"Listen to me," the countess said, "and don't be so stubborn. I'm going home. I'm hosting a party at my house tonight, so I can't possibly stay until the end of the opera. Now, I cannot for one instant believe you're so ungentlemanly that you'd refuse to escort a lady who's actually asking you for help."
Franz had no choice but to pick up his hat, open the box door, and offer the countess his arm. It was obvious from her manner that her uneasiness was genuine. Franz himself couldn't resist a feeling of superstitious dread, stronger in him because it arose from multiple corroborating memories, while the countess's terror sprang from an instinctive belief in the wild tales she'd heard until she accepted them as truth. Franz could even feel her arm trembling as he helped her into the carriage.
When they arrived at her residence, Franz realized she'd deceived him about expecting company. On the contrary, her return before the scheduled hour seemed to greatly surprise her servants.
