Erdgeist (Earth-Spirit) Part 13

SCHoN. Teach him to do it.

LULU. A waste of trouble.

SCHoN. Out of a hundred women, ninety educate their husbands to suit themselves.

LULU. He loves me.

SCHoN. That's fatal, of course.

LULU. He loves me--

SCHoN. That is an unbridgeable abyss.

LULU. He doesn't know me, but he loves me! If he had anything like a correct idea of me, he'd tie a stone around my neck and sink me in the sea where it's deepest.

SCHoN. Let's finish this? (He gets up.)

LULU. As you say.

SCHoN. I've married you off. Twice I have married you off. You live in luxury. I've created a position for your husband. If that doesn't satisfy you, and he laughs in his sleeve at it, I don't pretend to meet ideal claims; but--leave me out of the game, out of it!

LULU. (Resolutely.) If I belong to any person on this earth, I belong to you. Without you I'd be--I won't say where. You took me by the hand, gave me food to eat, had me dressed,--when I was going to steal your watch. Do you think that can be forgotten? Anybody else would have called the police. You sent me to school, and had me learn manners. Who but you in the whole world has ever thought anything of me? I've danced and posed, and was glad to be able to earn my living that way. But =love= at command, I can't!

SCHoN. (Raising his voice.) Leave =me= out! Do what you will. I'm not coming to make scandal; I'm coming to shake the scandal from my neck.

My engagement is costing me sacrifices enough! I had imagined that with a healthy young man, than whom a woman of your years can wish herself no better, you would, at last, have been contented. If you are under obligations to me, don't throw yourself a third time in my way! Am I to wait yet longer before putting my pile in security? Am I to risk the whole success of my patents falling into the water again after two years? What good is it to me to be your married-man, when =you= can be seen going in and out of my house at every hour of the day? Why the devil didn't Dr. Goll stay alive just one year more! With him you were in safe keeping. Then I'd have had my wife long since under my roof!

LULU. And what would you have had then? The kid gets on your nerves.

The child is too uncorrupted for you. She's been much too carefully brought up. What should I have against your marriage? But you are deceived about yourself if you think that on account of your impending marriage you may express your contempt to me.

SCHoN. Contempt? I shall soon give the child the right idea. If anything is contemptible, it's your intrigues!

LULU. (Laughing.) Am I jealous of the child? That never once entered my head.

SCHoN. Then why talk about the child? The child is not even a whole year younger than you are. Leave me my freedom to live what life I still have. No matter how the child's been brought up, she's got her five senses just like you.... (Schwarz appears, right, brush in hand.)

SCHWARZ. What's the matter here?

LULU. (To Schon.) Well? Go on. Talk.

SCHWARZ. What's the matter with you two?

LULU. Nothing that touches you--

SCHoN. (Sharply.) Quiet!

LULU. He's had enough of me. (Schwarz leads her off, to the right.)

SCHoN. (Turning over the leaves in one of the books on the table.) It had to come out--I must have my hands free at last!

SCHWARZ. (Coming back.) Is that a way to jest?

SCHoN. (Pointing to a chair.) Please.

SCHWARZ. What is it?

SCHoN. Please.

SCHWARZ. (Seating himself.) Well?

SCHoN. (Seating himself.) You have married half a million....

SCHWARZ. Is it gone?

SCHoN. Not a penny.

SCHWARZ. Explain to me the peculiar scene....

SCHoN. You have married half a million--

SCHWARZ. No one can make a crime of that.

SCHoN. You have created a name for yourself. You can work unmolested.

You need to deny yourself no wish--

SCHWARZ. What have you two got against me?

SCHoN. For six months you've been revelling in all the heavens. You have a wife whom the world envies you, and she deserves a man whom she can respect--

SCHWARZ. Doesn't she respect me?

SCHoN. No.

SCHWARZ. (Depressed.) I come from the dark depths of society. She is above me. I cherish no more ardent wish than to become her equal.

(Offers Schon his hand.) Thank you.

SCHoN. (Pressing it, half embarra.s.sed.) Don't mention it.

SCHWARZ. (With determination.) Speak!

SCHoN. Keep a little more watch on her.

SCHWARZ. I--on her?

SCHoN. We are not children! We don't trifle! She demands that she be taken seriously. Her value gives her a perfect right to be.

SCHWARZ. What does she do, then?

SCHoN. You have married half a million!