the flame. And because you are so clever and 
 not merely pretty, you promised that you would 
 shine for me, but not burn me. In gratitude 
 I will pour of my oil on your lamp; you shall be 
 part of my mental life, you poor lonely little one, 
 and my humor shall brighten your wick for you, 
 if your own lack of joy dulls it. That is all. 
 Our love is to gild an episode of our life for us, 
 according to the principle, * Adorn thy Home.' 
 Adorn every corner of thy soul, say I, that thou 
 mayst feel at home within thyself. I believe 
 every artist needs that, and you are an artist, too, 
 my dainty little Lilly not with the brush, you 
 know, but well, in general in your power of 
 sensation. You have wrought a masterpiece, and 
 that is yourself, and all I want to do is to keep 
 you from spoiling it. I want to educate you to 
 an artistic enjoyment of yourself." 
 
 She fell on his neck and kissed him silently, 
 and when he raised her head a few minutes later 
 to gaze into her eyes, he saw that they were full 
 of tears. 
 
 "What is it, dear?" he asked gently. 
 
 " I don't know, but I am so ashamed," she 
 replied. Then she straightened herself up,
 
 136 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 rubbed her handkerchief over her eyes and gazed 
 thoughtfully into space. She stroked his curly 
 blond hair gently, and began to speak: 
 
 " Ah, dear God, if I had only been born a 
 man. What might I not have done! But now, 
 my whole life is a living disgrace. I am nothing 
 but the Female, and whenever I show myself the 
 male creatures run after me like the dogs on the 
 street. I am alluring in the lowest and vilest 
 meaning of the word. When one is very young 
 and does not know the man-animal, then it is fun 
 it makes one coquettish couldn't be other- 
 wise. And then the men think they are delight- 
 ing us, when they dance about us like idiots. I 
 know perfectly well, I might be the silliest goose, 
 or the most degraded creature, they would act 
 just the same. Oh, I get so angry about it some- 
 times, that I would like to tear my face to pieces, 
 or to throw vitriol over it Can there be a 
 greater disgrace than to be looked on merely as 
 the female animal? Yes, if I were reckless or 
 light-minded, all vanity and sensuality, then at 
 least I might see some fun in passing from one 
 hand to another. But I assure you, I don't need 
 any man. I could live in a convent and not feel 
 any lack. If I had any belief, I would enter a
 
 THE THIRD SEX 137 
 
 " Poor little girl, I am really sorry for you," 
 he said gravely, without looking at her. 
 
 " There you have it I " she cried with a harsh 
 laugh, her delicate features tortured in an angry 
 grimace. " Pity ! That is the most I can ex- 
 pect from the very best of you. And what will 
 you have for me, pray, when I am old and ugly? 
 Nothing but scorn I The human being in me, 
 whom you have never cared to know, will be all 
 the more an object of your contempt, when the 
 Woman no longer attracts you. ' She's had a 
 lively past,' you'll say, and you'll laugh behind my 
 back when you see me painted and fussed-up like 
 one who cannot grow old in honor, because you 
 have robbed her of her youth." 
 
 Franz Xaver Pirngruber did not reply, and sat 
 tenderly patting her arm. He was thinking, and 
 she waited patiently until he had arrived at a 
 conclusion. She looked at him questioningly, and 
 he spoke : " Lilly, dear, I believe you should 
 marry again, as soon as you are free of your first 
 husband." 
 
 " Much obliged. Good advice that," she 
 laughed, getting up from his knees. She lit a 
 cigarette and threw herself on the sofa. 
 
 " Do you know, my dear, what my lot in mar- 
 riage, in any marriage, will be? Only an
 
 138 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 amorous fool will take me, and he'll be cruelly 
 disappointed because I cannot give him what he 
 expects from my face and my coquetry. And 
 then he'll treat me brutally and torment me with 
 jealousy. That's how it was with the first, and 
 that's how it would be with every one. No, 
 dearest, you must think out something else 
 for me." 
 
 "Then there's no help for it; you must try to 
 make an independent existence for yourself." 
 
 " And how? With my brush? " 
 
 " Oh, Lord, no 1 " he cried, almost in alarm. 
 u Hold on, I have a splendid idea. You have 
 another talent of far greater importance, and if 
 you do not balk at using it, you will win the re- 
 spect of the world for yourself, and also, perhaps, 
 inner peace, and contentment. Shall I tell you 
 what it is? But you mustn't be angry with me." 
 
 " No, no, I won't ; tell me." 
 
 He took a letter from the table, found a pen- 
 cil in his pocket, and wrote on the unused page: 
 " Lilly von Robiceck, modes et robes" He held 
 the sheet across the table to her, and said: 
 " That is your salvation." 
 
 She read it and laughed. 
 
 " Hm," she said thoughtfully, " that wouldn't 
 be so bad, I'll think it over. But please go
 
 THE THIRD SEX 139 
 
 now, dear. I must get dressed, or I won't get 
 a decent thing to eat in my restaurant." 
 
 He rose and took his hat and gloves from a 
 chair by the door. 
 
 " Well, if I must, I must, I suppose," he said 
 with a comic sigh. " Don't you want a maid? 
 I'd so like to help you." 
 
 " No indeed, my dear, never again! " 
 
 " But it was so sweet," he whispered, bending 
 down to reach her ear. " Well, if you don't 
 want to, I won't plague you. What are you go- 
 ing to do to-night? Shall we have supper some- 
 where?" 
 
 " Sorry," she answered, blushing a little, " I 
 have another engagement for to-night but 
 wait that's an idea ! The Prince asked me to 
 bring somebody come with me, do! That 
 would be lovely ! " and she sprang to her feet, 
 clapping her hands in delight. 
 
 " What Prince ? " he asked, with a frown. 
 "Oh, you mean your Cloppenburg-Usingen ? " 
 
 " Of course, he's the only Prince I know. He 
 is charming; you really ought to know him." 
 
 " My dear child, that is impossible ; I am a 
 little too too grown-up for that. If the 
 Prince wants me, he must come for me him- 
 self."
 
 I 4 o THE THIRD SEX 
 
 11 Oh, don't be stupid! " she laughed. " Why 
 are you so formal all at once? " 
 
 He took her hands, played with them, and 
 replied in gentle gravity. " Dear child, it is 
 necessary to think of the rules of good form oc- 
 casionally, even for the freest of us. He who 
 despises all form, gives every cochon the right to 
 call him brother." 
 
 " But the Prince isn't a cochon," she pouted. 
 
 " I did not mean to infer that," he laughed. 
 " But I don't fit into his circle. I know that he 
 considers me among the old-fashioned artists, the 
 artistically dead in his opinion. He patronizes 
 only the very youngest and the very craziest. 
 Well, I don't begrudge him his pleasure, but I clo 
 begrudge him you." 
 
 " You don't think . . . ? Oh, fie, that's 
 nasty of you." She shook herself free angrily, 
 stepped to her wardrobe and opened its doors 
 wide. 
 
 " Oh, well, I know," he said, " the Prince has 
 the reputation of being insensible to feminine 
 charms. Who else will be there?" 
 
 She shrugged her shoulders. " Haven't an 
 idea. The Prince invites only the very nicest 
 people young artists, diplomats, officers in
 
 THE THIRD SEX 141 
 
 careful selection, and such like. Shall I put 
 this on?" 
 
 She unhooked one of the wooden forms, over 
 which hung a dainty white batiste gown with a 
 flowered silk waist. 
 
 " That's very pretty," he answered indiffer- 
 ently, and continued with more emphasis. " And 
 the ladies? What sort of women go to the 
 Prince's house?" 
 
 " Oh, very nice ones," answered Lilly absently, 
 shaking out the delicate skirt and holding it up to 
 the light. " Ladies of the Court theater, and the 
 beautiful Rosie Unger " 
 
 "Count Rimsky's latest?" 
 
 " Do you know her? " 
 
 " Well rather. She owes her career to my 
 colleague Piglheim; he painted her often enough, 
 in great style." 
 
 "A model? I didn't know that. I don't 
 care much for her, anyway." She took the gown 
 over her arm, and started for the bedroom door. 
 With her hand on the knob she turned, and 
 nodded carelessly to her tall friend. " Then we 
 won't see each other again to-day? I wish I 
 knew who to take with me." 
 
 He stepped quickly to her side, and tried to
 
 142 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 take her hand. " Lilly, I want to talk seriously 
 with you." 
 
 " But I don't," she answered, slipped through 
 the door and bolted it on the other side. 
 
 Franz Xaver Pirngruber stood there, snapped 
 his fingers angrily and gnawed his lower lip, but 
 he did not take his departure. He meditated 
 for a few moments, then the open wardrobe at- 
 tracted his attention. He stepped up to it and 
 drew his fingers absently over the garments hang- 
 ing there. The tissue paper wrapped around 
 some of the waists rattled, he heard the rustling 
 of silk and satin, and the delicate aroma of a per- 
 fume unknown to him floated about him. He 
 closed his eyes and drank it in slowly, and it was 
 as if the fragrance of her warm skin, her soft 
 loose hair, enveloped him. He crushed his cap 
 in his hands, then threw it violently on the table 
 and stared again at the wardrobe. On the upper 
 cross shelf were her hats, all carefully wrapped 
 in tissue paper, on the floor stood her boots and 
 shoes in an even row, and between them hung the 
 charming gowns, all of which, as he knew, she 
 herself had designed and carried out with the help 
 of a seamstress, all of them showing exquisite 
 taste and rich imagination. For Lilly von Robi- 
 ceck this wardrobe had the importance that a vol-
 
 THE THIRD SEX 143 
 
 ume of choicest novelettes would have for a poet, 
 or a collection of rare studies for a painter. She 
 had cast many such volumes, many such collec- 
 tions, to the winds, and gone eagerly at the 
 making of new ones. She had developed this 
 talent from her childhood, as carefully as does 
 any ambitious artist her heart, her very life 
 was bound up in it. Her exquisite body, before 
 the pure lines of which Franz Xaver Pirngruber 
 had sunk to his knees in adoration, not daring to 
 touch it in his awed reverence for the glory of 
 Perfect Beauty this body was to her nothing 
 but a foil for the many dainty coverings upon 
 which all her energy and her love of art were 
 expended. 
 
 Oh, woman, woman! No sooner had Mother 
 Eve tasted of the Tree of Knowledge than she 
 became ashamed of her divine nakedness. She 
 plucked a leaf from the nearest fig-tree, and gig- 
 gling, with averted eyes, she handed it to her 
 good Adam, who probably stood looking at it in 
 dazed ignorance, long after Eve had fashioned 
 her first fancy apron. The talent for conceal- 
 ment the love of the game of hide-and-seek! 
 This has been her thought from the beginning, 
 and in this art she has achieved the greatest re- 
 sults. The core of things has no interest for her,
 
 144 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 and the answer to the question, " Does this be- 
 come me? " is all-important. Every true woman 
 has a wardrobe full of such coverings, which are 
 the object of her tenderest care; and a true man 
 pays no one so grudgingly as he does his tailor, 
 for in his heart of hearts he denies the latter's 
 right to existence. Therefore the true man and 
 the true woman can never entirely understand one 
 another; therefore there can be for the man no 
 happy medium between brutality and foolish sub- 
 mission, and but little choice for the woman, in 
 her relations with the man, of anything but 
 slavish subjection, or a malicious, obstinate war 
 of revenge. 
 
 The woman who truly loves a man feels the 
 burning desire to fill the shell of her personality 
 with something that is real ; and the woman whose 
 proud self-sufficiency does not know this longing 
 cannot love any man. But man's love grows out 
 af his hatred for the concealing covering. It 
 attracts him, allures him, as does every obstacle, 
 every secret. He must know what lies behind 
 everything, he would catch and hold the evanes- 
 cent; the Strange and the New must bend before 
 him. It is the male love-impulse that leads the 
 hunter, the conqueror, the explorer to his goal. 
 If women ever tired of the eternal masquerade,
 
 THE THIRD SEX 145 
 
 then love would lose all charm for men. Nat- 
 ural selection would stop and the police would 
 have to arrange for the propagation of the 
 species. Therefore it is ordained in the scheme 
 of creation that one half of humanity shall make 
 itself contemptible in the eyes of the other half, 
 to lure this other half to love. 
 
 Similar thoughts ran through Mr. Franz 
 Xaver Pirngruber's brain as he stood, gnawing 
 his lips and nervously clasping and unclasping his 
 hands, before the open wardrobe where hung his 
 love in manifold shape. Which of them loved 
 him? For one at least really did love him, that 
 he had felt with deep happiness. Was it this 
 one in velvet, or the one in silk, was it the woolen 
 one, or the gray, or the green? Disgusting! 
 Atrocious! Must we always pay for the few 
 sweet hours that spice the heavy dough of daily 
 existence, by making fools of ourselves? He 
 was too proud for that, he would go at once, and 
 never see her again. He grabbed for his cap, 
 then he caught up the nearest chair and dashed 
 it on the floor with a crash, and in a cellar-deep 
 roar he cried, " Good-by, Lilly." 
 
 A slight scream was heard in the next room, 
 the bolt was pushed back, and charming little 
 Mrs. von Robiceck stood on the threshold, the
 
 i 4 6 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 white cloud of her batiste gown floating around 
 her, while she fastened the last hooks of her 
 bodice. " Good gracious, how you frightened 
 me ! " she remarked, with a reproachful glance. 
 "Why are you still here, Xaverl? To what do 
 I owe this honor? " 
 
 In two steps he was at her side, and caught her 
 arm in hands that trembled. " I can't stand it," 
 he cried, " I can't see you throw yourself away." 
 
 " Oh, please, sir, who's throwing themselves 
 away?" she rebelled. "Don't crush my new 
 waist." 
 
 But he would not loosen his hold, and growled 
 between clenched teeth : " Don't you realize 
 that you are taking foolish risks with your repu- 
 tation?" 
 
 "Ah, this is sudden," she laughed bitterly. 
 " I suppose it doesn't hurt my reputation at all 
 to have people know me as your mistress? " 
 
 " Nonsense I that's different. I don't compro- 
 mise you, I don't boast of my triumph like those 
 young fools; I am with you only in secret." 
 
 " You are very nai've, my dear." Her smile 
 was cruel. " Do you remember the meeting in 
 Grunwald? That young Baron Whatshisname 
 has already permitted himself some impertinence 
 on the strength of it."
 
 THE THIRD SEX 147 
 
 " I'll land him one on the ear that will " 
 
 " I thought you said you never compromised 
 me?" 
 
 " Stop it, woman ! " he whispered in a rage 
 of passion, holding her closer. " I'd strangle 
 you, if I didn't love you so absurdly. Don't go 
 to the Prince's to-night, don't for my sake." 
 
 She rose to the tips of her toes and caught at 
 his hair. 
 
 " No, no, you big stupid Xaverl, if you hate 
 it so, then I won't go. But see what you have 
 done to my gown. I can't go out looking like 
 this!" 
 
 " Much I care ! " he cried, raising the slight 
 figure in his arms, tossing and squeezing and 
 kissing her, until she could scarcely breathe. 
 
 " You're just horrid," she panted. " Let me 
 go I I'll be good." 
 
 " You will? You will really? " he whispered. 
 
 She crept to the door, and turned the key. 
 Then she raised both arms to him, with a 
 strangely sad smile and sighed: " For peace' 
 sake, then "
 
 CHAPTER VI 
 
 PRINCE CLOPPENBURG-USINGEN was 
 the most amiable, sympathetic personality in 
 the world. His temper appeared to be as rosy 
 as his complexion, and his eyes shone with un- 
 dimmed good-nature, like the eyes of a child just 
 awakening from a long healthy sleep. No one 
 had ever heard a sharp word from his lips, or 
 witnessed any brutality of emotion on his part. 
 His refined mind and ready wit made him a fa- 
 vorite guest everywhere, and his happy knack of 
 humor helped him to endure the one sorrow of 
 an otherwise enviable existence: the fact that he 
 was not a great artist. He had given up the mil- 
 itary career early in life, to devote himself 
 entirely to his passion for the arts. His fortune 
 was large enough to permit him to arrange his 
 life according to his own ideas of comfort, with- 
 out any exaggerated luxury, and to enable him, 
 within moderate limits, to play the part of a 
 Maecenas. He did not keep a stable, and cards 
 interested him as little as did women. With the
 
 THE THIRD SEX 149 
 
 thousands saved in this way he had gathered a 
 notable little collection of pictures, which were 
 divided between his city apartment and his villa 
 on the Chiemsee. He had had a young actor 
 educated at his expense; had sent two young 
 painters to Paris and Italy; had opened a dress- 
 making establishment for his valet's forsaken 
 sweetheart; had subscribed to all monuments for 
 men of brains, and had lent money to his many 
 good friends in cheerful assurance that he would 
 never see it again. So it must be acknowledged 
 that in spite of his youth he had already done 
 much that was useful. And in consideration of 
 this, it could be forgiven him that the verses he 
 had printed at his own expense showed nothing 
 more than a certain purity of feeling; that his 
 manuscript compositions proved only that he had 
 studied carefully; and also, and finally, that his 
 own paintings were never completed. 
 
 On the particular day of which we are writing, 
 Prince Cloppenburg-Usingen was to celebrate his 
 thirtieth birthday. His full-cheeked baby face, 
 with the tiny blond mustache on the curved upper 
 lip, made him look scarce two-and-twenty, 
 whereas the assurance of his carriage and opin- 
 ions might have put him down for fifty. The 
 Prince was nervous and irritated, although a care-
 
 I 5 o THE THIRD SEX 
 
 less observer might not have been aware of it. 
 He had wished to celebrate his thirtieth birthday 
 in worthy style, and for this reason alone had left 
 his Chiemsee villa and come into town. But he 
 had been unfortunate with his invitations. Most 
 of his friends of both sexes were in the country, 
 and as the weather happened to be particularly 
 good, none of them would venture the trip into 
 town just for this little fete. So at the very last 
 moment he had bethought himself of charming 
 little Mrs. von Robiceck, who always had some 
 passable men hanging about her; and of Arnulf 
 Rau, whom he really could not abide, but who 
 made a good figure in an intellectual crowd with 
 his easily delivered paradoxes. He had asked 
 the great Arnulf to bring friends if he wished to. 
 Besides these necessity invitations, the only ac- 
 ceptance was that of Count Rimsky, with his 
 spouse of the season, Rosie Ungerer. 
 
 The first to come was the great Arnulf Rau, 
 and who should he bring with him but Baron Dr. 
 Raoul de Kerkhove, whom Lilly that very morn- 
 ing had described to the Prince as a horrid little 
 bore. The two men sat talking to the Prince for 
 nearly an hour, filling his drawing-room with the 
 smoke of his most expensive cigars and cigar- 
 ettes, and admiring his antique furniture and
 
 THE THIRD SEX 151 
 
 modern objets d'art, but no one else arrived. 
 The Prince's cook was in despair, and had twice 
 sent the valet Luigi, a clever Italian who spoke 
 three languages and cherished a tender affection 
 for his master's wine cellar, to say that supper 
 was spoiling and that she still did not know how 
 many places were to be laid. 
 
 T-r-r-r-rl at last the electric bell buzzed, and 
 Luigi flew to the door. The talk stopped, and 
 the three gentlemen gazed toward the entrance 
 in anxious expectation. Count Rimsky, lieuten- 
 ant of heavy cavalry, appeared on the threshold, 
 wiping his heated brow with his handkerchief. 
 
 " You are alone ? " cried the Prince. 
 
 " Yes. I am very sorry, but " He in- 
 terrupted himself, bowing in military fashion to 
 the two strangers. The Prince murmured the in- 
 troductions, and then Count Rimsky drew him 
 into the ante-room with a stammered excuse, lead- 
 ing him by the arm as far as the window. 
 
 " What is the matter ? Why didn't you bring 
 your Rosie?" whispered the Prince. 
 
 "The devil take that confounded woman!" 
 answered the Count in the same low tone. 
 " She's just been making a scene because I de- 
 clared that I can buy her no more new gowns 
 this summer. She's getting to be atrociously
 
 i 5 2 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 exacting since she's discovered that I have come 
 to the end of my tether. The rats are leaving 
 the sinking ship." 
 
 "What does that mean? more difficulties?" 
 
 " Don't ask such silly questions, Cloppenburg. 
 You know my affairs. The Colonel came out 
 with it to-day c'est fini, I must ask for my 
 leave." 
 
 "Really?" 
 
 " My papa has written to the Prince Regent 
 I am requested from High Quarters to ask to 
 be kicked out." 
 
 " Poor fellow, and what then? " 
 
 The Count shrugged his shoulders : " 'N'sais 
 fas, wine agent, life insurance, or painter. 
 C'est tout egal." 
 
 " Hm! Can I do anything for you? " 
 
 " Not unless you insist on ruining yourself. 
 It's a matter of some sixty thousand. I have 
 spoken to a lawyer already; we'll make a con- 
 tract with my creditors, by which I promise to live 
 to be eighty and pay off my debts from my in- 
 come. Fine idea, eh? Ah, bah il faut 
 prendre la chose en philosophe. Congratulate 
 you, by the way, many happy returns." 
 
 " Thanks you remember it? " 
 
 "Of course; didn't we have a jolly time here
 
 THE THIRD SEX 153 
 
 this day last year? Who's that in there now? " 
 
 The Prince smiled a little dolefully and whis- 
 pered in his ear. 
 
 11 The blond with the swelled-head expression 
 is * One Who is Enough in Himself.' He looks 
 to me like a man sitting for his monument. Le 
 Petit a I'aire melancolique says he is a nephew of 
 Prince Krapotkin, and plays the Nihilist." 
 
 " The devil ! that's interesting," laughed 
 Rimsky, in his accustomed tone of merry mockery. 
 " Any ladies coming? " 
 
 " Yes, little Robiceck promised to be here." 
 
 "Lilly? Charming I I breathe again." The 
 young Count hooked his arm through that of the 
 Prince, and led him into the drawing-room again, 
 just as Luigi ran up anxiously to his master, and 
 confided to him in gesticulating Italian, that the 
 cook declared she would leave the house if the 
 supper was not served subito, subito. 
 
 " Va bene," decided the Prince with a shrug, 
 "fa venire la zupa. E quando vengone le sig- 
 nore, eh! dc la sua colpa se fanno espettarsi." 
 
