The Dramatic Works of Gerhart Hauptmann Volume I Part 99

[_Calls from without._] Mrs. Wolff! Oh, Mrs. Wolff! Are you still up?

MRS. WOLFF

[_Sharing the consternation of the others, rapidly, tensely._] Slip it in! Slip it in! And get in the other room!

[_She crowds them all into the rear room and locks the door._

A MAN'S VOICE

Mrs. Wolff! Oh, Mrs. Wolff! Have you gone to bed?

_MRS. WOLFF extinguishes the light._

A MAN'S VOICE

Mrs. Wolff! Mrs. Wolff! Are you still up? [_The voice recedes singing:_]

"Morningre-ed, morningre-ed, Thou wilt s.h.i.+ne when I am dea-ead!"

LEONTINE

Aw, that's only old "Morningred," mama!

MRS. WOLFF

[_Listens for a while, opens the door softly and listens again. When she is satisfied she closes the door and lights the candle. Thereupon she admits the others again._] 'Twas only the constable Mitteldorf.

WULKOW

The devil, you say. That's nice acquaintances for you to have.

MRS. WOLFF

Go on about your way now! Hurry!

ADELAIDE

Mama, Mino has been barkin'.

MRS. WOLFF

Hurry, hurry, Wulkow! Get out now! An' the back way through the vegetable garden! Julius will open for you. Go on, Julius, an' open the gate.

WULKOW

An's I said, if somethin' like such a beaver coat _was_ to turn up, why--

MRS. WOLFF

Sure. Just make haste now.

WULKOW

If the Spree don't freeze over, I'll be gettin' back in, say, three or four days from Berlin. An' I'll be lyin' with my boat down there.

MRS. WOLFF

By the big bridge?

WULKOW

Where I always lies. Well, Julius, toddle ahead!

[_Exit._

ADELAIDE

Mama, Mino has been barkin' again.

MRS. WOLFF

[_At the oven._] Oh, let him bark!

[_A long-drawn call is heard in the distance._ "Ferry over!"]

ADELAIDE

Somebody wants to get across the river, mama!

MRS. WOLFF

Well, go'n tell papa. He's down there by the river.--["Ferry over!"] An'

take him his oars. But he ought to let Wulkow get a bit of a start first.

_ADELAIDE goes out with the oars. For a little while MRS. WOLFF is alone. She marks energetically. Then ADELAIDE returns._

ADELAIDE

Papa's got his oars down in the boat.

MRS. WOLFF

Who wants to get across the river this time o' night?

ADELAIDE

I believe, mama, it's that stoopid Motes!

MRS. WOLFF