FIELITZ

I ... aw ... who'd ha' thought o' such a thing, your honour?

WEHRHAHN

Why don't you lay that clock down?

FIELITZ

I'm a peaceable man, your honour. I--I--I--I--Oh, Lordy, Lordy! I can't tell you nothin', how that there thing happened.--I'm on good terms with people; I don't quarrel with n.o.body ... I has made mistakes in my life.

That happens when a man ain't got no good companions. But that people should go an' treat me this way! No, I ain't never deserved that.

MRS. FIELITZ

[_Weeping._] Fielitz, what has I always been tellin' you? Who's right now, eh? Tell me that: who's right now? You didn't make no enemies on _our_ account. Them's very different stories--them is. An' I guess Mr.

von Wehrhahn knows somethin' about that!

FIELITZ

Aw, mother, keep still. That there, that was my dooty.

[_EDE, half seriously, half in jest, makes a threatening gesture behind FIELITZ. WEHRHAHN observes this._

WEHRHAHN

Look here, you there! What's that you did? You stood behind Fielitz and shook your fist over his head.

EDE

Maybe I'm weak in the chest, but I don't rightly know.

WEHRHAHN

Listen: I'll tell you something. The place for insane people is the asylum. But if you behave with any more impudence, you'll first be taken to gaol!--I didn't understand you quite rightly, Mrs. Fielitz. You insinuated something just now. Have you any suspicions in that direction?

I don't care to express myself more clearly. But do you suspect a--how shall I express it--an act of, so to speak, political reprisal? In that case you must be absolutely open. We shall then certainly get to the bottom of it.

MRS. FIELITZ

No, no, no! I ain't got no suspicion. I'd rather go an' beg on the public roads. I don't want to accuse no human being. I don't know. I can't make nothin' of it at all. That's what I says again an' again. I don't know nothin'.--Everythin' was locked up. We went away. The kitchen fire was out; the top o' the oven was cold. Well, how did it happen? I can't understand it, nohow. I don't know. But you see, that a feller like that there feller c'n sit here an' make insinerations--that does hurt a body right to the soul!

WEHRHAHN

Don't permit that to make any impression on you! Where would any of us be, if we let such things affect us? Any one who goes to church nowadays has the whole world hooting him. You just stick to me. [_He rummages among the papers on his table._] By the way, I succeeded in saving something here--a picture of your late husband. At least, I believe that that's what it is. It was framed in deer's feet. [_He finds the picture and hands it to MRS. FIELITZ._] Here!

_MRS. FIELITZ takes the picture, grasps WEHRHAHN'S hand with a swift motion and kisses it, weeping._

EDE

[_Audibly._] Has anybody maybe got a bit o' sponge in his pocket, 'cause, you see, stockin's don't absorb so much water.

WEHRHAHN

Make a note of that fellow, Glasenapp! Out with him! At once! You are to withdraw!

_EDE withdraws with absurd gestures of his arms and legs. Suppressed laughter._

WEHRHAHN

I'm really very much surprised at you, Langheinrich. That fellow has a regular felon's face. One of those knife ruffians; a regular socialist.

He's been in gaol several times on account of street brawls. And that's the kind of a man that you take into your shop and home.

LANGHEINRICH

All that don't concern me, your honour. I don't mix in politics.

WEHRHAHN

Oh, is that so? We can afford to wait and see.

LANGHEINRICH

If a feller goes an' does his work all right ...

WEHRHAHN

Nonsense! Mere twaddle! Let any one tell me with whom he a.s.sociates and I will tell him who he is.

_The murmuring and chattering of a crowd is heard. Constable SCHULZE enters in full uniform._

WEHRHAHN

Where have you been all day?

SCHULZE

[_Utterly disconcerted for some moments. Then:_] We nabbed the boy, your honour.

WEHRHAHN

Is that so? Who did it?

SCHULZE

Me and Tschache.

WEHRHAHN

Where?