 Luigi skipped away, and the two men returned 
 to the drawing-room. A few seconds later the 
 folding doors to the dining-room were thrown 
 open, and the company took their places at the 
 table. Two of the original eight seats had been
 
 i 5 4 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 removed, and the center places at each side of the 
 small table were left free in expectation of Mrs. 
 von Robiceck and a possible friend. 
 
 A tasteful bronze electrolier, with a dozen 
 lights softened pleasantly by their colored glass 
 globes, shed its mild light over the quiet elegance 
 of the table fittings. Heavy old silver, china dis- 
 creetly decorated, beautiful old glasses, and a sin- 
 gle ornament, a Venetian vase with flowers, gave 
 the whole an appearance of refined taste. A 
 bunch of unusually large and glowing poppies 
 filled the vase, and deep red roses and carnations 
 were strewn thickly over the shining damask cloth. 
 The dining-room was not large, and besides the 
 necessary tables and chairs it contained no furni- 
 ture except a charmingly fantastic sideboard, com- 
 posed by Hans von Berlepsch, and two antique 
 chests. The only decoration on the walls was a 
 large tapestry piece by Hermann Obrist, a fan- 
 tastic tree of golden blossoms on a gray-brown 
 silk background, which hung between the win- 
 dows, and on the opposite wall a large Moonrise 
 on the Moor, by the Worpswede Master, Otto 
 Modersohn. 
 
 The soup was eaten in silence, but with little 
 reverence. All four men still felt the unpleasant 
 effects of the long term of waiting, and the right
 
 THE THIRD SEX 155 
 
 sort of joviality would not come. The conversa- 
 tion moved slowly, grating on its forced phrases 
 like a badly oiled wheel. While waiting for the 
 hors d'oeuvre, the Prince poured out the vino 
 santo, and remarked that he never enjoyed this 
 noble vintage except in the presence of la- 
 dies. 
 
 " I find," he continued, " that a nearer ac- 
 quaintance with the other sex is not conducive to 
 philosophic thought, nor to the free development 
 of the artist's soul ; but as table decoration I can- 
 not dispense with pretty women. If one eats just 
 to fill up, then women are in the way. But when 
 one sits at table for esthetic enjoyment they are a 
 necessity am I not right, gentlemen ? " 
 
 " Undoubtedly," answered Count Rimsky for 
 the guests. " They are indispensable, if for no 
 other reason than because we men, when alone 
 at any gathering, invariably fall into heavy drink- 
 ing and cochonerie." 
 
 Arnulf Rau let his white fingers play with his 
 bread, and threw out the following sentence : 
 
 " I wonder if the New Women will be able to 
 escape drinking and cochonerie in their convivial 
 gatherings? " 
 
 " What do you mean by New Women? " asked 
 the heavy cavalryman.
 
 156 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 " Well, the Third Sex, that is coming into be- 
 ing." 
 
 And as the Count demanded more explicit defi- 
 nition, the handsome Arnulf delivered himself of 
 the following explanation : " With the term 
 ' Third Sex,' I classify all those female existences 
 that through natural inclination, or by pressure 
 of circumstances, have come to feel themselves no 
 longer mere sex individualities, but simply human 
 beings. There have always been many women 
 who have had to deny themselves the fulfilling of 
 their natural destiny, and who yet have felt no 
 regret, because of their lack of any strong de- 
 velopment either of sensual emotion or of ma- 
 ternal instinct. In former days, however, these 
 natural Neuters have been obliged to adapt them- 
 selves to the scheme of feminine existence, as law 
 and morality forbade them any part in the physi- 
 cal or mental occupations which were considered 
 man's sole property. They floated through life 
 like gray moths, and on their tombstone was writ- 
 ten only that they had been somebody's Aunt. 
 The development of economic conditions into a 
 state of brutal capitalism has had for effect an 
 enormous increasing of the army of the aunts by 
 battalions, voluntary or conscript. Men are sel- 
 dom able to marry nowadays in the years when
 
 THE THIRD SEX 157 
 
 nature brings the sexes together, and the families 
 of the proletariat, which make out ninety-three 
 per cent, of our population, cannot support drones. 
 Therefore the millions of women who have no 
 chance to marry must find their salvation in their 
 own work. The majority never lose the longing 
 for marriage, and remain women. They consider 
 themselves oppressed slaves of necessity, and do 
 not know how to appreciate their own freedom. 
 But there is a minority, steadily increasing, which 
 has learned to find contentment and satisfaction in 
 work, and these are the recruits of the Third Sex. 
 The present-day emancipation of woman has for 
 its object the Revolt of the Aunts. They are 
 made discontented, they are inoculated with the 
 virus of culture, and whipped by the lash of am- 
 bition into a competition with man in all possible 
 fields. The Third Sex is to be the proof of the 
 mental equality of man and woman." 
 
 "Do you believe in this equality?" asked 
 Count Rimsky. 
 
 " Of course not," smiled Arnulf Rau. " The 
 ladies themselves give the strongest proof against 
 it. As a capacity for the competition is shown 
 mainly by those who have first rid themselves of 
 their sex qualities, it is clear the second sex, of 
 itself, cannot compete with the first."
 
 158 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 " Bravo I I can see that," exclaimed the Count 
 eagerly. " My experience has taught me that 
 women are divided by nature into two groups, the 
 pretty ones and the ugly ones. The pretty ones 
 have a right to Love, to the power we give them 
 through gallantry, and well, to all the good 
 things of life generally. The ugly ones must be 
 content with work and piety. Therefore, I am 
 for the preservation of religion and capital- 
 ism." 
 
 The others rewarded these brilliant remarks 
 with hearty laughter, in which the Lieutenant him- 
 self joined with the utmost good-nature. 
 
 Then Raoul de Kerkhove ventured the timid 
 assertion that nowadays there were a considerable 
 number of pretty women among the amazons of 
 the Third Sex. 
 
 " Well, and don't you think that is horrid, sim- 
 ply degoutantf " nasaled the Count. 
 
 " Pardon me, but degoutant is perhaps too 
 strong an expression," answered Raoul, " although 
 I confess it is sad. But we would be too severe 
 in our egotism if we were to treat these ladies 
 with contempt. I must confess I suffer with 
 them." 
 
 " My young friend is still battling with Ego- 
 tism," said Arnulf Rau with a patronizing smile.
 
 THE THIRD SEX 159 
 
 " When he is a little older he will learn to honor 
 selfishness as the great motor impulse." 
 
 " Then you are no Socialist, thank goodness 1 " 
 cried the Count, touching glasses with Arnulf. 
 
 "No, not in the least," answered the latter. 
 " For if, because of the immaturity of the age, 
 socialism should become a fact, it will serve only 
 to hasten the development of the Bee State, and 
 that appears to me to be the worst misfortune 
 that could occur to humanity. For it would fa- 
 tally delay the coming of the Super-Man." 
 
 "The Bee State?" The Prince repeated the 
 words with an approving nod. " Workers, 
 drones and queens hm horrible prospect ! 
 Although one could look on the production of a 
 third sex against the will of nature as a triumph 
 of the human mind. The Bee State would fit well 
 in a world where mankind, instead of eating, took 
 its nourishment in the form of pills, and where 
 there was no love, but only the driving of the fe- 
 males in herds to the breeding business." 
 
 During the last words Luigi entered with a 
 plate of lobster and caviar. The gentlemen 
 helped themselves and ate with the look of mar- 
 tyrs conscious of taking part in the last festival 
 of the old two-sex world. 
 
 The sharp rattle of the door-bell broke the si-
 
 160 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 lence, and as one man the company looked up 
 from their plates and gazed in expectation toward 
 the hall. 
 
 ** Thank goodness, here come the ladies," 
 whispered the cavalry lieutenant with a sigh of re- 
 lief. Arnulf Rau took the liberty of asking who 
 was expected. 
 
 " Charming little Mrs. von Robiceck," an- 
 swered the Prince. " She promised to bring 
 some friend with her, and as she has excellent 
 taste, I feel sure she will do us credit." 
 
 " Mrs. von Robiceck? " cried Raoul, and could 
 not hide his joyful blushes. 
 
 11 You know the lady? " Arnulf Rau turned to 
 his neighbor. 
 
 And the Prince said : " I am surprised you do 
 not know her. She is at present the most per- 
 fect thing of her kind that the walls of Munich 
 enclose." 
 
 "And this kind is?" queried the handsome 
 man. 
 
 " Third Sex, tragically complicated by beauty 
 and feminine vanity." 
 
 " Mrs. von Robiceck Third Sex? Impossi- 
 ble!" cried Raoul de Kerkhove in youthful en- 
 thusiasm. " Why, I saw her in conditions that 
 only the second sex can ever get into."
 
 THE THIRD SEX 161 
 
 Sudden laughter warned the young Baron that 
 he had innocently made a rather shady joke. He 
 stammered a blushing excuse and was about to 
 explain himself more clearly, when the Prince 
 whispered a sharp " Discretion ! " across the table. 
 
 At this moment the door was thrown open, and 
 Luigi ushered in Mrs. von Robiceck and two 
 young men. The four men at the table sprang 
 up, and rushed to meet the long-expected one. 
 Her two followers were scarcely noticed at first 
 in the general joy at the presence of the Eternal 
 Feminine. The Prince and the Count seized her 
 two hands and gallantly kissed her long white 
 gloves, and not until she had had her scolding for 
 her late coming, and heard the compliments for 
 her charming costume silk muslin embroidered 
 in flowers over olive silk, with wide sleeves, 
 slightly open neck, and pink sash did she find 
 a chance to introduce the two young men. 
 
 " Mr. Werner Rudolfi, Mr. Joachim von Los- 
 sow, both painters. You see, my dear Prince, I 
 have taken advantage of your kind invitation. 
 Now, gentlemen, it is up to you to do me credit." 
 
 She gave each of the young men a little pat with 
 her fan, and then let the Prince lead her to her 
 place between Count Rimsky and Arnulf Rau. 
 
 The men introduced themselves to each other,
 
 162 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 and took their seats as soon as another place had 
 been laid. Their host gave no sign that he would 
 have preferred ladies in their stead, and the ap- 
 pearance of the two young artists was in their 
 favor. They wore well-cut coats of the newest 
 style, and immense black ties that left only a hair- 
 breadth of their high collars visible. Mr. Ru- 
 dolfi was very blond, and endeavored to give his 
 peaceful amiable face a more energetic expres- 
 sion by means of a mustache waxed upward a la 
 William the Second. Mr. von Lossow, a slender 
 Mecklenburger, brunette and smooth-shaven ex- 
 cept for a suspicion of side-whiskers, had a soft 
 nervous mouth, an unfortunate nose, and deep-set 
 passionate eyes. 
 
 " Am I really the only lady? " asked Lilly von 
 Robiceck, in assumed alarm. "How stupid! 
 Please don't let me disturb you, gentlemen, pre- 
 tend I was not here, or else I shall feel I am in 
 the way. If I had known that, I should have put 
 on trousers." 
 
 " Wouldn't have helped you, Madame," said 
 Count Rimsky. " One cannot disguise oneself, 
 when one is as charming as you are." 
 
 "Oh, dearie me! is that beginning again?" 
 cried Lilly, with a drolly unhappy upward glance. 
 " I warn you, Count, one single flattery, and I take
 
 THE THIRD SEX 163 
 
 my two young men under my arm and leave the 
 place. You must know that I am an independent 
 woman. I have earned five hundred rubles by 
 the work of my own hands ! Ask Baron de Kerk- 
 hove. It is true that I have not yet received the 
 five hundred rubles, but the mere prospect has 
 emancipated me. Please allow yourselves to be 
 much impressed ! " 
 
 " Folia, messieurs! " cried the Prince, " there 
 is the illustration to our conversation of a few 
 minutes past." 
 
 " If that is renewed, then / leave the place in 
 protest," nasaled Count Rimsky, stopping a mo- 
 ment in his occupation of preparing a lobster claw 
 for Mrs. von Robiceck. 
 
 "What were you talking about?" asked the 
 young lady. 
 
 "No, no, don't tell her!" cried the Count 
 eagerly. 
 
 " Then I must assume you were saying naughty 
 things about me," was Lilly von Robiceck's opin- 
 ion. 
 
 There was an eager protest against such ac- 
 cusation, which naturally increased Mrs. von Robi- 
 ceck's curiosity until the Prince was compelled to 
 rehearse the main points of the argument. Lilly 
 listened attentively, then turned to the Count.
 
 164 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 " And so, sir, you wanted to shut me out from 
 such an intellectual conversation, did you? I am 
 to amuse you, but I must not make you think! 
 No, indeed, that don't go, and I shan't say any- 
 thing more to you anyhow, for I, too, am a re- 
 volted aunt! " She took her wine glass and 
 touched with Arnulf Rau. " Prosit, my dear sir, 
 that was very cleverly put." 
 
 "Don't you belong to our association?" the 
 handsome Arnulf inquired after a few moments, 
 during which he had not touched his lobster but 
 had occupied himself by devouring his pretty 
 neighbor with admiring glances. 
 
 " What sort of an association is it? " 
 " The celebrated Society for the Evolution of 
 the Feminine Psyche. I say our association, for 
 my wife is an ardent member. I have often lec- 
 tured to the ladies myself. They meet once a 
 week at Eckel's to exchange mental impressions. 
 Very interesting discussions often follow the lec- 
 ture. The ladies do practical work as well, in 
 the influencing of public opinion, through the giv- 
 ing of legal advice, and in obtaining the better 
 sort of positions for educated women and girls. 
 Miss Echdeler, a most sympathetic personality, is 
 our president, and among the other prominent 
 members are Dr. Babette Girel, Baroness Grot-
 
 THE THIRD SEX 165 
 
 zinger, Mrs. von Stummer, Miss Hildegard 
 Haider, and others equally well known. You 
 must certainly know the one or the other of the 
 ladies." 
 
 " No, I don't know them that is, I have 
 probably heard the names," answered Lilly. 
 " The fact is, I know scarcely any ladies, any real 
 ladies, I mean. I am afraid of them, I think; 
 anyway, I am always so embarrassed when with 
 them. It's funny, I really hate men, they are so 
 often silly, and yet I can be happy only with them. 
 When I am with other women I feel they are re- 
 garding me with distrust; they all seem to retreat 
 behind a sort of fence when they see me. A 
 young woman who is fighting for her divorce, who 
 is alone in the world, and whom men call pretty, 
 is considered an object of suspicion by all ladies 
 belonging to good .society." 
 
 44 That is unfortunately very true," remarked 
 the Prince. 
 
 44 Isn't it? " she turned to him eagerly. " Just 
 imagine, I have never had a real woman friend, 
 at least one whose friendship lasted longer than 
 until some man appeared. He invariably looked 
 at me first, and then my dear friend would turn 
 from me offended. It is the women who force us 
 to take up with you, gentlemen, and yet I really
 
 i66 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 do hate you I hate you bitterly." She turned 
 suddenly ghastly pale, leaned back in her chair, 
 and her lips trembled convulsively. The men 
 looked at each other helplessly. The Prince 
 arose, stepped behind her chair, touched her 
 shoulder lightly, and whispered : " What is the 
 matter, Lilly dear? Aren't you well? " 
 
 She started and asked for a glass of water. 
 The Prince poured it out and she drank thirstily. 
 Then her glance fell on the young painter sitting 
 opposite her, and she called to him with frowning 
 brows and in forced loudness : " Why don't you 
 talk, Rudolfi? Say something funny." And 
 turning to the others she continued smiling, " Mr. 
 Rudolfi suffers from hay fever in the warm 
 months, otherwise he's so nice, really dear. Ru- 
 dolfichen, show how dear you can be." 
 
 " With pleasure," answered the young man with 
 the William II mustache, and then sneezed heart- 
 ily, whereupon he took out his handkerchief and 
 blew his nose with much ceremony. 
 
 Lilly burst into a wild fit of laughter, and the 
 other guests endeavored to join her mirth to cover 
 up the unpleasant contretemps. The Prince had 
 seen the strange seizures that attacked Lilly von 
 Robiceck occasionally, and he knew from experi- 
 ence that it was best to leave her to herself as
 
 THE THIRD SEX 167 
 
 much as possible. He began a conversation with 
 Mr. von Lossow, in which Rudolfi with the hay 
 fever soon joined. The simple story of their 
 young lives was quickly told. Lossow's case was 
 the most interesting. From his childhood the 
 young man had had a strong inclination for the 
 study of music, but his family protested vigor- 
 ously against his wish to prepare himself pro- 
 fessionally for the career of an orchestra leader 
 and composer. At the age of fourteen they had 
 even forbidden him to take piano lessons. He 
 had gone through the High School, had studied 
 law during two university terms, then finally his 
 so wise parents had permitted him to follow his 
 longing for an artistic career, on the condition 
 that he enter the school of painting in Munich. 
 They considered painting not quite unworthy a 
 nobleman, as among the painters there were such 
 names as Count Kalkreuth, Count Harrach, 
 Baron von Kameke and Anton von Werner. 
 While music had only Mr. von Biilow to show of 
 noble lineage, and his moral views and political 
 opinions were not above reproach. 
 
 "Oh, ye gods!" sighed the Prince. "Will 
 these fossils in our class ever die out? You are 
 much to be envied, Baron Kerkhove ! " 
 
 "I? Do you really think so?" said Raoul,
 
 i68 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 somewhat embarrassed, for the Prince had caught 
 him throwing adoring glances at charming little 
 Mrs. von Robiceck. 
 
 " You are indeed I " replied the Prince, " for 
 your father died in Siberia, and it is not the slav- 
 ish souls that die there. And then, if one is a 
 nephew of Prince Krapotkin! " 
 
 "Your Highness knows?" 
 
 " Why, of course, you told me yourself, I 
 think." 
 
 Lilly von Robiceck suddenly drew attention to 
 herself again by a little scream and the angry ex- 
 clamation : " Please stop that I " which she ac- 
 companied by throwing a piece of bread at the 
 handsome Arnulf Rau. 
 
 " Why, fairest Madame I " nasaled Count Rim- 
 sky, " qu'est ce grfil-y-a done? " 
 
 " This gentleman is endeavoring to press my 
 foot under the table," cried Lilly, maliciously. 
 " But I will not let myself be trampled under foot 
 that way." Then she suddenly changed her tone 
 to a merry twittering, and, pointing the tip of her 
 fork at the culprit's nose, she asked him : " Who 
 are you anyway, sir? I have forgotten your 
 name." 
 
 "Arnulf Rau," he said, offended by her be-
 
 THE THIRD SEX 169 
 
 havior. " I hope to give you opportunity to be- 
 come better acquainted with that name." 
 
 " I hope so, too," she replied pertly. " Any- 
 how, I'll take you at your word. Will you have 
 the kindness to introduce me to your association 
 with the crazy name what was it? Restaura- 
 tion de la Clique Femininist?" 
 
 11 Ha, ha I Eckel ought to write that on his 
 door," laughed the great Arnulf. 
 
 " Yes, if he wants to get rid of all his patrons," 
 joked the Count, but Lilly answered promptly: 
 " I allow no jokes on the subject of the higher 
 aims of womankind in my presence, remember 
 that, Count." And turning to Arnulf: "Then 
 you will introduce me into this society? May I 
 have the pleasure of calling on your wife? I will 
 tell her that you pressed me to join." 
 
 The pretty bon mot was properly applauded, 
 and the air cleared again, as Lilly seemed to have 
 passed safely through her attack. Meanwhile the 
 menu neared its conclusion, the roasts were taken 
 away, and Luigi brought the ices. The cham- 
 pagne corks popped, and then Count Rimsky re- 
 membered the reason for the festivity, and whis- 
 pered Lilly that she must make a speech. She 
 protested, and consented only when the Count and
 
 170 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 Arnulf Rau both promised to act as prompters. 
 Then she touched her glass with her knife and 
 rose. 
 
 " Honored members of the first sex, and fel- 
 low human beings! If you will permit me to 
 take advantage of the right your amiability gives 
 so freely to my sex, the right, namely, to say as 
 many foolish things as possible, I will make a lit- 
 tle speech, the first I have ever attempted." 
 
 " My virgin speech," prompted the Count be- 
 hind his hand. 
 
 " No racy jokes allowed, Count! " Then she 
 turned to Arnulf Rau and whispered : " Some 
 brilliancy quick, please ! " 
 
 The handsome man started and rubbed his head. 
 Lilly shrugged her shoulders in pity and sighed 
 drolly: "There you have a new proof of the 
 difference in the sexes 
 
 " Women can always find something to say, 
 You have to first rub the thoughts away ! " 
 
 The Prince giggled, Raoul de Kerkhove ex- 
 claimed " Bravo ! " enthusiastically, and Werner 
 Rudolfi raised his champagne glass with a hoarse 
 cry of applause. 
 
 Lilly continued: " Our honored host celebrates 
 his thirtieth birthday to-day. Gentlemen, that is
 
 THE THIRD SEX 171 
 
 more than many of us can do for instance, you 
 will have to wait a good long time before you 
 catch me inviting you to celebrate my thirtieth 
 birthday." 
 
 The Prince was so amused by this joke that he 
 fell into a fit of coughing, whereat Werner Ru- 
 dolfi held out his glass with a sympathetic 
 " Prosit." 
 
 " Our honored friend has indeed made good 
 use of his life. What artist does not feel his 
 heart beat quicker to look upon a man who has 
 been an army lieutenant and yet buys pictures, 
 in spite of the fact that he paints some himself; 
 a man who is really interested in music, although 
 he makes some himself; a man who assists poets 
 and would prefer not to write his own poems at 
 all? Gentlemen, a man with such a spotless past 
 can have only the most glorious future before 
 him! Yes, Prince, you have a great and noble 
 task still to do. Just think how many people there 
 are who have not yet borrowed money of you; 
 how many pictures there are which you have not 
 yet bought, and how many geniuses are waiting 
 for you to discover them. But I, Prince, as a 
 woman of the Third Sex, I owe you especial and 
 particular thanks; for of all the men who have 
 sworn friendship for me you are the only one
 
 172 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 who has never said : ' I love you.' For this rea- 
 son I feel that I should be the first to say : * Long 
 life to our dear and revered friend, Prince Clop- 
 penburg-Usingen.' " 
 
 The company rose, glasses touched, the Prince 
 received congratulations, and Lilly much praise 
 for her fine first effort. She was proud of it, and 
 scoffed at her two prompters, who had been of 
 so little use. Arnulf Rau drowned his irritation 
 in much champagne, and neither threats nor blows 
 with the fan could deter the Count from telling a 
 number of rather equivocal stories. The eyes of 
 the younger men shone in moist brightness; Ru- 
 dolfi's because of his hay fever, the others' be- 
 cause of their admiration for charming little Mrs. 
 von Robiceck. 
 
