IN ZALT-BOMMEL 
Elberfeld, 13 April 1861 

To Miss Nanette 

My sweet little Cousin, 

I hope you have received the letter [ sent you from Berlin* 
although you were cruel enough to leave your admirer without 
one single word of acknowledgement. Now, my cruel little witch, 
how will you be able to defend such a line of conduct? Were you 
not aware that a world of Philisteans hemmed me in, and that half 
an army of antiquated beauties and detestable blue stockings, did 
their best to transform me into an ass? Old Circe, as you are 
aware, metamorphosed the companions of Ulysses into pigs. These 
modern Circes have so far civilised themselves as to take to the 
asinine line. And was it not your duty, under such circumstances, 
to come to my rescue? Beware that I take my revenge, and 
conspire with Waradje**’ against the tranquillity of your heart. 

‘An’s Vaterland, das theure schliess’ dich an’ is a very fine 
sentence, but, quite confidentially, I may tell you that Germany is 

@ See this volume, p. 269-72. - > ‘Join the dear Fatherland’ (F. Schiller, Wilhelm Tell, 
Act II, Scene 1). 

a beautiful country to live out of it. For my own part, if I were 
quite free, and if, besides, I were not bothered by some thing you 
may call ‘political conscience’, I should never leave England for 
Germany, and still less for Prussia, and least of all for that affreux? 
Berlin with its ‘Sand’ and its ‘Bildung’‘ and ‘seinen tiberwitzigen 
Leuten’.* 

At Berlin everybody who has some spirit to lose, is of course 
extremely anxious for fellow sufferers. If the ennui, that reigns 
supreme at that place, be distributed among a greater lot of 
persons, the single individual may flatter itself to catch a lesser 
portion of it. For this reason the countess Hatzfeldt, Lassalle’s 
Egeria, tried everything to prolong my sojourn in the metropolis 
of tschakos* without heads. Yesterday she made her last effort, 
and we had the following scurrilous conversation: 

She. ‘This, then, is the thank for the friendship we have shown 
you, that you leave Berlin so soon as your business will permit?’ 

I. ‘Quite the contrary. I have prolonged my stay at this place 
beyond the due term, because your amiability chained me to this 
Sahara.’ 

She. ‘Then I shall become still more amiable.’ 

I. ‘Then there remains no refuge for me but running away. 
Otherwise I should never be able to return to London whither my 
duty calls me.’ 

She. “This is a very fine compliment to tell a lady, her amiability 
is such as to drive you away!’ 

I. ‘You are not Berlin. If you want to prove me the sincerity of 
your amiability, do run away with myself.’ 

She. ‘But I fear you will abandon me at the first station.’ 

I. ‘I am quite sure of not “leaving the girl behind me”! at the 
next station. You know that when Theseus, having eloped with the 
Greek beauty,* abandoned her at some station or other, there at 
once the god Bacchus descended from the Olymp and carried the 
forlorne one in his arms to the abode of eternal pleasures. Now, I 
do not doubt but a god is already waiting for you at the first 
railway station behind Berlin, and I would be the most cruel of 
mortals to frustrate you of such a rendezvous.’ 

But enough of these fooleries. In true real earnest, I feel most 
happy in the idea of soon seeing again yourself and the whole 
Bommel family circle. Recommend myself to your ‘rival’,” and tell 

4 awful - > Allusion to the sandy soil of Brandenburg province, in whose central 
part Berlin is situated. - © education - 4 its awfully witty people - © shakos - f Pa- 
raphrased refrain of an old Irish song: ‘The girl I left behind me. - & Ariadne - 
h Henriette Sophia van Anrooij 

her that the deepest sentiments are the most difficult of being 
expressed in words. In that way she ought to interpret my silence, 
the respectful silence I have till now observed. 

And now, my little charmer, farewell and do not altogether 
forget 

Your knight-errant 
Charles Marx