WEHRHAHN

Wolff--the same one who's washing for us today, Glasenapp?

GLASENAPP

The same, your honour.

WEHRHAHN

[_Shaking his head._] Very strange indeed!--She's a very honest and a very industrious woman.--[_To KRUEGER._] Is that a fact? Is she the daughter of the woman in question?

KRUEGER

She is the daughter of the washerwoman Wolff.

WEHRHAHN

And has the girl come back?

KRUEGER

Up to the present time the girl has not come back.

WEHRHAHN

Then suppose we call in Mrs. Wolff herself. Mitteldorf! You act as though you were very tired. Well, go across the yard. Mrs. Wolff is to come to me at once. I beg you to be seated, Mr. Krueger.

KRUEGER

[_Sitting down and sighing._] O Lord! O Lord! What a life!

WEHRHAHN

[_Softly to GLASENAPP and MOTES._] I'm rather curious to see what will develop. There's something more than meets the eye in all this. I think a great deal of Mrs. Wolff. The woman works enough for four men. My wife a.s.sures me that if Wolff doesn't come she has to hire two women in her place.--Her opinions aren't half bad either.

MOTES

She wants her daughters to go on the operatic stage....

WEHRHAHN

Oh, of course, she may have a screw loose in that respect. But that's no fault of character. What have you hanging there, Mr. Motes?

MOTES

They're some wire snares. I'm taking them to the forester Seidel.

WEHRHAHN

Do let me see one of those things. [_He takes one and looks at it closely._] And in these things the poor beasts are slowly throttled to death.

_MRS. WOLFF enters, followed by MITTELDORF. She is drying her hands, which are still moist from the wash tub._

MRS. WOLFF

[_Unembarra.s.sed, cheerfully, with a swift glance at the snares._] Here I am. What's up now? What'm I bein' wanted for?

WEHRHAHN

Mrs. Wolff, is this gentleman known to you?

MRS. WOLFF

Which one of 'em? [_Pointing with her finger at KRUEGER._] This here, this is Mr. Krueger. I guess I know him all right. Good mornin', Mr.

Krueger.

WEHRHAHN

Your daughter is in Mr. Krueger's service?

MRS. WOLFF

Who? My daughter? That's so--Leontine. [_To KRUEGER._] But then, she run away from you, didn't she?

KRUEGER

[_Enraged._] She did indeed.

WEHRHAHN

[_Interrupting._] Now wait a moment.

MRS. WOLFF

What kind o' trouble did you have together?

WEHRHAHN

Mrs. Wolff, you listen to me. Your daughter must return to Mr. Krueger at once.

MRS. WOLFF

Oh, no, we'd rather keep her at home now.

WEHRHAHN

That can't be done quite so easily as you think. Mr. Krueger has the right, if he wishes to exert it, of calling in the help, of the police.

In that case we would have to take your daughter back by force.