 The meal over, they went into the drawing- 
 room and smoked, while the Prince brewed the 
 favorite champagne punch, yclept a " cold duck," 
 before the eyes of his guests. The conversation 
 turned upon literature, and a long line of new 
 names came up, each of which received an en- 
 thusiastic acknowledgment from some one of the 
 company, while all of them were crushed down 
 and drowned under the waves of Arnulf Rau's 
 pitiless criticism. The Prince took from his desk 
 a queer little volume in odd shape with a sym-
 
 THE THIRD SEX 173 
 
 holistic cover-drawing on gray paper, turned the 
 leaves, and then handed it, thus opened, to Arnulf 
 Rau. 
 
 " You have a good voice, stern critic, please 
 read this to us." 
 
 " How can I read that there are no punc- 
 tuation marks?" said Arnulf, and then with a 
 mocking smile at the title page, " Ah, Stefan 
 George." 
 
 " Smile afterwards, if you want to," said the 
 Prince gravely. " I have written this gentleman 
 that I love him, although there is much I cannot 
 understand; look it through, please, and then read 
 it." 
 
 The handsome man withdrew with the book to 
 the neighborhood of a lamp, and studied the text 
 with creased brows. After about five minutes he 
 announced that he was ready, and then read the 
 following poem with good delivery and softly 
 modulated voice : 
 
 As thou drinkest the milk of thy mother, 
 There watches an envious fairy 
 Singing of shadow and death. 
 She gives thee as christening gift 
 Strange eyes prophetic of sorrow, 
 Eyes where the muses are hiding.
 
 174 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 Scorn wilt thou feel of the rough play 
 Pleasing thy duller comrades. 
 Toil that makes sordid the soul, 
 From thoughts austere and sublime 
 Shall warn thee and hinder. 
 
 When thy brothers complain and cry 
 
 O grief! thy secret pain 
 
 Tell to the winds in the lone night 
 
 And under the rasp of thy nails 
 
 Let bleed thy childish breast. 
 
 Do not forget: Thou must kill 
 
 Thy sweet and tender youth. 
 
 Only upon its lone grave 
 
 When wet with tears Oh, many, many 
 
 tears shall grow 
 From rarely marvelous green 
 Rarely beautiful roses. 
 
 No one spoke, and after a moment the Prince 
 looked a challenge at Arnulf Rau, " Well? " 
 
 " If it chance upon the proper mood," re- 
 sponded the latter, " it might win a sudden con- 
 soling beauty, that I acknowledge." 
 
 " I should think that were about all one could 
 ask of any poem," smiled the Prince. 
 
 Arnulf Rau shrugged his shoulders. " If that 
 is your Highness' opinion. 7 find little to attract 
 me in this riddle-giving, or in this weary ' world-
 
 THE THIRD SEX 175 
 
 melancholy.' I do not by any means believe that 
 all art should be made for the man in the street, 
 but art should not be sought in its difficulties 
 alone." 
 
 The Prince glanced about in the little circle as 
 if to ask for further opinions. Count Rimsky did 
 not look promising, his mouth was open and he 
 pretended to be forming smoke-rings to conceal 
 his yawns. Werner Rudolfi gazed up at the ceil- 
 ing with moist eyes, as if hypnotised by the gar- 
 lands of fruit painted there, and Raoul de Kerk- 
 hove looked as if his shoes were hurting him. 
 Mrs. von Robiceck sat on the divan and smoked, 
 with her elbows on her knees and her head in her 
 hands; she was dreaming open-eyed, and the con- 
 vulsive twitching of mouth and nostrils which al- 
 ways preceded her attacks of nerves was again no- 
 ticeable. Joachim von Lossow sat on another 
 corner of the same divan, clasping and unclasp- 
 ing his fingers nervously, and trying to catch the 
 end of his little mustache between his teeth. His 
 eyes flamed with suppressed passion. 
 
 " Will you not play something for us, Mr. von 
 Lossow?" asked the Prince. 
 
 The young man rose, stepped to the grand 
 piano, and threw back the top without a word. 
 Then he sat down, thought a few moments and
 
 176 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 spoke at last, in so low a tone that not all of those 
 present could hear him : " I will try to play that 
 poem for you." 
 
 " Yes, yes," breathed Lilly. She threw away 
 her cigarette, drew up her feet and stretched her- 
 self at full length on the divan, her arms crossed 
 under her head. 
 
 Joachim von Lossow began to touch the keys 
 softly, in floating, seeking chords. Then a mel- 
 ody appeared, gradually growing, a wondrously 
 sad, monotonous melody, like a cradle song at 
 twilight. But the melody grew and grew, it 
 gained shape and form, became heavy and preg- 
 nant with Fate, carried on the wings of strange 
 harmonies, until it broke off suddenly; and after 
 a mightily swelling tremolo, came an allegro of 
 brave defiance, in which noisy trumpets and tram- 
 pling bass figures fought against a rising song of 
 calm strength and greatness. The struggle died 
 away, the minor melody came again, this time in 
 richer form, singing the controlled sorrow of a 
 noble heart, and the fantasy closed in a mystic 
 apotheosis, full of the spirit of Lizst. 
 
 All the listeners, even the quite unmusical 
 Raoul, were under the spell of this revelation of 
 a marvelously gifted artist's soul, and none dared 
 to break the charm by everyday words of praise.
 
 THE THIRD SEX 177 
 
 The young musician turned on his chair, and 
 bowed slightly to the Prince. 
 
 " Marvelous! " cried the latter softly. "How 
 did you understand it? I thank you from my 
 heart, Mr. von Lossow." 
 
 And he pressed the hand of the embarrassed 
 young Mecklenburger, who rose to return to his 
 former seat. Mrs. von Robiceck pulled up her 
 feet to make a place for him, and he saw that her 
 eyes shone with tears. 
 
 " You have been . crying, Lilly? " he asked, 
 breathing quickly, while his eyes gleamed in hap- 
 piness. 
 
 " It was so beautiful," she said simply, and held 
 out her hands to him. 
 
 He bent to kiss them, but Lilly was quicker 
 than he she clasped his finger tips firmly, drew 
 his hands toward her mouth and kissed them both. 
 
 Lossow blushed deeply. When she released 
 his hands he stood nervously clasping them, then 
 stepped to one side and stared at a picture on 
 the nearest wall. 
 
 Werner Rudolfi had witnessed the little scene 
 and had also observed that Mrs. von Robiceck 
 was deadly pale. He rose quickly and came to 
 her side. "Anything the matter, Lilly? Did 
 the music touch you so ? "
 
 178 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 She clutched at his coat and drew herself up 
 by it painfully. " I feel so miserable," she 
 moaned low. 
 
 "Shall I take you home?" 
 
 She shook her head. The Prince came up also, 
 with anxious questions whether he had not bet- 
 ter send for a carriage. She protested wildly. 
 " Oh, no, no ! leave me here. I don't want to go 
 home. What shall I do there? the night is so 
 long! let's be merry. Baron von Kerkhove, play 
 the flute for us, or amuse us somehow." 
 
 Raoul drew up his shoulders and answered 
 humbly: " I am so sorry, but I really can't play 
 the flute." 
 
 "What can you do?" 
 
 " Nothing, I regret to say, nothing but ad- 
 mire you." 
 
 Lilly laughed harshly. " Don't tell your uncle 
 that, or he'll not let you have two kopeks' worth 
 of dynamite. Play something more, Mr. von 
 Lossow." 
 
 The young man sat down at the piano again, 
 and improvised on motives from the Nibelungen 
 Ring for about half an hour. 
 
 During the playing one or the other of the 
 guests stood up to change his place, and here and 
 there a low conversation was carried on. Arnulf
 
 THE THIRD SEX 179 
 
 Rau worked himself carefully over to the divan 
 and began to whisper flatteries to charming little 
 Mrs. von Robiceck, with no other result than a 
 silent but decided rebuff. The handsome man 
 was angry. He had not been able to make him- 
 self important the whole evening, and this obsti- 
 nate little woman excited him astonishingly. She 
 was a genius, born to be a poet's love, why should 
 not this flower bloom for him? She would be 
 the first to withstand him in the long run. So he 
 would not take the rebuff, and continued to whis- 
 per charming words in her little white ear. Lilly 
 von Robiceck rose finally, and sat down at the 
 piano immediately behind Joachim von Lossow. 
 When he had finished playing, the talk became 
 loud and general. 
 
 Count Rimsky took his reward for his long en- 
 forced silence by telling all manner of court and 
 society anecdotes, falling into French when they 
 became too racy. Lilly paid little attention, for 
 she didn't know French. She took Mr. von Los- 
 sow's arm and led him into the dining-room, which 
 had been put in order. 
 
 " You never played so well," she said, suddenly 
 laying her hand on the young man's arm. " Your 
 music comes directly from your soul have you 
 loved much? "
 
 180 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 " Oh, yes," he smiled in embarrassment. 
 
 "As men love?" 
 
 " No, as stupid boys love." 
 
 " You are a darling! " She tried to laugh, but 
 without success, and her white face drew into rigid- 
 ity again, as she said suddenly: " Do you know 
 what I would like to do now? " 
 
 "Well?" 
 
 " Shoot myself but I am too cowardly 
 won't you help me? " 
 
 He shook his head and laughed as if he thought 
 she were joking. " Nonsense, Lilly, why do you 
 say such foolish things? You only excite your- 
 self unnecessarily. Go into the country for a 
 while and drink warm milk, fresh from the 
 cow." 
 
 "Fie on you!" said Lilly, and stepped away 
 from him to the heavily curtained window. She 
 played nervously with a tassel, then broke out 
 into a passionate whispering: " It is not nice of 
 you to make fun of me. Do you know what a 
 miserable life I lead? Well, perhaps you are 
 right, I am not worth anything better, I have 
 flirted with you, too. Your music drove me mad, 
 music always affects me strangely and now I am 
 crazy to hear you stammer love to me, as all the 
 others do. I am angry at you because you arc
 
 THE THIRD SEX 181 
 
 so respectable and reserved, I want you to be like 
 all the others just that I may enjoy the tri- 
 umph, you understand. I could throw myself on 
 your neck to-night in ecstasy, and treat you like 
 a dog to-morrow. Wouldn't it attract you to de- 
 stroy a creature like me? My beautiful eyes are 
 worth at least one charge of powder, I should 
 think." 
 
 He came to her side and stroked her hair: 
 " Don't make yourself out as bad as that; it is 
 not true at all. You are ill. Wait until you can 
 live an ordered life again, when you have your 
 divorce." 
 
 " Ah, don't remind me of that. To-morrow I 
 must go to the priest and formally relinquish my 
 Catholic belief, otherwise I cannot get the divorce. 
 Then I am a heathen, and the devil can have his 
 sport with me." She laughed nervously. 
 
 " Lilly, dear, don't excite yourself so. There 
 are many who really care for you and would 
 gladly help you. I know of one who would be so 
 happy if you would only marry him," 
 
 "Indeed! Who 2" 
 
 " Rudolfi." 
 
 ' Oh, he has hay fever." 
 
 The young man was angry. " When you are 
 like that I can't talk to you. He loves you so
 
 i&2 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 honestly, and you have told him that you like 
 him." 
 
 " Why, yes," answered Lilly. " How could I 
 do otherwise, he is so good? He ought to go 
 and marry a respectable girl with some 
 money." 
 
 He stroked her hair again. " I never saw you 
 like this before, what is the matter? Please be 
 good again, Lilly." 
 
 She drew away from him petulantly: "Stop 
 that rubbing, it makes me nervous." 
 
 " You are nervous. Get out into the country, 
 and grow strong and well again." 
 
 " Oh, I'm strong enough," she cried and 
 stretched out her arms. Then she stooped sud- 
 denly, caught the slender youth below the knees 
 and raised him from the floor. " There I " she 
 panted, and letting him drop again, ran back into 
 the drawing-room, clapped her hands and cried: 
 " Lilly wants to dance." 
 
 This was easier said than done, for the rooms 
 were not large and were filled with furniture. The 
 Prince explained the impossibility to her, and then 
 she declared that she wished to go to the Amer- 
 ican Bar. 
 
 " Your wishes are a law unto me," said the 
 Prince gallantly, although he did not in the leaf*
 
 THE THIRD SEX 183 
 
 care to go elsewhere to drink, and leave the 
 greater part of his punch to Luigi. 
 
 So the company set out for the pretty cellar 
 room in the Four Seasons Hotel, where the bet- 
 ter circles of society and the art world meet in 
 nightly rendezvous. It was already one o'clock, 
 but little Mrs. von Robiceck did not seem to know 
 what fatigue was. She sampled several drinks, 
 none of which met her approval, nibbled cakes, 
 and became more and more excited, behaving in 
 a way that drew general attention. 
 
 The Prince was embarrassed by her conduct, 
 so he pleaded a headache and withdrew, soon fol- 
 lowed by Arnulf Rau, the latter angry because 
 this good-for-nothing little woman had so studi- 
 ously ignored him the entire evening. Count 
 Rimsky joined a party at another table, where 
 sat a good friend from whom he could hope for 
 more affection than from this capricious little 
 Robiceck. 
 
 Lilly remained alone with the three younger 
 men, whom she kept there until three o'clock. 
 Then, at last, she let herself be persuaded to give 
 the waiters their needed rest. There were no 
 cabs at that hour, and they had to walk the long 
 distance to the Beethovenstrasse. She took the 
 arms of Rudolfi and Lossow and started out at a
 
 184 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 brisk gait, while Baron de Kerkhove trotted si- 
 lently behind them. Lilly tried to induce her two 
 young friends to play all sorts of wild pranks. 
 She commanded them to climb up the fire escape 
 of the Court theater, to put out the street lamps, 
 to sing the Marseillaise, and more of the like. 
 But they were both too well brought up to give 
 way to her wild mood, so she finally became angry 
 and dismissed them at the Karlsthor, of which 
 they were heartily glad, as they both lived in the 
 northern part of the city. She told Baron von 
 Kerkhove that she needed no escort and was going 
 home alone, and thereupon started off at such a 
 gait that the little man had hard work to keep 
 up with her. But he managed to be at her heels 
 when she reached her own door. 
 
 She halted there, panting, dropped him a mock- 
 ing courtesy and said: " Thanks for accompany- 
 ing me. Now you know where I live when you 
 want to send me the money for the picture." 
 
 Raoul de Kerkhove did not answer. He drew 
 a key from his pocket and opened the court door, 
 motioning her to enter. 
 
 " Thanks," she said, and walked in unsuspect- 
 ingly. He followed and closed the door gently. 
 As they stood together in the dark, Lilly screamed 
 suddenly and asked with trembling voice:
 
 THE THIRD SEX 185 
 
 "What does this mean? What do you want? 
 Did I give you my key? " She felt in her pocket, 
 drawing out the key and some wax matches. 
 " Where did you get that key? " she stammered 
 again, in deadly terror. 
 
 " I live here," he answered low, and she felt 
 his breath in her face. 
 
 " That's not true 1 you are a scoundrel I I'll 
 scream if you dare touch me." 
 
 " If you scream I will shoot myself before your 
 eyes," she heard his trembling voice whisper. 
 " Forgive me, I cannot help it, I love you madly. 
 This afternoon when you were out I rented the 
 room next to yours my things were brought 
 over this evening. Please calm yourself, I would 
 not hurt you for the world ah, I love you so." 
 
 Lilly finally managed to light a match in spite 
 of the trembling of her hands. She saw the mad- 
 dened man standing before her, his arms stretched 
 out as for an embrace, a shining revolver held 
 firmly in his right hand. 
 
 " You are mad," whispered Lilly, achieving a 
 short laugh with difficulty. " Open the door, I'll 
 hold the light." 
 
 He did as she ordered, took out his other key 
 and opened the door of the apartment. 
 
 She summoned all her courage, and walked past
 
 i86 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 him into the narrow hall. But he did not even 
 take time to close the door, fearing she would 
 escape into her room and lock him out. When 
 she heard his steps behind her, she halted and 
 turned to him with an alluring glance : " Please 
 shut the door, and put up the chain," she whis- 
 pered low. 
 
 He hesitated a second, and she opened her eyes 
 wide, something flaming up in them that forced 
 him to obey her. He turned to the door and 
 closed it, then wheeled again and saw her cross 
 the threshold of her own room. In three bounds 
 he was at her side, and before she could close 
 the door he pushed it open with all his strength. 
 He stood there in her room, his breath coming in 
 quick gasps, and the beautiful young woman trem- 
 bling and quivering scarce an arm's length from 
 him. 
 
 " I cannot leave you," he stammered in mad 
 passion, and yet did not dare to touch her. The 
 cool night wind came in at the open window, blow- 
 ing out the curtains. Her tiny candle flickered, 
 her mouth was open, her lips quivering, and her 
 eyes stood wide in fear. 
 
 Suddenly she blew out the light, and gave a 
 wild spring in through the open bedroom door. 
 He sprang after her, but could not find the kncfb
 
 THE THIRD SEX 187 
 
 in the darkness, and while his hand sought it he 
 heard the bolt snap into place. In impotent rage 
 he pressed his shoulder to the door, and whis- 
 pered : " Open the door, Lilly, open the door, I 
 want only a word with you." 
 
 She whispered from the other side in answer: 
 " Leave my room at once or I will alarm the 
 house. I have my finger on the bell." 
 
 Then he gave it up, stepped back from the door, 
 put his revolver in his pocket and wiped the per- 
 spiration from his forehead. He took out a 
 match and lit it, looking about in the little room. 
 He drew his hand absently over the back of a 
 chair and across the table cover. On the table 
 lay a large white paper on which was written in 
 heavy letters 
 
 Lilly von Robiceck 
 Modes et Robes. 
 
 The penciled letters were drawn over in ink. 
 His match went out and he lit another, holding 
 it up to the walls, and over the desk. Here lay 
 a portfolio, books and papers in confusion, with 
 knickknacks and many photographs. Among these 
 he discovered Lilly's head and bust, the neck and 
 shoulders bared, and draped slightly with a white 
 scarf. He took the picture from its little easel,
 
 i88 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 and pressed it to his lips. The match went out 
 and he lit a third, then crept to the door, and felt 
 his way cautiously to his own room with his booty. 
 
 Lilly sat the while on the edge of her bed, lis- 
 tening to the gentle sounds from the other room. 
 She had good ears, and could hear plainly when 
 he closed the door behind him and crept along 
 the hall. Then she drew a deep breath and 
 crossed herself. She lit the candle at her bed- 
 side, shut the window and bolted the shutters. 
 Here at last she felt safe, and the fearful tension 
 of her nerves, which had hung over her for many 
 hours, broke in a fit of convulsive weeping. She 
 lay on her knees at the bedside, burying her face 
 in the clothes, tearing at pillows and coverlet with 
 both hands. She did not rise until her knees be- 
 gan to ache, and then she undressed slowly. As 
 she laid her watch on the table she saw that it 
 was past five o'clock, and the dawn was creeping 
 through the cracks of the shutters. 
 
 Just as she was stepping into bed her eyes fell 
 on a crucifix, in ivory on black wood, which hung 
 at the head of the bed. She took it down and 
 kissed the cold body of the Saviour. 
 
 " In farewell," she said with a sad smile, 
 stretching herself in bed, and putting out the can- 
 dle, but still holding the crucifix in her hand. She
 
 THE THIRD SEX 189 
 
 turned over on one side, pressing it to her breast 
 she wanted to go to sleep with it, like a child 
 with her doll. The Saviour should protect her 
 from all evil spirits this one last night, for the 
 next day she had to go to the priest and bid fare- 
 well to the church that was built up on this symbol 
 of world-redeeming suffering. 
 
 But before going to the priest, she called at the 
 studio of her friend Werner Rudolfi about noon 
 next day, and the good fellow was so shocked by 
 her looks that he begged her to leave town and 
 take a trip into the mountains with him. He 
 could get rid of his hay fever there, and she should 
 learn to renew belief, not in the teachings of the 
 priest, but simply in the possibility of good in the 
 human heart, and in the pure beauty of that strong 
 impulse by which Nature renews herself from 
 eternity to eternity. 
 
 Rudolfi went home with her, and helped her 
 pack a little trunk. Raoul de Kerkhove did not 
 show up that day, and Lilly von Robiceck in- 
 formed her landlady decisively that she would 
 not return until the gentleman had given up his 
 room. 
 
 Something else occurred to her. She turned 
 back into her room and wrote the following lines 
 hastily on a piece of drawing paper:
 
 I 9 o THE THIRD SEX 
 
 " DEAR FRIEND : 
 
 " I am running away from you to-day. Do not 
 attempt to change my decision. All must be over 
 between us. I cannot give you what you seek in 
 me; I would only torture and disappoint you. / 
 was at the Prince's party last night, after all. Be- 
 lieve me, I am no good, all your trouble is lost 
 on me. Try to forget 
 
 " Your unhappy 
 
 11 LILLY." 
 
 She threw the letter into the box herself. It 
 was addressed to Mr. Franz Xaver Pirngruber.
 
 CHAPTER VII 
 
 IT was nine o'clock when Baron Raoul de Kerk- 
 hove awoke the following morning. He 
 looked tired and ill and had deep blue rings under 
 his eyes. He arose yawning, and crept on bare 
 feet to the door which opened from his little room 
 into Mrs. von Robiceck's bedroom. The wash- 
 stand stood in- front of it an'd it was with some 
 difficulty that he could bring' his ^ear near the 
 door, but his few moments of listening failed to 
 detect the slightest sound from the other side. 
 He stepped back, sighed deeply and beat his fore- 
 head with his clenched fist. 
 
 Heavens, how bad it did look now! his atro- 
 cious behavior of yesterday evening toward the 
 sweet little lady, behavior due entirely to the ef- 
 fect of that confounded alcohol, which he never 
 could stand! He was honestly ashamed of him- 
 self. Her stolen photograph lay on his table. 
 He sat down on the sofa and stared at the pic- 
 ture until his eyes blurred. And again he beat 
 his brow with his fist and murmured through his 
 clenched teeth : " I must have been crazy ! " 
 191
 
 192 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 Then he took stock of the situation. After 
 his brutal attack of last night it was quite out of 
 the question that the dainty little woman would 
 ever treat him otherwise than with the utmost con- 
 tempt. And here he had settled himself along- 
 side of her! Decency demanded that he move 
 out at once, for she certainly would not endure 
 this state of siege very long. But if he did move 
 he must pay the landlady at least one month's 
 rent, and that was quite impossible just at pres- 
 ent. He caught up his purse, which lay on the 
 table with his key, penknife, and all the various 
 boxes and cases that he always carried about with 
 him, and counted its contents. They came to ex- 
 actly two marks and a few pfennigs. 
 
 Something must be done, and that at once. 
 He sprang up, dressed with all possible haste and 
 noiselessness, and when he had finished his mod- 
 est breakfast he set out at once, glad to be able 
 to leave the house without meeting Mrs. von 
 Robiceck. He carried the stolen picture in his 
 pocket. 
 
 He first made his way to the main postoffice, 
 for all his mail came general delivery. A large 
 letter with an official seal was handed out to him. 
 He stopped in the court of the building to study 
 this seal, as the postmark over the Russian stamp
 
 THE THIRD SEX 193 
 
 was quite illegible. When he had made out the 
 impression his face grew pale with fear, and his 
 hands trembled. He tore the letter open hastily 
 and read it. It was the hand of Fate. Would 
 he be able to escape once more? 
 
 When the letter was safely hidden in his 
 pocket, he looked about anxiously to see if he had 
 been observed. His face was deadly white and 
 his knees shook. With uncertain steps he 
 dragged himself onward through the Marshall- 
 strasse to the Palace Garden. Here he stopped 
 to drink a glass of seltzer at the kiosk by the 
 gate, and then entered the English Garden. He 
 soon found a solitary bench on which he let him- 
 self fall in exhaustion, wiping the cold drops 
 from his forehead and trying to think. Immedi- 
 ate flight alone could save him, but how could he 
 flee without money? It seemed impossible for 
 him to formulate one sensible thought. The fig- 
 ure of charming little Lilly von Robiceck obtruded 
 again and again on his mental vision, with such 
 vividness that mad longing clutched his heart in 
 a grip of iron. He felt that he would be as little 
 able to leave the neighborhood where this en- 
 chantress dwelt as he would be to put her out of 
 his thoughts. His Fate would overtake him 
 here.
 
 I 9 4 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 He put his hand in his hip pocket and drew 
 out a pretty red leather case, which looked as if 
 it might contain an especially valuable meer- 
 schaum pipe head. He opened it and took out 
 a dainty revolver with an ivory handle, all six 
 chambers loaded. He played with the shining 
 thing, and sank into a new train of reflection. 
 Would it not be better to make an end of it now, 
 before the inevitable disgrace had ruined him 
 morally as well as in every other way? They 
 would find him here on the lonely bench in the 
 shadow of the plantains, undisfigured, with only 
 the tiny red spot on one temple. His friends 
 would identify him as young Baron Raoul de 
 Kerkhove, who had been driven to his early death 
 by the pangs of love, and by his sorrow for his 
 enslaved country. As clergymen are not allowed 
 to speak at the grave of a suicide, Arnulf Rau 
 would probably say some deeply felt words in his 
 praise. Lilly von Robiceck, as his housemate, 
 would be the first to hear of his tragic end, and 
 she would certainly say to herself that she might 
 have prevented it, if she had not turned away the 
 poor boy so harshly. She might possibly be at 
 his funeral. The others would certainly come 
 with flowers and palms, the Raus, Dr. Reith- 
 meyer, Claire de Fries, and first of all Moritz
 
 THE THIRD SEX 195 
 
 Haider's Daughters, all in black. Martha 
 Haider had such a pretty black silk dress, and she 
 would bring white roses in her hands and weep 
 for him. 
 
 A thought shot through his brain; yes, he 
 would try it, it might mean escape and safety. 
 He returned the revolver to its case, and took 
 his way to the banking house of Moritz Haider's 
 Daughters. He halted a few steps from the of- 
 fice, wiped his brow, and drew a deep breath. 
 Then he pulled himself together, entered the 
 room, and when he had made sure that there 
 were no customers present, he swung his hat over 
 his head with a loud, "Hurrah! hurrah! hur- 
 rah!" 
 
 Martha and Hildegard sprang from their 
 chairs and asked what the matter was. 
 
 "Now just guess, ladies!" he answered mer- 
 rily, taking the official letter from his pocket and 
 holding it in the air. 
 
 " Donnerwetter ! Have you really won your 
 lawsuit?" cried Miss Hildegard. 
 
 "Of course I have," he rejoiced; "this paper 
 is worth a round million." 
 
 "Well, I declare!" laughed Hildegard, fall- 
 ing into her desk chair, and Martha held out her 
 hand across the table, saying: "Well, well, our
 
 i 9 6 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 little Raoul! I never should have thought you 
 were worth that much. Many hearty congratu- 
 lations 1 " 
 
 " Thanks 1 thanks I " He was red in the face, 
 and pressed the paper into Martha's hand. 
 
 She unfolded it and looked at the writing. 
 " But it's in Russian," she exclaimed in disap- 
 pointment. And then she turned to the " young 
 man " who had been watching the scene with in- 
 terest: "Oh, Mr. Zirngruber, you know Rus- 
 sian, won't you translate this for me?" But 
 before Zirngruber could answer, Raoul de Kerk- 
 hove had snatched the paper again. " Don't 
 trouble the gentleman, I'll read it for you." 
 
 He looked at the paper, murmured some Rus- 
 sian words, and delivered himself of the follow- 
 ing: 
 
 "Si. PETERSBURG, 
 " CHANCELLERIE OF THE IMPERIAL SENATE, 
 
 " You are herewith respectfully notified that 
 through the most gracious decision of His Maj- 
 esty, the Czar, of the i5th of August, old style, 
 the judgment of the undersigned Court of Cassa- 
 tion has been made effective, whereby the con- 
 fiscation of the estates and properties of your late 
 father, Leo Alexejwitsch, Baron von Kerkhoven
 
 THE THIRD SEX 197 
 
 of Usmaiken, Hasenpot, Masheiki, Shagori and 
 Poswal, was declared invalid, and the order has 
 been handed down that said estates and proper- 
 ties be returned to the rightful heirs. You are 
 asked to present yourself before the loth of Sep- 
 tember in St. Petersburg to sign the necessary 
 documents. Signed 
 
 " COURT OF CASSATION OF 
 THE IMPERIAL SENATE." 
 
 He folded the letter again, and put it in his 
 pocket. " Now, ladies, what do you think of 
 that?" he cried, striking an attitude. 
 
 " First rate ! " said Hildegard with a hearty 
 handshake. 
 
 u We must celebrate this propitious occasion," 
 cried Raoul again. " Command me, what can I 
 do for you? Shall I give you each an estate for 
 a dowry? Miss Martha, would you like 
 Usmaiken, or would you prefer Hasenpot? 
 Miss Hildegard, I recommend you to take 
 Shagori." 
 
 " We can decide on that later," cried Hilde- 
 gard merrily. " I would suggest that you take 
 us up to Schleich's to begin on." 
 
 " Why, of course, with the greatest pleasure. 
 All right then, you are my guests for this even-
 
 I 9 8 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 ing; and, say, the weather is so fine to-day, shut 
 up your shop and come with me now." 
 
 Box turned to her sister : " You can go per- 
 fectly well, Martha, there isn't much doing to- 
 day. I'll stay until the dinner hour. Go for a 
 bicycle ride; we won't have many more such days 
 this summer. Have you your wheel with you, 
 Baron?" 
 
 " No, I am sorry to say. It's being repaired 
 again." 
 
 " Good gracious ! I think you got badly stung 
 on that purchase." 
 
 " And it cost me four hundred marks! " 
 
 " Perhaps Mr. Zirngruber will lend you his." 
 
 The " young man " was delighted to be able 
 to oblige the Russian millionaire, and the Baron 
 assured him of his warmest thanks. 
 
 " I shall not forget your kindness, Mr. Zirn- 
 gruber," he added with a patronizing wave of 
 his hand. 
 
 The young man brought out his wheel, Miss 
 Martha mounted hers just as she was, and the 
 couple started off. 
 
 They rode out to Nymphenburg, and when 
 they reached the Grunwald Castle Inn, Martha 
 sprang down and demanded a halt for refresh- 
 ments. The sunshine and the shaking up on the
 
 THE THIRD SEX 199 
 
 bad roads had made her hungry and thirsty. 
 They sat down merrily and ate a light lunch with 
 enjoyment. Miss Martha was in the best of 
 spirits, and bubbled over with jokes and droll 
 coquetry. Raoul looked at her and sighed gen- 
 tly. She was really a 'very pretty girl, her 
 profile was as pure and fine as that on an antique 
 cameo, and her smoothly parted hair gave her 
 something of a Madonna look. She had wom- 
 anly charm and girlish freshness and sprightli- 
 ness, but she was just a little red in the face and 
 looked heated. Strange! He could not imag- 
 ine Lilly von Robiceck red and heated. The 
 very, very lovely ladies, for whom one kills 
 oneself, they never perspire, he thought, and he 
 felt that he could not shoot himself for Martha 
 Haider. If ladies set their ambition on having 
 men shoot themselves for their sake, they must 
 not tease them all the time. 
 
 When hunger and thirst were satisfied, Raoul 
 de Kerkhove put his hand in his pocket to pay 
 the bill, but before he could draw out his purse, 
 Martha interrupted him and said, gravely: 
 
 " No, Raoul, I won't allow that you must 
 not pay for me particularly not now. That 
 is just my pride." 
 
 " Don't be alarmed," laughed the young
 
 400 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 Baron in embarrassment. " I perceive I have 
 left my purse at home, the first time it ever hap- 
 pened. Here I sit with my millions, and with- 
 out a cent." 
 
 " Then permit me to put you down on our 
 books for twenty marks." 
 
 In pretended affectation, she took a gold piece 
 from her pretty little snake-skin purse, and 
 dropped it into his hands. 
 
 " Many thanks," the young man blushingly an- 
 swered. " Rothschild began by lending money 
 to men of position. Who knows, this double 
 crown may mean for your firm the start of a for- 
 tune like his ! " 
 
 " What should I do with so much money," 
 laughed Miss Martha. " Do you think money 
 is all we need to make us happy, you young pluto- 
 crat you? " 
 
 " Oh, no, I know well, ' happy alone is the soul 
 that can love,' as the poet sings." 
 
 Miss Martha sprang to her feet, rolled her 
 eyes drolly, and cried in good Saxon dialect: 
 " Oh, do stop, you give me a pain! " 
 
 Baron de Kerkhove paid the little bill, and 
 then they rode on to Nymphenburg castle. By 
 that time they had had enough, for it was very 
 warm. They left their wheels at the gate, en-
 
 THE THIRD SEX 201 
 
 tered the park and sat down on a shady bench 
 with a view of the swan lake and the Greek tern- 
 pie. 
 
 " Oh, this heat! " sighed the fair Martha, who 
 found a particular pleasure in talking Saxon to- 
 day. It was one of her little accomplishments. 
 
 Raoul said nothing, and let his watery blue 
 eyes rest on the unmoved surface of the little 
 lake. The sunshine sparkled over it, and 
 through the reeds on the far side two young 
 swans were making their open-mouthed way. 
 
 "What are you gaping at, Raoul?" His 
 pretty neighbor aroused him from his brown 
 study. 
 
 He was offended by her fun and answered 
 sadly. " Can't you ever be serious, Miss Mar- 
 tha? Have you no ear for Life's mournful 
 elegy, which is everywhere to be heard, even in 
 the midst of the full harmonies of beauty and 
 
 joy?" 
 
 "Ah, now, ain't that beautifully said!" con- 
 tinued Martha the incorrigible. 
 
 " You do not understand me," sighed Raoul, 
 and turned away hurt. " You only want to play 
 with my feelings. Does that give you so much 
 pleasure? Oh, I can play, too, but I play with 
 other things."
 
 202 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 He took the red leather case from his pocket, 
 and revealed the dainty weapon. He let the 
 barrel sparkle before her eyes, until she shrank 
 back frightened to the farthest corner of the 
 bench. Then he laughed like a child amused at 
 her alarm, and said: "I play with this every 
 day, Miss Martha, and I imagine how it would 
 be to take it up in deadly earnest some time. 
 These things go off so easily. And I know of 
 nothing worse than the feeling that one is su- 
 perfluous. I feel so often, nowadays, that I am 
 not equal to all the great things I have set myself 
 to do. I feel that everyone else will be as little 
 inclined as you are to take me seriously, and that 
 knowledge robs me of all wish to live." 
 
 " How can you talk like that at your age, and 
 when you have just inherited a million," replied 
 Martha in her usual manner of speaking. 
 " With your money you can find enough to do, 
 and the world takes millions seriously enough." 
 
 " I do not want to be judged by my money, 
 but by my personal worth ! " cried Raoul gloom- 
 ily. "What sort of a life would that be? If 
 I cannot feel sure that I can be loved for myself, 
 then I don't want the millions." 
 
 " Put up that thing, Raoul, and don't talk so 
 foolishly," said Martha, taking the revolver
 
 THE THIRD SEX 203 
 
 from his hand and closing it in its case. " You 
 are still so young, you certainly have no occa- 
 sion to look despairingly on life or on the chance 
 of love." 
 
 41 Really? Do you really think so? Oh, tell 
 
 me, Miss Martha " He caught her hand 
 
 and gazed into her eyes without completing the 
 sentence. Try as she might, she could not help 
 laughing at his tragic face, with the pimple right 
 on the tip of the nose. 
 
 He turned away sighing, and stared out over 
 the shimmering lake again. They sat silent for 
 a long time, the spell of the noonday's hot brood- 
 ing fell numbing on their limbs and thoughts, 
 they dreamed with open eyes. Raoul de Kerk- 
 hove had a vision. From out the depths of the 
 lake came a great white water-lily. Its chalice 
 opened slowly and in it, softly bedded, lay a ten- 
 der rosy body, a fine and dainty elf. The two 
 young swans swam up, and harnessed themselves 
 to the blossoms with chains made of golden sun- 
 beams. They drew it slowly through the gleam- 
 ing water, and as it neared the shore, the fairy 
 boat grew larger and larger and the little elf in 
 it grew and grew, too, and became a wondrously 
 beautiful woman with rich ash-blond hair and 
 great violet eyes. And when the swans were
 
 204 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 very near the bank, Raoul saw that it was Lilly 
 von Robiceck. The blood rushed to his heart, 
 his hands grew cold. Deep red darkness lay 
 over his eyes, and he stretched out his arms in 
 overpowering longing. 
 
 "What's the matter, Baron?" asked the 
 pretty girl at his side, startled from her com- 
 fortable dreaming by his queer actions. 
 
 He suddenly threw his outstretched arms about 
 her body, pressed her to his breast and kissed 
 her vehemently on the neck and under the ear. 
 
 She screamed, but there was no one near to 
 hear. She struggled with him, panting angrily, 
 and finally freed herself with a violent jerk. 
 
 She stood before him trembling with rage. 
 " What do you mean? You must be crazy " 
 
 He fell back wearily on the bench, took off his 
 hat and fanned himself sadly, saying, in a voice 
 of extreme fatigue: "Indeed? Well, it may 
 be possible. Sweet Martha, have pity on me, I 
 love you." 
 
 Miss Martha's black eyes shot contempt down 
 at him. " That is impertinence, not love." 
 She turned her back on him, and hurried with 
 long hasty steps through the shadowy forest 
 paths. He sprang from his seat and caught up 
 with her. However much she hurried, he re-
 
 THE THIRD SEX 205 
 
 mained at her side, talking softly but earnestly: 
 
 " Please listen to me, Miss Martha. Why are 
 you so angry? What have I done? If you call 
 that impertinence, then I am sorry. But that's 
 the way love always begins." 
 
 "What do you know about it?" she ex- 
 claimed impatiently. " Leave me, I don't want 
 to see you again." 
 
 " Oh, you think I don't know what love is? " 
 he cried offended. " If you only knew, you 
 would not make fun of me. I know love, be- 
 lieve me, in all its phases, except the legitimate, 
 of course." 
 
 " Be quiet ! you are indecent. I don't want to 
 hear you." 
 
 " And I want to ask you if you will follow 
 me to Livonia and share my honors and my 
 money? " 
 
 She halted involuntarily, and looked at him 
 with wide eyes. He seized the opportunity to 
 catch at her hand, but she tore it away. " Let 
 me go. I forbid you to follow me. I am going 
 home alone." 
 
 " Oh, and you will tell your sister that I of- 
 fered you my hand? " 
 
 " No, I shan't tell her, I am so ashamed of 
 myself." The tears came suddenly to her eyes,
 
 206 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 and while wiping them away she hurried on all 
 the quicker, stammering in her excitement, " I 
 don't know what I have done to deserve this. 
 I have never given you cause to treat me like 
 this." 
 
 " Why, you certainly have ! Didn't you tease 
 me incessantly? I am no boy. Will you take 
 me seriously now?" 
 
 " I don't want to see you again let me go." 
 
 " Listen to me, Miss Martha ; I will tell you 
 something. Love will never come to you, for 
 you run away from it, and make grimaces at it 
 from a distance like a scared rabbit. I pity you, 
 Miss Martha." He stopped, raised his hat, and 
 let her go on undisturbed. 
 
 When he reached the castle gate, he saw her 
 riding through the avenue by the canal. He 
 mounted Mr. Zirngruber's machine and rode on- 
 ward slowly, so that the distance between them 
 grew steadily greater until he lost sight of her 
 altogether in the Nymphenburgstrasse. Then 
 he considered what was to be done now. He 
 could not return to his old apartment of three 
 handsomely furnished rooms in the Schelling- 
 strasse, because he had told his landlord there 
 that he was going out of town for two weeks. 
 The good man took no alarm at this, for he had
 
 THE THIRD SEX 207 
 
 the new and elegant furniture as security for the 
 rent, which was still unpaid. He did not happen 
 to know that the furniture was only rented. 
 Raoul did not want to return to the new room, 
 into which he had taken only a light trunk, for 
 fear of meeting Mrs. von Robiceck. He de- 
 cided not to go there until after nightfall, which 
 also allowed him to put off signing the paper for 
 the police until another day. They could look 
 for him if they wanted him. 
 
 He rode about aimlessly for almost an hour 
 in the outskirts of the city, just to kill time and 
 to shake off his unpleasant thoughts. At one 
 o'clock he put up his wheel in the Restaurant 
 Frangais, and ordered a good five mark dinner 
 and a bottle of wine for the same price. Fair 
 Martha's money should at least satisfy his hun- 
 ger, even if she herself refused to satisfy his long- 
 ing heart. After dinner he adjourned to the Cafe 
 Luitpold, smoked an endless number of cigars, 
 read an endless number of newspapers, and 
 asked black-haired Pepi, who was an old friend 
 of his, if she would take a trip to Italy with 
 him, as he had just fallen heir to a million. 
 She was delighted at the prospect, and he gave 
 her three marks to buy a new pair of gloves. 
 But even then it was only four o'clock, so he
 
 208 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 seated himself once more on Mr. Zirngruber's 
 wheel and rode out to Aumeister. Tired from 
 the heat of the day and his sleepless night, he hid 
 the machine in the bushes, threw himself on the 
 grass and was soon fast asleep. 
 
 When he awoke it was past six o'clock, and' he 
 hurried back to the city, feeling that he hadn't a 
 moment to lose. He rode up to the office of 
 Moritz Haider's Daughters, just in time to re- 
 turn Mr. Zirngruber his wheel, and to catch Miss 
 Hildegard closing the place. " Has Miss 
 Martha gone home already?" Raoul asked cau- 
 tiously. 
 
 " No, she didn't come back here at all," re- 
 plied Box, unsuspectingly. " She didn't feel 
 well, she can't stand the heat, so she stayed 
 home to lie down." 
 
 " Oh, I am very sorry ! May I accompany 
 you?" 
 
 " Yes, if you will walk on slowly, for I must 
 give Schampus his exercise and a swim. You'll 
 find me at home in half an hour." 
 
 He strolled slowly to the Giselastrasse, and 
 saw by a glance at the wheel shed in the court 
 that Box had not yet returned. He took stock 
 of the situation again. Had he better go up and 
 attempt a second attack on Martha's heart?
 
 THE THIRD SEX 209 
 
 When she realized that he was in earnest it would 
 not be easy, he thought, for a young girl to re- 
 fuse a Baron with a million rubles. But then 
 on the other hand, what would happen if she 
 really said " yes," and he, in his conscientious- 
 ness, should actually take her at her word? 
 (Raoul de Kerkhove always drew his conscience 
 into his calculations, although it had left him in 
 the lurch more than once.) The girl was too 
 handsome for a man of his temperament to find 
 it possible to live a cool marriage of convenience 
 with her, and yet she was apparently so cold- 
 blooded that he could hardly hope for an 
 ecstatic love happiness. So perhaps it was best 
 to give up his serious intentions with regard to 
 Martha Haider; besides which, it was scarcely 
 likely that she would receive him at all now. 
 Anyway, it was not a good idea to make a pro- 
 posal of marriage with the object of asking for 
 an immediate money loan at least such con- 
 duct might not appear nice in the eyes of a refined 
 person, although the ladies Haider, as business 
 women, might be expected to be less sentimental 
 about money matters. He had better try to 
 achieve his purpose in a simpler manner. Walk- 
 ing up and down in front of the house, he thought 
 over this problem until he saw Box come round
 
 210 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 the corner at a sharp pace, with Schampus tear- 
 ing on ahead. 
 
 The good creature, still sopping wet, sprang 
 up on his friend Raoul in delight, leaving the 
 marks of his broad dirty paws on the latter's 
 elegant, new, and unpaid-for summer suit. 
 
 Box sprang down, scolded the dog, and con- 
 doled with her young friend over the mischief 
 done. Then she put up her wheel, and all three 
 climbed upstairs to the Haiders' apartment. 
 
 The servant was out and Miss Martha opened 
 the door. She smiled a forced smile when she 
 saw the young Baron, and answered her sister's 
 sympathetic questions as to her health with a 
 shrug, disappearing immediately into her own 
 room. 
 
 Hildegard looked after her with a shake of 
 the head, and said to Raoul, as she let him pass 
 in, " Queer girl ! the least little thing upsets her 
 so. She never spoke a word to me through din- 
 ner, as if I were the cause of her headache. 
 And when I commenced about your good luck 
 she told me to shut up, that you were a little 
 beast. Now, why should you be a little beast all 
 of a sudden? Please take a seat, Baron." 
 
 " Yes, I'd like to know why myself 
 thanks." The young man sat down in a com-
 
 THE THIRD SEX 211 
 
 fortable arm-chair, drew off his gloves slowly 
 and smiled a knowing smile. 
 
 Box sat opposite him with crossed legs and 
 asked: "Why that smile, Baron? What did 
 you do to her? " 
 
 " Nothing that I know of," he replied cheer- 
 ily. " Tell me, Miss Hildegard, do you believe 
 that lending money always destroys friend- 
 ship?" 
 
 "And why?" 
 
 " Well, Miss Martha lent me twenty marks. 
 Perhaps that is why she calls me a little 
 beast." 
 
 "Nonsense, Baron," laughed Box; "why do 
 you bother yourself with such trifles in your 
 present circumstances." 
 
 "Yes, isn't it ridiculous? Imagine it, I was 
 not in a position to pay a bill of one mark fifty! 
 I have been just a little reckless lately, and my 
 next allowance will not come for two weeks yet. 
 Now how shall I get to St. Petersburg? Could 
 you let me have a thousand?" 
 
 "A thousand marks? It doesn't cost that 
 much, does it? " 
 
 " No, not quite, but in Wirballen the Orient 
 begins, and one must have bakshish in hand. 
 And then I must make a proper appearance in
 
 212 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 St. Petersburg as the future Marshal and heir of 
 Usmaiken, Hasenpot, Mosheiki, Shagori and 
 Poswol." 
 
 " Do you really get the whole bunch? " 
 
 "Not quite; I must divide with my elder sis- 
 ter and my younger brother, but I have the entail 
 and the title. I hope this is enough security for 
 you. And then I have my new and handsome 
 furniture in the Schellingstrasse, I can make that 
 over to you." 
 
 " Oh, that's such a bother," answered Box in 
 a business-like manner. " You need the money 
 right away, and it's easier for you to give me a 
 note, say for three months you will have your 
 money then, will you not?" 
 
 " Certainly. My allowance comes in two 
 weeks, as I said, and then I can get all I want 
 in St. Petersburg, anyway." 
 
 " All right," said Box, rising and going to her 
 desk. " But I haven't the thousand here in the 
 house would five hundred do? Come to the 
 office to-morrow and I will give you a draft on 
 the bank for the rest." She opened the drawer 
 and took out a little money box. " Oh, dear I " 
 she cried, " I see I have not even five hundred 
 here so I'll put you down for three hundred 
 now. Does that suit you? We'll get the rest
 
 THE THIRD SEX 213 
 
 to-morrow you needn't take the very earliest 
 train?" 
 
 Raoul had risen also. " Many thanks, do 
 just as you think best. I must close up several 
 matters here anyway, as it will probably be six 
 months before I can return." 
 
 Box had her back to him, so she could not see 
 his disappointed face. While she was looking 
 for the proper paper and filling it out, he wan- 
 dered about the room, looking at the many knick- 
 knacks it contained. He discovered a case of 
 Indian workmanship, in silver and ivory, which 
 he had not seen before. A little key was in one 
 of the drawers. He opened it in his curiosity, 
 and then exclaimed in sudden surprise : " Oh, 
 what charming legs ! " 
 
 Hildegard Haider gave an involuntary look 
 down at herself to see if her skirt was pulled up, 
 then she turned to him. " Oh, papa's collection 
 didn't I ever show that to you?" 
 
 " No, please pardon my curiosity, it is most 
 interesting." 
 
 u Please write your name here." 
 
 He stepped to the desk, and wrote his name 
 on the note. Looking it over, he found himself 
 set down as owing three hundred and five marks, 
 and fifty pfennigs.
 
 2i 4 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 Box saw his surprise and explained: "That's 
 business, you know. One-third per cent commis- 
 sion and six per cent interest for three months, 
 recoverable by law in case of a protesting of the 
 note. Here is the money." 
 
 The young Baron bowed in thanks and put the 
 bills in his pocket. Then he turned again to the 
 collection of tobacco-stoppers, and Box explained 
 several of the choicest pieces. 
 
 " It is remarkable," he said meditatively, after 
 a few moments, " how much our imagination has 
 always occupied itself with women's legs. I 
 suppose it is simply the charm of the veiled. If 
 bicycle riding should put skirts out of fashion, 
 then long robes would have to be invented espe- 
 cially for the ballet girls, and not even an old 
 Major would think of stopping his pipe with a 
 little leg like these." 
 
 " Very well put, and very true," laughed Box. 
 " I believe this question of clothes has a still 
 wider significance even. If we women could 
 wear trousers without making ourselves conspic- 
 uous, then I could do business on the Stock Ex- 
 change myself. I don't blame the men for 
 refusing equal rights to a sex that has so much 
 to conceal, and does it with so much fuss. 
 We're not even equal before God, for they won't
 
 THE THIRD SEX 215 
 
 allow us to take off our bird's nests, or whatever 
 other foolish contrivance we wear on our heads, 
 when we wish to show our reverence to the Lord 
 in His own house. We expect even God to close 
 an eye out of politeness. And just as long as we 
 exact politeness and chivalry, we acknowledge 
 ourselves to be the weaker sex, therefore I, for 
 one, snap my fingers at chivalry." 
 
 Raoul de Kerkhove played nervously with one 
 of the finest specimens, as he remarked thought- 
 fully: "Tell me, it would really interest me, 
 . . . can you, yourself, imagine Miss Hildegard 
 Haider as a wife? " 
 
 "Oh, yes; why not?" she answered without 
 hesitation. " Only I can't imagine what sort of 
 a husband I should have." 
 
 Raoul began again, timidly: "I suppose you 
 would prefer an older man, who what shall 
 I say " 
 
 " No, thanks, much obliged, but I have no in- 
 terest in ruins. A condition of merry war with 
 a bright young chap, with whom one could have 
 a good hearty quarrel, seems to me much more 
 amusing. You see, it is possible that I might get 
 tired of the banking business some day. Then 
 I could marry a decent colleague and let him run 
 the shop; that would be the so-called sensible
 
 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 marriage. But if I should marry for love, 
 no reason to laugh, Baron, if I should marry 
 for love, then I would find my happiness in hav- 
 ing a husband whom I could train up in the way 
 he should go. Men aren't so bad as we please 
 to think them, if they only fall into the right 
 hands, that is." 
 
 " Then you would, hm ! as it were look 
 for a position as governess to a single gentleman? 
 Delicious and very original!" And Raoul 
 scratched thoughtfully with his nail at a little 
 black spot on the leg he held in his hand. 
 
 " Don't scratch that," cried Box, laughing, " it 
 won't come off; it's meant for a flea." 
 
 " Oh, dear I " cried Raoul comically, blushing 
 like a young girl. He held out his hand to put 
 the leg back in the box, but it fell from his fin- 
 gers to the table and broke. " Oh, dear ! Now 
 I have broken your pretty leg," he cried in de- 
 spair. 
 
 She scolded him good-naturedly: "You 
 clumsy thing, you 1 " 
 
 " I am most unhappy, Miss Hildegard," he 
 stammered. " Scold me some more, I have de- 
 served it. I am just as clumsy with everything 
 I touch in life, but I have never broken a lady's
 
 THE THIRD SEX 217 
 
 leg before, not even her heart. If you wish it, 
 I will shoot myself on the spot." 
 
 And he fished out his famous revolver from 
 its case in his pocket, holding it to his temple 
 with a fine theatrical gesture. Box didn't show 
 much alarm. " Oh, you ridiculous thing, you 
 make me laugh!" she exclaimed good- 
 humoredly, taking the revolver from his 
 hand. 
 
 " Give me back my comforter," he begged, 
 sadly smiling. " You can't imagine how many 
 serious talks we have had together, my shining 
 little friend here and I. You see, it is my tender 
 heart that is the cause of all my misfortune. My 
 soul is not robust enough to endure the pressure 
 of sympathy with the millions of my unhappy fel- 
 low creatures." 
 
 " Oh, don't talk nonsense ! " cried Box impa- 
 tiently. " Sympathy is the worst of all passions. 
 Every young man ought to have a good portion 
 of healthy selfishness in his make-up." 
 
 " That's just the trouble," he sighed, " I can't 
 reach that standpoint. I am such a clinging na- 
 ture, I believe I would have made a most at- 
 tractive young girl. It is my misfortune to have 
 been born a man."
 
 218 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 " Ha, ha ! it's just the opposite with me," 
 laughed Box. 
 
 " Yes, you know I've always thought we would 
 supplement each other remarkably well." 
 
 " That wasn't what I meant." 
 
 " But it is the truth yes, honestly. Your 
 heart longs for something to educate and to 
 guide; mine needs a strong hand." 
 
 His pale eyes gleamed moistly past her into 
 vacancy, and she pricked up her ears in expecta- 
 tion of what was to come next. But when sev- 
 eral minutes had elapsed without anything 
 occurring, she thought it better to prod him with 
 an encouraging, "Well?" 
 
 The young Baron started slightly and recalled 
 his roving glance. He sighed from his knees 
 up, and then spoke. 
 
 " Ah, Miss Haider, think of my situation. I 
 must go back to Livonia, to the home from which 
 I fled, with a feeling of utter loneliness; I must 
 take the management of my immense estates 
 upon myself, and it is a task for which I am so 
 ill-fitted! And then the Russian officials they 
 fairly flay one alive ! " 
 
 " Marry a sensible woman, if you can't take 
 care of yourself," said Box, giving him a friendly 
 slap on the shoulder.
 
 THE THIRD SEX 219 
 
 He tried bravely to beam, and answered: 
 " That 1*5 the solution, Miss Haider, but where 
 shall I find such a one? It must not be an aver- 
 age woman, a woman in the usual sense, for I 
 myself belong to the weaker sex. And yet in 
 all my travels I have met but one strong and 
 really sensible woman, and that is yourself, Miss 
 Haider. I do not know whether I dare " 
 
 " For mercy sake, are you really going to pro- 
 pose to me ? " burst out Box, falling into the 
 nearest chair with a most delighted expression of 
 face. He pulled his chair up to her, and rubbed 
 his knees with the flat of his hands. 
 
 " There, you see how unlucky I am," he spoke 
 sadly. " You don't take me seriously, you only 
 laugh at me." 
 
 " Oh, come now, don't be offended," she an- 
 swered in the friendliest tone. " But it is so very 
 sudden, I can't seem to imagine myself as Baron- 
 ess and chatelaine." 
 
 "And why not? Didn't I tell you once that 
 I liked to think of you as an Amazon on a fiery 
 steed, with a high silk hat? " 
 
 "Hm! yes, the hat might have charms for 
 me," she laughed. " And when I think of the 
 sort of people that put themselves on the high 
 horse sometimes, I know I could hold my own
 
 220 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 with most of them, anyway. But, don't be an- 
 gry, it is rather funny, you are so terribly young 
 and I am thirty-three." 
 
 " That's only on the surface," he smiled 
 mournfully. " My soul is aged, as aged as one 
 must become when one broods on all the sorrow- 
 ful problems that vex humanity." 
 
 Box did not answer ; she sat in silence, thought- 
 fully gnawing her under lip. Her dark eyes 
 shone, and the surprise had called up a delicate 
 color on her white skin; she looked decidedly 
 pretty and girlish. Suddenly a thought ran 
 through her brain, she seized his wrist and shook 
 him gently. 
 
 " See here, my little friend," she said, " please 
 explain how you suddenly come to honor me with 
 a serious proposal, after paying such energetic 
 attentions to my sister? " 
 
 " Hm ! how can I explain it," he replied softly. 
 " At first Miss Martha seemed to be the near- 
 est the most natural friend for me; but just 
 by reason of the contrast of her youth I seemed 
 to feel how old I really am and yet she had 
 only mockery for me." 
 
 " That's just her way, she doesn't mean any- 
 thing by it." 
 
 " Perhaps ; but this manner kills all serious
 
 THE THIRD SEX 221 
 
 feeling in those whom her beauty attracts." 
 
 Box looked at him in sudden surprise. " I 
 fear you have spoken a true word there; you're 
 not so stupid anyway, Raoul. If I really knew 
 that I was not interfering with my sister 
 hm " 
 
 "Then I may hope?" The young man rose 
 and held out his hand. 
 
 She rose also, and raised her right hand as if 
 to take his, then she hesitated and said: "I 
 must think it over; don't be so impatient, you fiery 
 youth ! " 
 
 He dropped his hand and heaved a sigh that 
 would soften a heart of stone. 
 
 She smiled into his eyes, folded her hands be- 
 hind her back, and said, with amusingly clumsy 
 coquetry: " I suppose you might give me a trial 
 kiss that doesn't commit us to anything, 
 does it?" 
 
 " You are very kind," he answered blushing, 
 laid his arm gently round her shoulder and kissed 
 her hastily on the mouth, without any disrespect- 
 ful display of ardor. 
 
 " Didn't you like it? " he joked, as she rubbed 
 her lips with her coat sleeve. 
 
 " Not madly to be quite frank," she 
 laughed merrily. " But I promise you that
 
 222 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 shan't frighten me. I don't imagine I know as 
 much about kissing as you do, and one learns 
 something new every day." She held out her 
 hand and pressed his heartily. 
 
 " Shall we go to Schleich's for supper now?" 
 he asked. 
 
 " No, we'd better give it up for to-day. 
 Martha isn't able to go, and under the present 
 circumstances I can't take supper with a young 
 man alone. You see your offer has suddenly 
 robbed me of all my independence. Yesterday 
 I would have wandered about with you until mid- 
 night, but to-day I feel it my duty to conduct 
 myself like a mature young girl of good family. 
 My land, how stupid that must be! So please 
 go now, and to-morrow you shall have your check 
 and your answer. By-by, Baron." 
 
 He did not go at once. It was evident there 
 was something on his mind to say yet. Finally 
 he drew a ring from his finger, and said : " My 
 dear Hildegard I may call you that now, may 
 I not? I want so much to give you something 
 for the broken leg. This belonged to my 
 mother, please take it, no matter what your an- 
 swer may be." And he pressed a gold circle set 
 with a single large turquoise on her reluctant fin- 
 ger.
 
 THE THIRD SEX 223 
 
 " If you really wish it, then many thanks," said 
 Hildegard in droll embarrassment. 
 
 He took up his hat slowly, looked about the 
 room as if to fix the picture in his mind; took a 
 few steps and halted again near the desk, as if 
 the farewell were too hard. Hildegard Haider 
 stood by the table, with her back turned to him. 
 She was honestly embarrassed, and was as red 
 as any ordinary young girl would be, who feared, 
 or hoped, to be caught and hugged in a minute. 
 But Raoul was not thinking of any such disre- 
 spectful action, and instead made use of her inat- 
 tention to fold up the draft which still lay on the 
 desk, and to put it in his pocket. 
 
 She heard the rattle of the paper and turned: 
 "What are you doing? That is your note, I 
 must keep that." 
 
 " Indeed? Oh, I beg your pardon," he an- 
 swered, looking very stupid. " I didn't know, 
 I never signed one before." He returned the 
 paper to its place. 
 
 " Oh, you sweet innocence ! " she joked. 
 " Look at him running away with the only se- 
 curity I have." Then she took him by the shoul- 
 ders and marched him briskly out at the door. 
 
 When she heard the outer door fall to behind 
 him, she ran into Martha's room, calling out,
 
 224 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 before she had crossed the threshold: "Say, 
 sweet flower, I've just had a proposal from 
 Raoul ! " 
 
 The fair Martha, who was sitting at her table 
 with a book, turned pale and fell back against the 
 sofa pillows. " You have?" she exclaimed in 
 incredulous surprise. 
 
 Box came nearer, and continued in an offended 
 tone : " Well, you needn't appear quite so sur- 
 prised. Why shouldn't he propose to me?" 
 
 " Because he proposed to me to-day," was 
 Martha's prompt answer. 
 
 "To you, too?" Box had to sit down. 
 "What did you say?" 
 
 " I very naturally told him what I thought of 
 him." 
 
 " I don't think that natural, I think it very 
 stupid. Do you believe he really loves you?" 
 
 " He swore it anyway," replied Martha with 
 a shrug. " He drew out his revolver and said 
 he would shoot himself." 
 
 " That's what he did with me, too," inter- 
 rupted Box, still offended, " and then " 
 
 " Then he became impertinent." 
 
 "How?" 
 
 " He caught hold of me, and kissed me like a 
 crazy man."
 
 THE THIRD SEX 225 
 
 "The wretch! He didn't do that to me." 
 
 The sisters sat opposite each other, glaring 
 across the table with angry eyes. 
 
 " I lent him three hundred marks," growled 
 Box. 
 
 " I got off with twenty," triumphed Martha. 
 " And you think you understand men. Oh, 
 dearie me! " 
 
 " And you, my dear," was Box's return thrust, 
 " you'll never capture a man anyway. You 
 freeze them off, your manner kills all serious 
 feeling in those whom you attract with your pretty 
 eyes." 
 
 " What I do with my eyes is my own affair," 
 answered Martha, frostily. " I'm in no mood 
 to be scolded by you, just because I don't like a 
 certain man. Take him yourself and welcome." 
 
 They talked at each other in this strain for 
 some little while, and when the servant came to 
 call them to supper she found them sitting by 
 the table with reddened faces. Miss Martha's 
 beautiful eyes showed traces of tears. 
 
 Martha was much too excited to eat, and 
 Hildegard eased her feelings by sending word to 
 the cook that no one could eat such a mess. But 
 she did manage to eat it, and when her hunger 
 was appeased, her good temper returned and she
 
 226 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 was disposed to look at the adventure from the 
 funny side. Just then the door-bell rang. 
 
 "Who can it be so late? " grunted Box, look- 
 ing at the clock. Their more intimate friends 
 were all in the country, so they listened atten- 
 tively to the sounds outside. The girl returned 
 and announced that a gentleman wished to speak 
 to the ladies alone about an important matter, 
 official business. The sisters looked at each 
 other, then Box decided to have the man 
 shown in. 
 
 An elderly gentleman with a comfortable em- 
 bonpoint and military carriage appeared in the 
 doorway, bowing respectfully. 
 
 " You wished to speak to us, sir? " asked Box. 
 " What can we do for you? " 
 
 "Are we alone, ladies?" asked the stranger, 
 and as Box replied in the affirmative, he turned 
 to see that the servant had shut the door behind 
 her. Then he came a step nearer and asked 
 softly: "Can we not go into the next room? 
 Are you sure the girl does not listen at the 
 door?" 
 
 Martha was alarmed : " Oh dear, what do 
 you want of us?" she inquired anxiously. 
 
 The stout gentleman replied in a tone that in- 
 spired confidence in spite of its cautious lowness:
 
 THE THIRD SEX 227 
 
 "Don't be alarmed, ladies; my name is Sedl- 
 meyer, Police Commissioner. I come on official 
 business from our office." 
 
 It was Box's turn to grow pale, but she pulled 
 herself together and asked the officer to enter the 
 drawing-room. He accepted her invitation to 
 sit down, and then he took two cabinet photo- 
 graphs from his fat, well-filled portfolio, handing 
 them to the ladies. 
 
 " If I am not mistaken," he observed politely, 
 " these are your pictures." 
 
 They were undoubtedly pictures of Hildegard 
 and Martha Haider, excellent likenesses of 
 both. Box acknowledged this fact, while Martha 
 was unable to say a word, her heart beat so at 
 seeing her picture in the hands of the police. 
 
 " Do not alarm yourselves, ladies, I will ex- 
 plain this at once," continued the official, turning 
 the leaves of his note-book. " I found these two 
 photographs to-day in a bachelor apartment in 
 the Schellingstrasse, where a certain Baron Raoul 
 de Kerkhove had lived. The gentleman left 
 town yesterday, destination unknown. These 
 two pictures stood on his desk, and as the ladies 
 Haider are known to the police, most favorably 
 of course" (he bowed politely), "I supposed 
 that you might be acquainted with this gentleman
 
 228 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 and could give me some information about him." 
 And then it came out that the young Baron, 
 who carried humanity's sorrows about on his 
 shoulders, was being eagerly sought by the police 
 of several Russian and German university towns, 
 on account of a train of swindlings, protested 
 notes and more such matters. He was not a 
 Baron, nor was he a doctor of philosophy nor 
 even a landed proprietor. His name was Van 
 Kerkhoven and he was the son of a merchant of 
 Dorpat. He had really made his entrance ex- 
 aminations and gone to several universities to 
 study. Everywhere he had told the same story 
 about his million ruble lawsuit, and had not only 
 swindled many merchants out of their goods, but 
 had actually persuaded the Dean of his last uni- 
 versity to lend him six thousand marks. Here 
 in Munich he found easy credit everywhere, be- 
 cause of his assertion that he was soon to marry 
 one of the firm of Moritz Haider's Daughters. 
 His story found ready belief as he was seen 
 everywhere with the ladies, and had made friends 
 in the best circles. A notice from the Russian 
 police started inquiries in Munich, and his arrest 
 was to follow the very next day. 
 
 These startling revelations threw Miss Mar- 
 tha into tears. She had been kissed by a crim-
 
 THE THIRD SEX 229 
 
 inal! But Box took it in a more practical fash- 
 ion. 
 
 " The man sat here not an hour ago, on the 
 very chair you are sitting on now, sir. He bor- 
 rowed three hundred marks of me, and left me 
 this ring and an offer of marriage as security. 
 Please take the ring as an asset. He will prob- 
 ably seek to get away as quickly as possible with 
 the money, so I should suggest watching the rail- 
 way stations. It may be possible that he is still 
 in town." 
 
 The commissary thanked them and started off 
 in a hurry. 
 
 " Isn't it strange," said Box a little later, " that 
 such a well-educated, and evidently well- 
 brought-up young man should be such a rascally 
 swindler? " 
 
 "Didn't I suspect it?" triumphed Martha. 
 " I lent him only twenty marks. It was you, sis- 
 ter dear, who decidedly overrated him." 
 
 Neither Mr. van Kerkhoven, nor the twenty 
 marks, nor the three hundred marks, were ever 
 seen again.
 
 CHAPTER VIII 
 
 SEVERAL weeks had elapsed. The thou- 
 sands of North German tourists who poured 
 through Munich on their way to the Alps had 
 now poured back again to their flatlands, paying 
 the customary toll of many glasses of Hofbrau 
 beer. The city took on its stranger-free appear- 
 ance once more, which however had little effect 
 on its classical dirtiness in rainy weather. Nor- 
 mal performances at normal prices could again 
 be seen in the Court Theater. But few went to 
 see them, for October seemed to have set itself 
 the task of making good the sins of the capricious 
 summer. The lecture rooms of the various 
 higher institutions of learning showed yawning 
 emptiness, although the new term had officially 
 begun. And of all the interesting people whom 
 the conscientious scribe of these chronicles has 
 had the honor to introduce to the gentle reader, 
 only Moritz Haider's energetic daughters, who 
 could not leave their business, and Dr. Reith- 
 meyer, were in town. 
 
 ago
 
 THE THIRD SEX 231 
 
 Since the world of science demanded a new 
 and irrefutable proof of his ability to practice a 
 professorship of Germanics, Dr. Reithmeyer had 
 spent the summer months writing an epoch-mak- 
 ing work on Councillor von Goethe's " Meyer of 
 Westphalia." It will be remembered that His 
 Excellency, on Sunday, February the I5th, 1824, 
 remarked to Eckermann that Mr. Meyer of 
 Westphalia was a very promising young man and 
 had written poems that aroused expectation. He 
 was only eighteen years old, and remarkably 
 clever. To find the scientific data of this Meyer 
 of Westphalia was indeed a task worthy of much 
 noble sweat. 
 
 Dr. Josef Reithmeyer had succeeded in getting 
 a list of all male Meyers of the better class born 
 in Westphalia in 1806, and in discovering that of 
 these, twenty-seven had written poems. He had 
 furthermore succeeded in collecting one hundred 
 and thirty-nine poems which had been written by 
 these twenty-seven Meyers, and had printed them 
 in his highly interesting book. In the second, 
 the critical, part of his work, he had endeavored 
 to judge these poems from the point of view of 
 Goethe's taste and opinions in 1824, in the hope 
 of thus discovering the true Meyer of West- 
 phalia. This method of reasoning had led him
 
 232 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 to the conclusion that it was surely Mr. Karl 
 Leberecht Gottwald Gneomar Meyer from Haspe. 
 Unfortunately there were no data of the later 
 life of the poet to be found, except the facts that 
 he had studied in Bonn, and had been carried off 
 by delirium tremens in his ninth term. Dr. Josef 
 Reithmeyer made the clever assertion that just 
 this last fact was the clearest proof of the identity 
 of Karl Leberecht Gneomar Meyer with the tal- 
 ented Meyer of Westphalia; for he had evi- 
 dently never been able to recover from the 
 intoxication into which the praise of the great 
 man would naturally throw a youth of eighteen. 
 The regular professor of his branch in the 
 Munich University, to whom the young licentiate 
 had shown the advance sheets of his work, con- 
 gratulated him most heartily on his performance, 
 and promised his whole influence for the winning 
 of the desired professorship. 
 
 And now that our good Dr. Josef Reithmeyer 
 had thus laid the corner stone of his career, there 
 was nothing more to prevent him from carrying 
 out the desire of his heart, the wish to be joined 
 in marriage to his beautiful friend, Claire de 
 Fries. She had been visiting her parents in 
 Friesland while he was collecting information in 
 Westphalia, and had now returned to Zurich.
 
 THE THIRD SEX 233 
 
 The wedding was to have taken place in Munich 
 before the winter term commenced. But there 
 were unexpected delays in securing the necessary 
 papers, and in the printing of the great book 
 " Goethe's Meyer of Westphalia " as well, so 
 that they finally decided to be married in Zurich 
 towards the close of October. Claire de Fries 
 had insisted that the marriage must not interrupt 
 her studies, and Dr. Reithmeyer had agreed to 
 this condition with a sigh, but with the secret hope 
 that she might think otherwise after the wedding. 
 It wasn't in the least necessary that she should 
 earn her own living by the practice of medicine. 
 She had money enough to live on very com- 
 fortably, and he also had an income that would 
 have sufficed him even as licentiate. If they put 
 their revenues together they could live most 
 agreeably with no care for the future. For, as 
 aforesaid, " Meyer of Westphalia " made the 
 professorship certain, and his author had a right 
 to expect other epoch-making works of himself, 
 which would bring him not only new academic 
 honors, but also the means to permit himself a 
 progeny. 
 
 It was strange that just these two should have 
 come together: Claire de Fries, with her per- 
 sistent zeal for science in spite of her otherwise
 
 234 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 phlegmatic disposition, and Josef Reithmeyer, 
 who otherwise than in his love, was a real little 
 Philistine. Without any display of passion on 
 her part, her statuesque beauty had quite dishev- 
 eled his usually correct thinking and feeling. In 
 these disordered moments he had written poems 
 which were better than those of the celebrated 
 Meyer of Westphalia; and these poems had so 
 worked on the sober North German common- 
 sense mind of the Zurich student, that she had 
 unhesitatingly given herself to the passionate 
 writer, with no inner struggle, just from a warm 
 sense of duty. She was far from imagining him 
 to be the fulfillment of her romantic longing, or 
 the personification of her ideal of manhood. In 
 fact the longing for a man had never troubled 
 her, and her ideal was to become a good physi- 
 cian. All that was purely womanly in her nature 
 found satisfaction in the knowledge that she 
 could make someone happy, and so she remained 
 unshaken in her fidelity to the only lover for 
 whom she had time in her ardent studies. 
 
 The wedding was to take place on the twenty- 
 sixth of October, at eleven o'clock in the morn- 
 ing. The intimate friends who were to witness 
 the ceremony as assistants to both parties arrived 
 on the twenty-fifth. Arnulf Rau and his wife,
 
 THE THIRD SEX 235 
 
 who had been spending several weeks in Switzer- 
 land, took rooms in one of the more aristocratic 
 hotels, and invited the beautiful bride to pass the 
 evening with them. Miss Echdeler, president 
 of the Association for the Evolution of the Fem- 
 inine Psyche, arrived on the same day from 
 Karlsruhe, where a convention of noted leaders 
 of the Woman Movement had just taken place. 
 Mrs. Stummer and her inseparable friend, Miss 
 Wiesbeck, were in Zurich, studying at the Uni- 
 versity. The bridegroom himself did not arrive 
 until evening, accompanied by Miss Hildegard 
 Haider who had left her sister in charge of the 
 office for several days, and by an old college 
 chum, Referendar Kuno Kulicke. For two terms 
 Josef Reithmeyer had been a member of the 
 corps, and had been the Fuchs of said Kuno Ku- 
 licke. The latter had twice flunked his Assessor 
 examination, but his unchanged fidelity was the 
 proof of so much beauty of heart that his esthetic 
 younger friend forgave, for its sake, his other- 
 wise manifold physical, moral, and mental de- 
 fects. 
 
 The three took quarters in a hotel which was 
 characterized more by moderate prices than by 
 elegance or pomp. It was a most sympathetic 
 touch on the part of Dr. Reithmeyer that he
 
 236 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 would not appear on the scene of the ceremony 
 until the last moment. His delicacy revolted 
 against what might seem like a forcing himself 
 on his beloved before the wedding, for in her 
 position as bride she seemed to him to have a 
 new right to his protection. He made a formal 
 call the evening of his arrival in all the glory of 
 black frock coat, high hat and clean collar, and 
 not finding her at home, left his card in the most 
 conventional manner. 
 
 There was to be a simple wedding dinner at 
 one o'clock in a restaurant where, in the earlier 
 days of his sojourn in Zurich, Dr. Reithmeyer 
 had a flirtation with a waitress. The esthetic 
 under-current in the character of this excellent 
 young scholar would have been offended by the 
 choice of a house with which he had not the least 
 psychic relation. 
 
 The morning of the twenty-sixth dawned wet, 
 cold, and disagreeable. The wind that drove the 
 rain in wet masses across the lake seemed to have 
 first thoroughly cooled itself off on the Alpine 
 ice-fields. Shortly after ten o'clock the bride- 
 groom, with his assistants, Box and Kuno, started 
 out under their umbrellas to fetch the fair bride. 
 The men hid their patent leather shoes in rub- 
 bers, and had their trousers turned up, while Box
 
 THE THIRD SEX 237 
 
 pinned up her velvet skirt to the limit allowed 
 by decency. The three were greatly astonished 
 to find the bride not at home. 
 
 " Where can she be? " cried Box, in moral in- 
 dignation. " A bride needs at least an hour for 
 her toilette, and especially anyone as slow as 
 Claire is." 
 
 " Holy Cross, our young lady's getting mar- 
 ried?" cried the fat little landlady, opening her 
 eyes wide in astonishment. 
 
 "Yes, and the ceremony is set for eleven; 
 didn't she say anything to you about it?" asked 
 Dr. Reithmeyer nervously. 
 
 " Not a living word. She's off to the hospital, 
 just like every other day; she didn't say nothing 
 of a wedding. Nay, nay, but she's a queer 
 piece!" 
 
 The bridegroom stared helplessly at Box, and 
 Box stared equally helplessly at Mr. Kuno Ku- 
 licke, while the Herr Referendar himself sought 
 a support for his fixed and serious gaze on the 
 little landlady's enormous bosom. The three 
 stood there in the corridor feeling that they had 
 been deceived and betrayed, while three dreary 
 rivulets from their umbrellas sadly sought a level. 
 Then the bell rang and Miss Echdeler, Mrs. 
 Stummer and Miss Wiesbeck appeared. These
 
 238 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 ladies were equally astonished that the bride was 
 not in her room an hour before the wedding, al- 
 though they knew that Claire de Fries would not 
 be likely to consider the ceremony for the legal- 
 izing of her love as anything particularly solemn 
 or sentimental. Miss Wiesbeck offered to take 
 a cab at the bridegroom's expense, and drive to 
 the Pathological Institute, or, if the bride were 
 not there, to the University Clinic. It was ar- 
 ranged that she should bring the bride to her 
 rooms as soon as she found her, hurry her dress- 
 ing, and then join the others at the restaurant 
 where the dinner was to be, as it was near the 
 Registrar's office. When she had started, the 
 rest of the little company made their way on foot 
 to the restaurant and sat down in the public room. 
 " Unsympathetic place," said Miss Echdeler, 
 shivering. And she was quite right. The high 
 bare room, painted in orange-yellow, was full of 
 stale odors of tobacco smoke, food and drink, as 
 the heavy rain had apparently made the morning 
 airing impossible. The walls were greasy, and a 
 moist precipitation of dust and smoke had drawn 
 a thick network of dirty furrows over them. The 
 rain still ran gray off the high window panes, al- 
 though it had been working at the crust of dirt 
 for hours. Two large excruciatingly indifferent
 
 THE THIRD SEX 239 
 
 oil paintings and several high mirrors were as 
 little able to arouse an impression of elegant com- 
 fort as were the red plush sofas scattered here 
 and there. 
 
 They ordered beer and a trifle to eat, and when 
 the girl brought the drinks, Dr. Reithmeyer 
 asked what had become of Lisel. The unsym- 
 pathetic waitress didn't know, the lady at the bar 
 hadn't the faintest idea either, anyway the pres- 
 ent proprietor had been there only a year all 
 of which tore the slight psychic bonds to pieces 
 that had drawn Dr. Reithmeyer to this house. 
 He could read in the faces of his friends that 
 they did not approve of his choice, so he felt 
 called upon to offer some explanation. 
 
 " Yes, I must say it does not look attractive 
 here to-day," he turned to Miss Echdeler. " But 
 what could I do? I used to flirt with a waitress 
 here, Lisel was her name; then I met Claire and 
 began to write poems. So I had little chance of 
 gaining a more intimate knowledge of restaurant 
 life in Zurich." 
 
 Smiles that were more or less dreary, and slow 
 nodding, was all the answer he received. Then 
 Kuno Kulicke felt it devolving upon him to ward 
 off utter boredom, and offered Hildegard " a 
 half." But Box possessed so little understand-
 
 2 4 o THE THIRD SEX 
 
 ing of this honor that she did not even say 
 " Prosit," although Mr. Kulicke carried out his 
 part of the ceremony with the utmost politeness. 
 And when Dr. Reithmeyer mildly suggested that 
 this student foolishness was out of place in the 
 presence of ladies, he received a sharp order to 
 " get into his glass." 
 
 " One is one, two is two, three is " Dr. 
 Reithmeyer responded to please him, and drank 
 until he was allowed to stop, then wiped his beard 
 and murmured an audible: " Such childishness." 
 
 " Ladies and gentlemen, did you hear that ? 
 My * Fuchs ' said * Childishness.' Childishness is 
 Touche, it is worse even than * Foolishness.' 
 Seppl-Fuchs, when will you be ready?" 
 
 Dr. Reithmeyer laughed, and Box tried to calm 
 the offended Referendar by explaining that any- 
 thing connected with children would naturally be 
 in the thoughts of a bridegroom on his wedding 
 day. 
 
 A little pause followed this witty remark, which 
 was broken by Mrs. Stummer with the declara- 
 tion: "Ladies and gentlemen, if you continue 
 to bore each other in this fashion, I see myself 
 compelled to journey to the nearest pastry shop 
 to drink a cup of chocolate." 
 
 The bridegroom grumbled: "It seems to be
 
 THE THIRD SEX 241 
 
 the general desire to spoil my appetite as well as 
 your own. It is certainly unpardonably incon- 
 siderate of Claire to leave us in the lurch like 
 this. She is probably reveling in a post-mortem 
 on her wedding day, while we are eating sausages 
 here. I wish I had remained true to Lisel, then 
 I might have been divorced already. Whereas 
 now there doesn't seem to be much prospect of 
 my getting married at all." 
 
 Miss Echdeler and Mrs. Stummer laughed 
 softly, and Kuno Kulicke endeavored to continue 
 his student fun by starting a song, but no one 
 joined him and he finally gave it up in despair. 
 Scarcely five minutes passed during which some 
 one of them did not look at the clock. It was 
 now ten minutes before eleven, the rain had 
 ceased, the sun broke the thick mass of clouds 
 and a few rays fell through the clean washed 
 windows on the waiting wedding party in the 
 orange-yellow room. This glorious moment 
 would have been most auspicious for the holy 
 ceremony, but the bride was still absent. The 
 bridegroom's little touch of humor had vanished 
 again, and a nervous impatience seized him. He 
 ran out into the rain, bareheaded, in his patent 
 leather shoes. Carriage after carriage passed, 
 but not one halted in front of the restaurant.
 
 242 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 Then he went in again and asked for the " Jour- 
 nal Amusant." The others followed his example 
 and buried themselves in newspapers and maga- 
 zines out of respect for his sorrow. No one said 
 a word. Kuno Kulicke wreathed himself in smoke 
 and ordered a third glass of beer. The leaves 
 of the papers rattled now and then as they were 
 turned, and the girl washing cups at the sideboard 
 clattered with her dishes, otherwise it was as pain- 
 fully quiet as in the waiting room of a physician. 
 
 At a quarter past eleven Dr. Reithmeyer threw 
 down his " Journal Amusant " with an angry ges- 
 ture, and growled between clenched teeth: "If 
 she doesn't want me, very well, then it's all over 
 between us. I do not care to be made a fool of 
 in this way." 
 
 Kuno Kulicke threw down his " Wiener Floh " 
 with equal vehemence and said: "This is really 
 too much! The young lady is an academic citi- 
 zeness, but she doesn't seem to know the first rule 
 of Comment! " 
 
 At this moment the door opened and Miss 
 Wiesbeck rushed in breathlessly. The entire 
 company sprang up to meet her. 
 
 " Is she there? " they all cried at once. 
 
 "Yes," Miss Wiesbeck panted, "she's out 
 there in the cab."
 
 THE THIRD SEX 243 
 
 "Dressed?" asked Box. 
 
 " No, just as she was. But it's all right, she 
 looks real nice, and she says she put on clean linen 
 to-day, anyway. There was an operation in the 
 Women's Clinic which she couldn't possibly miss, 
 it was so interesting. But hurry up now or the 
 Registrar will be gone." 
 
 The little lunch was already paid for, so no 
 time was lost in starting. Dr. Reithmeyer sprang 
 into the cab with his overcoat on his arm and his 
 rubbers in his hand, and sat down beside Claire. 
 Box and the Referendar squeezed themselves onto 
 the narrow front seat, as they were to be the wit- 
 nesses. The three ladies walked on behind, as 
 there was no other cab to be seen. 
 
 Box and Claire greeted each other cordially, 
 and Dr. Reithmeyer introduced his friend Ku- 
 licke. He would not look at her himself, and did 
 not even offer her his hand. 
 
 " Well, aren't you going to say good morn- 
 ing? " began Claire when they had rattled on in 
 silence for about two minutes. She leaned over 
 to him and pushed her arm through his. " I know 
 it was horrid of me to keep you waiting so, but 
 you mustn't begin by grumbling at me on our wed- 
 ding day. You must not forget that I have only 
 six months more before my examinations. The
 
 244 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 operating course is of the very highest importance 
 for me just now. One can get married any day, 
 but an ovariotomy for a seven-pound multilocular 
 myxo-cystoma ovarii dextri, with a uterus bi- 
 cornis, and pregnancy of the left horn, is some- 
 thing that doesn't happen quite so often. It was 
 delicious to see the elegance with which our Pro- 
 fessor worked simply superb 1 I had to super- 
 vise giving the anesthetic, so I couldn't leave until 
 the patient had come to again. She will prob- 
 ably die, but the operation was a magnificent suc- 
 cess. You ought to see our Professor cut open 
 an abdomen, and lay the intestines to one side, 
 as neatly as a sausage maker arranging his wares ; 
 it's simply great ! " 
 
 " Oh, stop, you'll make me ill ! " cried the bride- 
 groom, wringing his hands in despair. " I don't 
 believe you have given one single thought to the 
 importance of this day." 
 
 " To be honest, I haven't," she answered 
 calmly. " One cannot allow oneself any distrac- 
 tion before an operation of that kind." 
 
 The cab rattled horribly over the stones and 
 Dr. Reithmeyer screamed to his friend Kuno, as 
 he slapped him on the knee : " Did you hear that, 
 Kuno ? She calls marriage a distraction ! " 
 
 The Referendar made a face like a frog that
 
 THE THIRD SEX 245 
 
 had just seen a crocodile for the first time. He 
 had assisted at the weddings of two sisters and 
 several cousins, but he had never met anything 
 like this before. And yet this bride, who reveled 
 in the memory of a bloody butchery with the de- 
 light of a Spaniard at a bullfight, was a beautiful 
 blond of exquisite figure, made to be loved. Kuno 
 stared at the phenomenon as if hypnotized, while 
 Box was highly amused. Here was a triumph of 
 emancipation, of which she, as fellow woman, was 
 vastly proud. It was time these male creatures 
 were taught they could not have a monopoly of 
 all the higher interests. 
 
 The wagon halted. Box sprang out first, and 
 Kuno followed clumsily, opening his umbrella to 
 protect the bride, as it had begun to rain again. 
 The bridegroom got out last, and settled with the 
 driver, while the others fled into the building. 
 Arnulf Rau and his wife had been waiting for 
 nearly an hour in the ante-room, and the cordiality 
 with which a bridal couple are usually greeted in 
 such a place suffered visibly from the nervous ex- 
 citement caused by the delay. The presiding of- 
 ficial had appeared twice in the ante-room, ready 
 to take his departure, and had been persuaded to 
 remain only after much talk. An attendant 
 rushed to announce the party, and the voice of the
 
 &4* THE THIRD SEX 
 
 Registrar within was heard in an audible national 
 expression of displeasure as he ordered them 
 brought in at once. 
 
 The bridal couple, accompanied by their wit- 
 nesses and the Raus, entered the room without 
 waiting for the other ladies who were not neces- 
 sary to the ceremony. The Registrar, a small, 
 fat, bald-headed gentleman buttoned into a tight 
 coat, stood ready behind his table, and looked at 
 them angrily through his gold rimmed spectacles. 
 " You don't seem in any hurry to get married," 
 was his ungracious welcome. " May I ask if 
 you have made up your minds at last." 
 
 " It was my fault, sir," said Claire de Fries in 
 her sweetest tones, bowing politely. " I had to 
 assist at an operation in the University Clinic, that 
 I couldn't possibly miss. It was an ovariotomy for 
 multilocular myxo-cystoma of the right ovary, 
 and just imagine, we found uterus bicornis 
 with " 
 
 Dr. Reithmeyer pulled at his bride's sleeve and 
 whispered : " Claire, that really isn't necessary 
 here!" 
 
 "Are you the bride?" asked the official, look- 
 ing at the lady's costume in surprise. She wore a 
 long rubber coat over her gown, and a patent- 
 leather sailor hat on her head.
 
 THE THIRD SEX 247 
 
 She answered in the affirmative, and asked for 
 permission to lay off her coat, as it was hot in the 
 room. 
 
 " That won't be necessary," grunted the official 
 impatiently. " It's all over in five minutes." 
 
 " Must I take off my gloves? " asked Claire. 
 
 "Why?" 
 
 "I thought on account of the rings." 
 
 " There's no ring here, all we want is your sig- 
 nature, the rest is the pastor's business." 
 
 " Oh, we are not going to have a church cere- 
 mony I " cried Claire almost indignantly. 
 
 The fat little man's patience gave way before 
 the pressure of his hunger and the knowledge that 
 his favorite dish was awaiting him at home. " Get 
 married wherever you like," he cried; " all I want 
 here is a plain ' yes ' or * no.' " 
 
 Josef Reithmeyer took his bride's hand and 
 led her to the table. The Registrar hastily read 
 off the papers that confirmed their reception into 
 the honorable company of the Married. And 
 then, without the slightest pathos, he put the im- 
 portant question: "If you really want one an- 
 other, take each other's right hand and answer 
 with an audible * yes/ " 
 
 Dr. Reithmeyer's yes was given with a touch 
 of emotion, and Claire introduced a humorously
 
 248 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 ironical variation into the usual routine, by say- 
 ing, after a tiny pause, and with a good-natured 
 smile: "Well yes." 
 
 Then the paper was laid before them to be 
 signed, and when the bride had written her full 
 name, Claire Reithmeyer, born de Fries, c&nd. 
 med. t in her stiff proud writing, they were pro- 
 nounced man and wife. The ladies Echdeler, 
 Stummer, and Wiesbeck rushed in breathlessly 
 during the signing, and were scolded by the of- 
 ficial for dirtying the place with their dripping 
 umbrellas. Whereupon the guardian of the holy 
 institution of matrimony disappeared hastily 
 through a second door, and the young couple re- 
 ceived the congratulations of their friends. The 
 clerk handed the bridegroom his certificate, and 
 received payment, which completed the sacred act, 
 and then the little company went out again into 
 the pouring rain. Kuno Kulicke brought up three 
 cabs, the Raus and Miss Echdeler got into the 
 first; the young people, i. e., Box, Kuno, the ladies 
 Stummer and Wiesbeck, took the second, and the 
 bridal couple were left to themselves in the third. 
 
 When finally alone with his wife, Dr. Reith- 
 meyer laid his arm timidly about her, and pressed 
 her hands gently without a word.
 
 THE THIRD SEX 249 
 
 She smiled at him cheerfully and gave him a 
 hearty kiss. " Good morning, dearest," she said 
 merrily. ** We had quite forgotten that cere- 
 mony. How are we, anyhow? Do you still like 
 me just a little?" 
 
 " Oh, you naughty girl," he cried tenderly and 
 pressed her closer. " You really don't deserve 
 that I should." 
 
 They were silent again and only the continued 
 gentle pressure of their hands showed they were 
 thinking of each other. When near their goal 
 he broke the dreamy stillness with the whisper: 
 " Tell me Claire, are you happy? " 
 
 " Oh, yes," she answered with beaming eyes, 
 " I am to sew up an incision all by myself to-mor- 
 row, for the very first time." 
 
 " You are incorrigible ! " he laughed, half in 
 anger, half in amusement. 
 
 She rubbed his beard tenderly. " Dearest 
 Seppl, you must get used to that science first, 
 then pleasure. You knew my conditions. And 
 now, I'm fearfully hungry! " 
 
 The polite Referendar stood ready with an 
 open umbrella when the wagon halted, the others 
 having gone on upstairs to the private room. Now 
 that Mrs. Reithmeyer laid off her ugly rain coat
 
 2 5 o THE THIRD SEX 
 
 and sailor hat, she looked very pretty, in spite 
 of the simplicity of her close-fitting dark cloth 
 gown. Mrs. Rau wore a handsome silk dress, but 
 none of the others had taken any particular pains 
 to make themselves beautiful, so that the quiet- 
 ness of the young wife's toilette was not too con- 
 spicuous. The correct Referendar was the only 
 one of the gentlemen in a full dress coat, Dr. 
 Reithmeyer wearing a new style long black frock 
 coat, and Arnulf Rau a dinner jacket. The table 
 was neatly and prettily set, without any attempt 
 at pomp, and was served by the head waiter and 
 the unsympathetic girl. The menu consisted of 
 crayfish soup, trout, truffled capon, a pudding, and 
 ice cream. The champagne was served with the 
 pudding and the company had warmed up by that 
 time. Arnulf Rau was expected to make the main 
 speech of the occasion. His wife had already let 
 fall a hint that he was prepared to be called upon. 
 It was, therefore, with no little surprise that the 
 company saw the bridegroom rise and touch his 
 knife to his glass. No one had ever heard him 
 make a speech, and his preliminary embarrass- 
 ment made them fear a mishap. He asked the 
 servants to withdraw and began timidly, in a voice 
 that quickly grew firmer, to recite the following 
 verses :
 
 THE THIRD SEX 251 
 
 I bid you welcome on my marriage day, 
 
 And for your friendship thank you from my heart. 
 
 You come to a strange feast without display, 
 A wedding in which music plays no part. 
 
 And yet I think, although our ways are free, 
 
 We shall not miss a true felicity. 
 
 The alienated Church we will restore 
 
 To our own home and our own company, 
 
 Minus the black-robed stealthy servitor 
 Of sacred, profitable stupidity. 
 
 Too hot this ground for those sly slippered feet. 
 
 We fear no hell save what on earth we meet. 
 
 My own dear love has had to bear with patience 
 The poison-tooth of numberless old aunts, 
 
 And from the circle of the dear relations 
 
 The shamed one was expelled with arrogance. 
 
 My mother in the grave turns on her side 
 
 To see me take the lost one as my bride. 
 
 Before this day we challenged heaven's wrath, 
 But now a ray of grace has lit on us. 
 
 The bourgeois world now ventures on our path, 
 With tendered palm and smiles magnanimous. 
 
 The mangy sheep to her own breast she'll hold, 
 
 That they may live henceforth in virtue's fold. 
 
 As now I lay my hands all reverently 
 
 In thanks and blessing upon this blonde head, 
 
 Long proudly held against hostility, 
 
 In smiling grief, by my love comforted,
 
 252 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 And in Love's name pray Sorrow to forbear, 
 Give all a friendly amen to my prayer. 
 
 Be you the priests our union to uphold. 
 
 As you are human, you are reverend, 
 Because your heart-beats ring like bells of gold 
 
 In sympathy with stranger or with friend. 
 He who endures the darts by malice sent 
 Wins for himself the truest sacrament. 
 
 The last two stanzas were uttered in deep emo- 
 tion, the speaker holding back his tears with dif- 
 ficulty. When he had finished his right hand lay 
 on the beautiful Claire's golden curls. She 
 turned her head under the slight pressure, looked 
 up at him, and they gazed long into each other's 
 eyes. Then the young wife raised her arms to 
 her lover with a graceful unconscious movement, 
 drew him down to her and kissed him on the lips. 
 It was so simple and so natural, and yet it seemed 
 like some sacred ceremony in a holy place. The 
 others rose and touched glasses with the young 
 couple, in the silence of a general emotion. 
 
 Then the waiter and the unsympathetic girl en- 
 tered with the ice cream. Arnulf Rau ate tiny 
 pieces of it with a heavily furrowed brow. Reith- 
 meyer had stolen some of what he was about to 
 say, and he had to make hurried changes in his 
 speech. But when the servants had gone out
 
 THE THIRD SEX 253 
 
 again, he rose and touched his, glass. They all 
 settled themselves comfortably in their chairs as 
 one does when the curtain rises in a theater, for 
 an interesting speech might be expected from Ar- 
 nulf Rau. And he spoke: 
 " Honored and Dear Friends : 
 
 " We have just seen a civil ceremony per- 
 formed in dreary sobriety, and pouring rain helped 
 to wash away any beauty we might have expected 
 from this occasion. But our dear friend Josef 
 Reithmeyer has come to his own aid and to the 
 aid of us all, and has shed the brightness of his 
 verses as a shining wedding torch over this sim- 
 ple festival. And that is just what is remarkable 
 in this informal ceremony, that it receives its 
 beauty and its sacredness from itself alone, with- 
 out the help of the church that looks so coldly on 
 the fate of the individual, and without asking aid 
 from the customs of society, which set the same 
 pomp and turmoil as a seal on the union of true 
 love, or on the most dastardly money-bargain be- 
 tween man and woman. 
 
 " Our friends, Josef Reithmeyer and Claire de 
 Fries, have given themselves the blessing, and 
 they have won a right to do so. They are of the 
 Community of the Free Ones, conscious that they 
 are responsible to themselves alone for what they
 
 254 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 do. They have tried themselves before entering 
 into this union and their love has not been found 
 wanting. And if this love is called a marriage 
 only from to-day on, they can rest in the proud 
 assurance that it will prove a true marriage, in- 
 dissoluble in that their souls will grow ever more 
 together in mutual understanding and in mutual 
 forgiveness. The last seems to me the most im- 
 portant, for we poor mortals have always some- 
 thing to forgive one another in that no two wills 
 can ever take the selfsame road. I will not talk 
 to you of love to-day, my friends ; that love is best 
 of which least is said, and there is something else 
 in my heart. I, who have given the expression, 
 * The Third Sex,' to the world, find in this wedding 
 something of symptomatic importance. In the 
 world of the Dead, of those already dead in her 
 eyes, i. e., her family and all the other dear fam- 
 ilies in the herd of the Unawakened, our friend 
 Claire is called an emancipated woman. She is 
 looked upon as a woman who has thrown aside all 
 modesty belonging to her sex to fight with man 
 for a livelihood in his own field nay more, she 
 has also dared to live her own life as she chose 
 it, outside the boundary set by moral law for her 
 sex. And yet, does she belong to the Third Sex ? 
 Is she one of those human Things, neither fish,
 
 THE THIRD SEX 255 
 
 flesh, nor fowl, whose brain can use its functions 
 only for the winning of a medical diploma? You 
 women, who are proud of what your sister has 
 already achieved in her struggle for the recog- 
 nition of her own free will, you will say, perhaps, 
 that she is a Super-Woman, who has conquered 
 the weakness of her sex and the longing for man's 
 protection. But I say to you as a man, and every 
 man who knows her will say the same, that she is 
 neither a man-woman nor a thing-woman, but sim- 
 ply a woman, undeniably the second sex. Her 
 whole being breathes the charm of the true 
 woman, and it would not be possible for her to go 
 through life without love. She shall be for us 
 the proof that a woman may be all woman and 
 yet be a free human being; that she may be a lov- 
 ing wife to the man of her choice, and yet live 
 her own mental life and fill her own independent 
 place. 
 
 " Our friend Josef Reithmeyer will not be of- 
 fended if I refuse to create a new sex in his honor. 
 I do not even count him among the Super-Men. 
 Seppl dear, you are just an ordinary, every-day 
 man. You have devoted your services to the in- 
 terest of the state, and to leading growing youth 
 to the springs of knowledge and beauty in our 
 literature. You have always done your duty well
 
 256 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 and never aimed at the Boundless. But you have 
 had the courage of your convictions, and that has 
 raised you from the Herd and stamped you as a 
 Free Man. And you have found the strongest 
 and deepest possibilities of your soul in your love. 
 We all know that you are inwardly freer than you 
 appear, and that you have bent to the forms of 
 morality and custom for superficial reasons alone, 
 and because you knew that these forms could not 
 injure your love. The best we can wish for your 
 marriage is that it may be true and good in spite 
 of the fact that it is a marriage. And when you 
 are a Professor and begin to grow too tame, then 
 Madame Claire must stir you up to remember 
 your courage. It is said that every true woman 
 is nearer nature than we are, and that she never 
 loses something of her original wildness. 
 
 " But what I wish most particularly to say to 
 you on this important day, is that you are chosen 
 to work through example against the growth of 
 that true Third Sex, the existence of which I once 
 made clear to you; against those weakling mascu- 
 line souls in unattractive female forms, which have 
 set their stupid pride in killing the holy longing 
 within themselves, in mocking at the rights of na- 
 ture, while babbling of their rights to work at the 
 Tower of Culture. Unhappy souls in Purgatory,
 
 THE THIRD SEX 257 
 
 for whom no one prays, that is the Third Sex, 
 created by wrong social conditions and misunder- 
 stood talk of emancipation. You two, however, 
 are to show to them that are wandering in Dark- 
 ness, that it is possible to be a sex being, and yet 
 a free modern mind. Love one another, beget 
 strong boys and girls, nourish them with the food 
 of your wisdom and your experience, and give 
 them your weapons for the fight against stupidity 
 and tradition. The boys' fresh hardihood shall 
 strengthen the maidens' courage, and the girls' 
 gentleness shall soften the brutality of the boys' 
 pride of vigor. 
 
 " Then you will bring up a race of Free Ones, 
 which is not ashamed of its double character, and 
 does not make an absurd bone of contention in 
 the precedence of the trousers. Sepp and Claire, 
 beloved friends, I greet you as the ancestors of a 
 new and glorious race! In this sense, hip, hip, 
 hurrah!" 
 
 The toast was received with rejoicings, and Ar- 
 nulf Rau was complimented on his superb oratory. 
 Laughter, jokes, and serious debates on the sub- 
 ject filled the room with merry noise, and this 
 unique wedding dinner ended in a burst of jol- 
 lity, clinking of glasses, reddened faces, and 
 clouds of tobacco smoke.
 
 258 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 In the midst of the wildest noise Kuno Kulicke 
 asked his neighbor Box if this were not the mo- 
 ment to propose a toast to the ladies, and re- 
 ceived the startling answer that there were no 
 ladies present, only men and women. He 
 thought that over for a while, and then he sug- 
 gested that no one had as yet thought of men- 
 tioning the revered parents and parents-in-law. 
 His official conscience would not let him rest. 
 But Box foresaw a fiasco for the good Referendar 
 and a possible spoiling of the fun for all the com- 
 pany, if she let him follow the promptings of his 
 demon. So she rose herself, and in a few well- 
 put words toasted the messenger from another 
 world, who had not feared to leave the peace of 
 his well-ordered opinions to assist his friend 
 against the very doubtful company in which he 
 now moved: a glass to the amiable and cour- 
 ageous Herr Referendar Kuno Kulicke! 
 
 The feted one had no time to answer, for a 
 general departure was made in a few moments. 
 The company adjourned to a cafe and closed the 
 evening with a visit to a better class concert, that 
 the auspicious day might end in harmony. 
 
 But even then there was a tiny cloud on the 
 sky of matrimonial bliss for our good Josef Reith- 
 meyer.
 
 THE THIRD SEX 259 
 
 All his endeavors to persuade his young wife 
 to take ever so short a wedding journey were 
 fruitless. She promised to visit him during the 
 Christmas vacation and to beautify his bachelor 
 home by her presence there for two whole weeks, 
 but otherwise she was to remain a wife in absentia 
 until after her examinations. 
 
 So Dr. Reithmeyer set out the next day, with- 
 out his wife and in the company of Hildegard 
 Haider, who desired to spend her little vacation 
 in seeing something of Switzerland. The Doc- 
 tor left Zurich, as he felt himself unable to en- 
 dure longer the pang of the enforced renuncia- 
 tion. 
 
 Box tried her best to comfort the disappointed 
 man, and to instill into his brain the proper re- 
 spect for the tremendous energy shown by his 
 wife. 
 
 " I don't want respect, I want love," he mut- 
 tered grimly. 
 
 Box shrugged her shoulders. " The speaker 
 of yesterday was right you are just an ordi- 
 nary, every-day man."
 
 CHAPTER IX 
 
 ON the first day of November the usually 
 quiet Adelgundenstrasse in Munich wit- 
 nessed what was almost a small-sized riot. At 
 ten o'clock in the forenoon the shutters had been 
 drawn up from one of the low windows of a 
 ground floor apartment, and a most unusual sight 
 stood revealed to the astonished gaze of the pass- 
 ers-by. One large window-pane and a boxed-in 
 inclosure at the back made a show-case of the 
 simple window, and the exhibit therein was so 
 new and so strange that, as aforesaid, it occa- 
 sioned almost a riot. And during the day many 
 men, and particularly many women of the better 
 class seemed to have met by appointment in the 
 Adelgundenstrasse, to stand talking eagerly be- 
 fore the window. 
 
 The walls of the show-case were covered with 
 handsome materials in graceful folds, feathers 
 and artificial flowers strewn carelessly on the floor 
 gave the appearance of a new sort of carpet, and 
 on the center of this carpet stood a tinted Venus
 
 THE THIRD SEX 261 
 
 de Milo about eighteen inches high. Around 
 about the Venus, on little easels, or hanging to 
 the walls by golden cords, was a collection of deli- 
 cate water colors in exquisite old frames. These 
 pictures all had for subject the same charming 
 young lady, in some cases head and bust only, with 
 fantastic and most becoming hats on her rich ash- 
 blond hair, but mainly in full length, clad in cos- 
 tumes that were tasteful and elegant in the ex- 
 treme, and original in style. Near the top of 
 the glass window was the name of the new firm 
 in gold letters: 
 
 Lilly v. Robiceck, 
 Modes et Robes. 
 
 The apartment behind the show-case com- 
 prised four rooms. The narrow corridor, lighted 
 softly by the deep red glow of an old silver 
 church lamp, led first into a large front room, the 
 one back of the show window. Colored shades 
 softened the daylight agreeably, walls and ceiling 
 were covered with flowered cretonne. One large 
 mirror on the wall, a second standing mirror, a 
 large wardrobe with shelves and closets for ma- 
 terials, etc.; one large and several small tables, a 
 sofa and one or two upholstered chairs, made up 
 the furniture of this room. All the pieces were
 
 262 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 new and original in form, in the style of the 
 Munich Art Reformers. None of them were no- 
 ticeable from any unpleasant over-costliness, but 
 all showed aristocratic simplicity and originality 
 in shape, color and material. The coverings of 
 the furniture and the decorations of the room 
 were in pale green and reddish tints. Interest- 
 ing fashion plates of the last three centuries, a 
 lithograph of Empress Eugenie in the crinoline, 
 and a photograph of the Bavarian Princess 
 Sophie in her wedding dress, hung in white 
 enamel frames to the right and the left of the 
 large mirror. Even the most ordinary objects, 
 the pin trays and the toilet articles, showed the 
 same pleasing artistic pattern, and the order and 
 measure books were enclosed in original and at- 
 tractive bindings. 
 
 A glass door separated this large reception 
 room from Lilly von Robiceck's boudoir. Here 
 were her desk, her little library, her piano, and 
 all the little trifles that held pleasant memories 
 for her, keepsakes from her girlhood days, wed- 
 ding presents, and many charming gifts from her 
 admirers. Photographs of Franz Xaver Pirn- 
 gruber, Werner Rudolfi, Joachim von Lossow, 
 Prince Cloppenburg-Usingen, and even one of the 
 almost mythical Mr. von Robiceck, completed the
 
 THE THIRD SEX 263 
 
 decoration, and in a dark corner hung her own 
 masterpiece, the copy of the Old German Ma- 
 donna with the unconquerable nose. The furni- 
 ture of this little room was part of her wedding 
 outfit, and showed no particular modernity. Back 
 of the corridor were the large light sewing room, 
 the kitchen and appurtenances. 
 
 The morning of the first of November saw a 
 most select little gathering in Lilly von Robi- 
 ceck's apartment, even before the clock had struck 
 ten. Prince Cloppenburg-Usingen, who had 
 given the money for the outfitting of the new 
 firm, was there, and the four young artists who 
 had designed and carried out the entire equipment. 
 The idea of using the charming head of the firm 
 herself as the most attractive advertisement had 
 sprung from the brain of Werner Rudolfi, and 
 most of her costume portraits were from his 
 brush. The remainder were done by Joachim 
 von Lossow, and the two other young men had 
 designed the furniture and supervised the work 
 of the upholsterer and decorator. 
 
 The youngest of the gentlemen drew up the 
 shutters promptly on the stroke of ten, while 
 Joachim von Lossow played a festival march 
 composed for the occasion. Lilly and her guests 
 took turns at peeping through a little hole in the
 
 264 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 back of the show-case, to enjoy the impression 
 made on the passers-by, and as the crowd grew 
 larger and larger Lilly clapped her hands in de- 
 light, seized the worthy Prince and whirled him 
 around the room. 
 
 She wore the reception costume which she had 
 designed for this solemn occasion, a long loose 
 skirt of fine mouse-gray cloth, with a little open 
 jacket of the same trimmed with braid, over a 
 loose blouse of flowered silk held together by a 
 dark red velvet belt. Lilly's other gowns and 
 hats, in which Rudolfi had immortalized her in 
 his pictures, were arranged on forms, or laid care- 
 lessly on the sofa and chairs in the reception room. 
 No one appeared for an hour after the opening, 
 and the two sewing girls, in fluted caps and im- 
 mense white aprons, waited with impatience for 
 the ring of the door bell which should announce 
 a customer. The bell did ring at eleven o'clock, 
 but it was the boy from Dallmeyer's delicatessen 
 store, with some cold dishes the Prince had or- 
 dered. Messengers from the wine merchant and 
 the florist followed, and in a few moments a 
 dainty little table was set up in Lilly's boudoir, 
 covered with the most alluring cold lunch dishes 
 and any number of drinks. The gentlemen fell 
 to, and showed an appetite worthy the festal
 
 THE THIRD SEX 265 
 
 occasion, glasses touched and toasts were drunk 
 in honor of the charming owner of the estab- 
 lishment, with all good wishes for her suc- 
 cess. 
 
 Little Mrs. von Robiceck was naturally con- 
 siderably excited. She listened with one ear only 
 to the praise and compliments of her good friends, 
 while the other was cocked for the first sound of 
 the bell. But the longed-for signal was not 
 heard until a quarter before twelve, and then one 
 of the girls came in to whisper that a gentleman 
 was in the reception room, and wished to speak 
 to Mrs. von Robiceck. 
 
 The jolly company was struck dumb in respect- 
 ful silence, and Lilly glided through the door into 
 the reception room. There stood Franz Xaver 
 Pirngruber ! He waited until the girl had closed 
 the door behind her, and then he ran toward Lilly 
 with wide open arms. She turned in alarm 
 toward the glass door, knowing that her guests 
 were seeking transparent spots in the pattern on 
 the panes through which they could watch her 
 reception of her first caller, and with an energetic 
 gesture warned her old admirer to restrain his 
 ardor. 
 
 "Lilly, you sweet, naughty Lilly!" whispered 
 Franz Xaver excitedly, scarcely able to control
 
 266 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 his longing to seize her in his arms. " Why 
 haven't you let me hear from you all this long 
 time? It was only through the circular my wife 
 received yesterday that I knew you were here and 
 had followed my advice. Oh, Lilly, I love you 
 just as much as ever. Don't you care for me at 
 all now?" 
 
 " My dear sir," answered Mrs. von Robiceck 
 with droll dignity, " I have opened this establish- 
 ment to clothe the ladies of Munich, and not to 
 receive declarations of love from their husbands 
 therein. Kindly remember that fact. But other- 
 wise I am very glad to see you again on con- 
 dition that no mention shall ever be made of our 
 past relations. That is all over and done with 
 now. I have divorced myself not only from my 
 husband but from my entire past." 
 
 Franz Xaver Pirngruber drew a long face and 
 stammered in conflicting emotions: " Indeed? 
 is that so? well well, then I congratulate 
 you and oh, yes, I wanted to give you a 
 little something for your opening day, so I per- 
 suaded my wife to come here it would please 
 me very much if she were the first to wear a cos- 
 tume made by you." 
 
 Lilly clapped her hands in delight, blushing 
 charmingly, and exclaimed: "Really? Oh,
 
 THE THIRD SEX 267 
 
 Xaverl, that was awfully nice you are a dear 
 fellow after all! When will she be here? " 
 
 "Any minute; I ran on ahead to prepare you. 
 I had better be off now, or I might meet her, 
 which would be embarrassing." 
 
 " No, no, that won't do ! " cried Lilly hastily. 
 "Stay here a while; I'll hide you with the oth- 
 ers." She took his hand and ushered him into 
 the next room. 
 
 The master of the humoristic brush was not a 
 little astonished to find a company here in secret 
 convivial enjoyment. Lilly introduced him to the 
 gentlemen as an old friend and served him her- 
 self to the lobster salad and champagne, describ- 
 ing enthusiastically the while what the others had 
 done for her. 
 
 " Well, well, well, and you didn't say a word 
 to me about it," complained Franz Xaver. " As 
 father of the idea, I should have been the first 
 to know of it." 
 
 " And as a married man, the very last," smiled 
 Lilly. " I never compromise my good friends." 
 
 The bell rang again and a few seconds later 
 the maid came in and beamingly announced a 
 stylish lady. Lilly rose from the table, took a 
 deep breath, and entered her reception room with 
 dignified mien, while the gentlemen crept silently
 
 268 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 to the glass door, seeking holes to peep through. 
 
 This first customer was in truth the handsome 
 Mrs. Pirngruber. She was honestly delighted 
 with the samples of her talent that Lilly showed 
 her in the shape of her own clothes, and a long 
 serious consultation followed, Mrs. Pirngruber 
 sitting on the sofa, and Lilly on a chair in front 
 of her. 
 
 The watchers in the boudoir began to find this 
 tiresome, and drew back to the table, eating and 
 drinking in whispered conversation. Mr. Pirn- 
 gruber alone remained at his post, and could not 
 seem to look his fill at the two women, the one 
 so stately, the other so dainty. Each seemed to 
 set off the other, each to give the other just the 
 foil she needed, and Franz Xaver loved them 
 both, he hardly knew which he loved the more, 
 and he saw no end to his capacity for loving. He 
 felt that he was a happy man, a man truly to be 
 envied. After which he returned to his lobster 
 salad. 
 
 The consultation of the two ladies lasted a full 
 half hour, and when Lilly finally returned to her 
 friends, she sparkled with happiness. She laid 
 her arm across Franz Xaver's shoulder and cried 
 in a voice of suppressed jubilation : " Oh, you 
 dear, dear friend! what a charming wife you
 
 THE THIRD SEX 269 
 
 have ! Just think, she told me she thought I was 
 lovely! And such a pretty gown as we have 
 thought out, sweet enough to eat! She says it 
 can cost three hundred marks." 
 
 " Heavens above, I see my finish ! " groaned 
 the happy husband, falling into his chair. " She 
 told me she wouldn't spend more than a hundred 
 and fifty." 
 
 Prince Cloppenburg held out his champagne 
 glass to the crushed one, and said merrily: 
 " Come, revered master, join us in a glass to the 
 health of our dear friend, Lilly." 
 
 Lilly von Robiceck straightened up suddenly at 
 the sound of the glasses, as if struck by an in- 
 spiration, and sent her voice out into the jovial 
 noise: 
 
 " Be quiet, friends, I want to make a speech." 
 
 " I herewith solemnly declare you men to be 
 a delightful sort, except when you are in love. 
 No sensible and self-respecting human being can 
 consort with women for any length of time, for 
 they are death to common-sense and self-respect. 
 Everything bad that has ever come to me in life 
 has come to me through women, and simply and 
 solely because more of your sort run after me than 
 after the others. Just recently the leading rep- 
 resentatives of Munich's progressive women, the
 
 270 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 heads of that celebrated association with the name 
 I never can remember, declared me to be un- 
 worthy to join in their good work. In spite of 
 the fact that I had the most impressive recom- 
 mendations from the influential Mr. Arnulf Rau, 
 these ladies declared me to be an outcast. And 
 why? Again, simply because more of your sort 
 run after me than they do after any lady of the 
 unpronounceable association. Gentlemen, I have 
 cursed my sex and my face as long as I wandered 
 in the paths set apart for femininity, helpless prey 
 to all the wild beasts that range the so-called rose 
 garden of Love. But now I have found the way 
 out, and have discovered a neutral zone, where 
 I need no longer be merely a woman, and where 
 I can yet utilize my true womanly talents to ad- 
 vantage. I will take my revenge on my fellow- 
 women by making money on their vanity. And, 
 gentlemen, in this happy zone love is not known, 
 please remember that. I put the sum of my ex- 
 perience thus far in the following assertion: 
 4 You men are devils when in love, but you are 
 angels in your friendship for a woman.' As my 
 friends, you have shown me the way to my sal- 
 vation through work; you, my dear Franz Xaver; 
 you, best of Princes; you, my darling Werner,
 
 THE THIRD SEX 271 
 
 and my good Joachim, I thank you with all my 
 heart. Long life to my dear good angels! " 
 
 The dear good angels were much delighted at 
 the praise awarded them from such pretty lips, 
 and at the close of the speech they each received 
 an unasked-for kiss from those same pretty lips, 
 as advance payment for their assistance with ad- 
 vice and with labor. Thus ended the memorable 
 breakfast. 
 
 Lilly von Robiceck had sent out five hundred 
 circulars to the prominent women of the royal 
 residence city, Munich, but only three of them vis- 
 ited her establishment. Quite different, how- 
 ever, was the impression made by the new cos- 
 tume worn by Mrs. Pirngruber at a gathering in 
 the Hanfstangel house. Several ladies appeared 
 in the rooms in the Adelgundenstrasse the very 
 next morning, and when finally an order came 
 from the still handsome and extremely elegant 
 wife of a rich brewer, Lilly von Robiceck's for- 
 tune was made. During the Carnival season she 
 had so much to do that she kept ten girls and two 
 forewomen busy, and at the close of the season 
 she had an order from a Princess of the Royal 
 house. Before the month of January was out 
 she paid back to Prince Cloppenburg a good por-
 
 272 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 tion of the money he had lent her, and it was 
 the very first return from any of his many 
 loans. 
 
 Her faithful friends were heartily glad of her 
 great success, but they were not particularly happy 
 over it, for sweet little Lilly hadn't a moment for 
 them now. The one or the other would drop 
 in during the day occasionally, for five minutes' 
 chat in the quiet boudoir between her sessions with 
 her aristocratic customers. But it was no par- 
 ticular pleasure to sit for two hours reading il- 
 lustrated papers, as if in the waiting-room of a 
 celebrated physician, just for a pressure of the 
 hand, and a few friendly words. They came less 
 and less frequently, and at last only when espe- 
 cially invited for an evening. The younger of 
 them were particularly grieved because Lilly 
 could not be persuaded to join in the festivities of 
 the winter season. The year before she had been 
 the life of all the public balls she had visited, but 
 this season she would not attend one. It was true 
 that just at that time the pressure of work was 
 tremendous, but every Saturday was followed by 
 a Sunday, when she might have allowed herself 
 a little pleasure. 
 
 If the good gentlemen, who were as naive and 
 as unsuspecting as are all respectable men, had
 
 THE THIRD SEX 273 
 
 listened with a little more attention to the gossip 
 of their womenkind, they would have discovered 
 another reason for the refusal of the charming 
 gown-composer to attend the balls. And also the 
 reason for her sudden predilection for loose hang- 
 ing blouses and very wide pleated skirts in her 
 own costumes. 
 
 Franz Xaver Pirngruber heard the news from 
 his wife, and he turned pale at the hearing, so 
 deeply did he suffer with his unhappy friend. 
 He took heart one evening and called on her 
 after business hours. She had just sent off her 
 forewoman, and was at her simple supper when 
 he arrived. She received him cordially, and 
 chatted as merrily and easily as in the first May- 
 time of their love. But sweet as she was, the 
 good Franz Xaver couldn't seem to catch her 
 mood, for he had a momentous question on the 
 tip of his tongue, which he couldn't get any fur- 
 ther. Toward ten o'clock she asked him to go, 
 as it was her bedtime, and she yawned heartily 
 to corroborate her statement. 
 
 " Aren't you well, Lilly dear," he asked, " that 
 you go to bed so early? " 
 
 " Oh, yes, I am very well," she answered, 
 " but I am very tired this evening. I get up 
 early in the morning so as to have an hour for
 
 274 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 myself then it is the only time of day when I 
 can sit down with a book." 
 
 "Hm! Well, good night, Lilly dear." He 
 took her hand and held it, looking attentively at 
 her. 
 
 " Why do you look at me so, Xaverl? " 
 
 " I was thinking your hard work seems to 
 agree with you you are growing stouter, I 
 think," he said blushing like a young girl. " Or 
 does it only seem so because you wear such wide 
 loose things now? " 
 
 She smiled up into his eyes and shook her fin- 
 ger at him. "Confess, my dear, you don't 
 dare say it out, the ladies have been gossiping 
 about me? " 
 
 " Is it true, Lilly?" he whispered, timidly. 
 
 She nodded with a sudden blush. 
 
 He sighed a comically deep sigh, then looked 
 helplessly at her and, with a question in his eyes, 
 laid his forefinger on his own breast. 
 
 She shook her head smiling. 
 
 "No?" he cried, and sighed another deep, 
 deep sigh. 
 
 She seated herself on his lap, something she 
 had not done since their parting in the summer, 
 looked down at her finger tips for some time, and 
 then said, with a deep blush : " You mustn't ask
 
 THE THIRD SEX 275 
 
 me anything about it, Xaverl. It is my child, 
 mine alone, and no one else has anything to do 
 with it." 
 
 " Why, Lilly ! " he cried aloud, and nearly let 
 her fall from his lap in his shock. She stood up, 
 shrugged her shoulders, turned from him, and 
 threw a glance of sweet innocence up at the Ma- 
 donna with the unconquerable nose. 
 
 They were both silent for some time. The 
 master of the humoristic brush rubbed his brow 
 meditatively and she awaited his judgment. 
 Finally Franz Xaver found his tongue. 
 
 " You know, little woman, I'm not reproaching 
 you, that would be too stupid, but this affair looks 
 
 devilish like Oh, dear! oh, dear! The 
 
 poor innocent must have a father." 
 
 "Why?" asked Lilly simply. "I can take 
 care of it myself perfectly well." 
 
 " But what are you going to do with it? you 
 can't have it here? " 
 
 " Indeed, I intend to have it here with me." 
 
 " But Lilly, think of your name, your busi- 
 ness ! " 
 
 " I don't care. If the ladies here don't want 
 to get their clothes in an establishment where 
 there is a child, then I'll pack up and go to Ber- 
 lin or Vienna. I can find a place anywhere. I
 
 276 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 don't intend to leave the poor little thing to the 
 care of some indifferent stranger. Oh, no, you 
 don't know me, any of you I My child stays here 
 with me, and I will be a good mother to it, even 
 if it should ruin me to do so." 
 
 He rose and took both her hands. "'Lilly 
 dear," he said in emotion, " you are a brave lit- 
 tle woman, and I respect you for it. If the fight 
 proves too hard for you, count on me for as- 
 sistance. Whether the child is mine or not, I'll 
 stand by you. God bless you, dear heart." 
 
 He kissed her hands, and hastened away that 
 she might not see his eyes were moist with tears.
 
 CHAPTER X 
 
 LILLY VON ROBICECK disappeared from 
 Munich about the end of April, and every- 
 one knew why. She returned again in July, and 
 presented a dear little girl as her daughter to her 
 forewoman and her five sewing girls the other 
 half of the force had been dismissed before her 
 departure. The forewoman gave notice at once, 
 for she was a strictly moral person, and the five 
 sewing girls divided themselves into two camps, 
 the one for, the other against, their mistress. 
 The party in sympathy with her consisted of four 
 of them, each of whom already had a child of 
 her own, the fifth was alone in the opposition. 
 But she stayed on, as she felt flattered at being 
 the only white lily in this pool of iniquity. 
 
 Lilly had been obliged to leave the Church to 
 gain her divorce, so she did not have her child 
 christened. But soon after her return she gath- 
 ered her more intimate friends at a private fes- 
 tival in which Lilly the II. (she had named the 
 child after herself, so as not to compromise any- 
 
 77
 
 278 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 one) was made welcome in the community of the 
 New and the Free, who do not stand on the 
 Other Side of Good and Bad, but who desire to 
 stand on the Other Side from all loveless preju- 
 dice. 
 
 The ladies who came to order their summer 
 clothes could sometimes hear the hearty little 
 voice of the new Lilly in the neighboring room, 
 and those who asked received the startling an- 
 swer: "Yes, Madame, that is my baby. 
 Please excuse me a moment, I nurse it myself." 
 
 And when the customer exclaimed in astonish- 
 ment: " But you have been divorced for so 
 long?" Lilly would reply with a smile: "Oh, 
 yes, that is not Mr. von Robiceck's child, thank 
 God! I do not see why a woman who is per- 
 fectly independent, as I am, should not have a 
 child for herself alone, about which no one else 
 has a word to say." 
 
 Some ladies, after this exciting revelation, de- 
 cided to have their gowns made elsewhere. But 
 there were others who now came of themselves 
 to the celebrated establishment managed by Lilly 
 von Robiceck. The entire executive board of the 
 Association for the Evolution of the Feminine 
 Psyche appeared, and threw itself upon the im- 
 agination of the talented gown-composer for the
 
 THE THIRD SEX 279 
 
 making of new coverings for the New Woman. 
 Now that Lilly von Robiceck had a child, she 
 was a heroine in the eyes of those very same ladies 
 who once refused her admission to their associa- 
 tion, and her child was to them a symbol, it was 
 the New Child. Lilly received glowing letters 
 from excited young ladies who were about to 
 throw off all conventional fetters, and even gray- 
 haired priestesses of the new Religion for the 
 Emancipation of Women, such as Baroness 
 Grotzinger, offered her their friendship. The cos- 
 tumes ordered by these new friends were not so 
 expensive, but they could be more striking and 
 original, and served well as advertisement. The 
 dull season brought slight business, but with the 
 coming of autumn most of the renegade custom- 
 ers had given up the attempt to balance them- 
 selves timidly on their moral principles. They 
 decided it was better to stand firmly on the 
 ground of the fact that nowhere else were such 
 good clothes to be had as in the nursery in the 
 Adelgundenstrasse, and so they all appeared 
 again, even the two forewomen. 
 
 The business prospered, the baby prospered 
 and so did the new friendships. Yes, it was to 
 be only friendship for all time now. Werner 
 Rudolfi had made another attempt to induce Lilly
 
 280 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 to marry him, as for her sake he would like to 
 have had her little daughter christened Lilly 
 Rudolfi. But she refused gently and firmly. So 
 the good young artist packed his toothbrush and 
 night shirt in a satchel, and set out for a little 
 consolation trip in company with Franz Xaver 
 Pirngruber. These two had felt strangely 
 drawn to one another lately. 
 
 Hildegard Haider was one of the new friends 
 of the mother of the " New Child," and the two 
 grew to like each other more and more, the bet- 
 ter they became acquainted. Many eager de- 
 bates they held, in the little boudoir back of the 
 reception room, on the questions that excite the 
 minds of the more intelligent women of our time. 
 
 And Box spoke one evening : " Do you know, 
 it is all these horrid men-women, who dabble 
 amateurishly in art and science, and talk so much 
 about their equality, who ruin the business for 
 true progress. They are not women at all, but 
 merely abnormal beings such as every generation 
 has seen. But there are plenty of women who 
 do not need man, and yet are swayed by the truest 
 feminine impulse I mean, of course, by 
 maternal love. Now true progress seems to me 
 to mean a state wherein these women will not be 
 forced to give up all independence and joy of life.
 
 THE THIRD SEX 281 
 
 In former days they had to crawl in -anywhere in 
 the family and eat the bread of charity as maiden 
 aunts. They were allowed to make themselves 
 useful, and all the unpleasant tasks were forced 
 upon them which have always been the portion of 
 our supposed patience. They were permitted to 
 train stupid, malicious children, spoiled entirely 
 by the imbecility of their parents; they were made 
 to care for unendurable old men and women; and 
 to play watchdog when the family was off enjoy- 
 ing itself. Our Arnulf Rau has found the right 
 word here, what we want is the Revolt of the 
 flints. Just think of the power they would be, 
 if the enormous army of the Aunts could work 
 its way through to independence. We must put 
 out of the world, not only this silly contempt for 
 the older unmarried woman, but also the moral 
 indignation shown toward the unmarried mother. 
 It is possible that with the other weeds the sa- 
 cred institution of matrimony may also be plucked 
 up and cast into the fire. But I can't say I think 
 that would be such a misfortune. Marriage is 
 an unnatural state of affairs for man, and for 
 woman it is a happiness only in the rarest cases. 
 Whence come the hypocrisy, the lying, and the 
 petty malice, the envy and the malicious joy in 
 the destruction of things one holds dear, all
 
 282 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 these qualities that disgust us so in present-day 
 femininity whence do they come, except from 
 the necessity of the dependent woman to find a 
 modus vivendi with the men to whom they must 
 look for support ! I am convinced that there are 
 just as few women who can feel respect and con- 
 fidence in their husbands during the whole term 
 of their marriage, as there are men who can be 
 eternally faithful to their wives. The man be- 
 comes brutal, the woman vulgar. Marriage de- 
 stroys the character, for it demands too much 
 politics. When two free human beings really 
 belong together, they will be glad to stay to- 
 gether, so that in a state where there is no com- 
 pulsory marriage, there could be only happy 
 marriages. Of course the mother must be al- 
 lowed all rights to her children, and be able to 
 support them herself; and the men must be com- 
 pelled by law to care for those of their wives and 
 children who of their own free will have given 
 up their independence." 
 
 "But the family?" Lilly put in thoughtfully. 
 
 " The family can only gain by it," replied Miss 
 Haider confidently. " There would be families 
 consisting of mother and children, and some con- 
 sisting of father and children only; and in these 
 families the children would be spared the demor-
 
 THE THIRD SEX 283 
 
 alizing example of a constant conflict between 
 parents who no longer love and respect each 
 other. Whereas in the families with mother and 
 father, eo ipso, happiness and peace would reign 
 supreme. But otherwise I can look on the change 
 only as a benefit, for the influence of the family 
 leads to tyranny of the finer, more delicate na- 
 tures, and is an obstacle to the welfare of the 
 whole of humanity. I expect a most beneficial 
 freshening of the race from the break-up of the 
 old-fashioned marriage and family ties, a phys- 
 ical and mental improvement to mankind, because 
 then more children will be born of true love, and 
 they will have more intelligent mothers." 
 
 " I know another advantage," cried Lilly, 
 with a sly smile. " The ugly women could no 
 longer be so haughty and disagreeable, because 
 mere virtue of itself would have no value." 
 
 " Quite right," agreed Box. " Arnulf Rau 
 has spoken of that, too. He says the overrating 
 of virginity is the means by which men hold 
 women most surely in their power. It is a brutal 
 overpowering through stupid vanity. But we re- 
 fuse to bow to it any longer. In my opinion a 
 girl who stands up bravely and acknowledges her 
 child in the face of the prejudices of our imbecile 
 society, and gains universal respect through her
 
 284 THE THIRD SEX 
 
 personality and her work, this girl, I say, does 
 more for humanity and progress than the woman 
 who achieves a professorship of astronomy, for 
 instance." 
 
 " Thank you," said Lilly, blushing with pleas- 
 ure. 
 
 The ladies were silent a few moments and 
 then Hildegard Haider spoke again: 
 
 " It is strange how many interesting female 
 types our own little circle can show. There is 
 Katia Rau, the wife who lives in fear and trem- 
 bling, and has become past mistress in the art of 
 clever hypocrisy; there is Claire Reithmeyer, the 
 woman with the strong gift for science, but with 
 strong sensuality as well, who needs love to keep 
 her mental balance; and then the strong intelli- 
 gences without sensuality, Babette Girel, who is 
 a true man, and Meta Echdeler, who is a true 
 lady. Then there is my poor dear sister, the 
 ' sweet flower,' still of the old-fashioned type, 
 who makes alluring eyes and sends out her nets 
 without success, because the men she would like 
 prefer the New Woman, and she herself doesn't 
 care for those who still like the old style. Yes, 
 yes, that is a very modern conflict. And then, 
 there is you, and here am I, and they all think 
 me one of the Third Sex because I stand as firm
 
 THE THIRD SEX 285 
 
 as any man on my own feet, and allow no one to 
 draw the wool over my eyes. To be frank, I am 
 sorry for that I would love to have a child 
 of my own. I will confide in you that I once 
 made a timid attempt at it, but the object in ques- 
 tion was unworthy, he skipped with three hun- 
 dred marks of my money. Tell me, dear friend, 
 how did you come by your sweet little daughter? " 
 Charming little Mrs. von Robiceck smiled deli- 
 cately: "That is a business secret." 
 
 The thoughts to which Hildegard Haider gave 
 expression in the conferences in the cosy little 
 back room in the Adelgundenstrasse were in the 
 main the mental property of the great Arnulf 
 Rau, and he had decided to use the interesting 
 material for a novel which should bear the title, 
 "The Third Sex." 
 
 But, as one is never quite sure whether Arnulf 
 Rau will really carry out his world-upheaving 
 plans or not, and as in my opinion the world 
 should never be spared a wholesome upheaval, I 
 have taken the liberty of forestalling him. I 
 crave your forgiveness. 
 
 THE END
 
 Hilda Against the World 
 
 By VICTORIA CROSS 
 
 Author of 
 
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 Victoria Cross has conceived and portrayed 
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 The Night 
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 This book takes for its keynote the self- 
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