I beg your pardon very humbly, Mr. Siebenhaar, but I begs to submit that I don't come to see you. These people lives in your house. An' you can't prove nothin' as touchin' the question of my honour.

SIEBENHAAR

Very well. Only, if I should meet you again I'll have the porter kick you out. So you had better act accordingly.

[_Exit._

GEORGE

_[Enters the room cursing.]_ I'll take that there risk! We'll see about that later!

MRS. HENSCHEL

[_Closes the door, with difficulty mastering her rage toward SIEBENHAAR._] We're here, too, I'd have him know. Just let him try it!

This here is our room, not his room, an' anybody that comes here comes to us an' not to him! He's got no right to say nothin' about it!

GEORGE

We'll just wait an' see--that's all I says. He might have to pay good an'

dear for that. That kind o' thing takes a man to the pen. He got hisself into a nasty mess with Alphonse, who was here two years ago. But he'd be gettin' into a worse mess with me. A hundred crowns o' damages'd be too little for me.

MRS. HENSCHEL

An' he hasn't got no hundred crowns in his pocket--the d.a.m.ned bankrupt!

He's been borrowing of everybody in the county. He's got nothin' but debts; you hear that on all sides. 'Twon't be long before there won't be nothin' left an' he'll have to leave the house hisself instead o' puttin'

other people out of it!

GEORGE

[_Has recovered his overcoat, hung up his hat, and is now picking off the little feathers from his coat and trousers._] That's right! An' that's no secret to n.o.body. Even the people that come here year in an' out says the same. An' n.o.body is sorry for him; no, they're willin' it should happen to him. My present boss, he can't stand him neither. He gets reel venomous if you so much as mention Siebenhaar's name. [_Takes a pocket-mirror and comb from his pocket and smooths his hair._] Lord knows, he says, there's more tricks to that man than a few.

MRS. HENSCHEL

I believes that; I s'ppose he's right there.

GEORGE

Now then, Hanne, has you got somethin' warm for me?

MRS. HENSCHEL

Why didn't you come yesterday?

GEORGE

You thinks I c'n get off every day, don't you? 'Twas hard enough to get to come here to-day! Yesterday I was busy till three o'clock in the mornin'.

MRS. HENSCHEL:

What was it happened?

GEORGE

There was a meetin' o' the fire board. They bought a new engine, an' so they wanted to celebrate the purchase. That's how they came to have a meetin'.

MRS. HENSCHEL

All they wants is an excuse to swill. An' all that while I sat till late at night and waited. Once--I don't know, but it must ha' been a bird flyin' against the window--I thought 'twas you, an' so I went to the window an' opened it. After that I was that mad, I couldn't sleep half the night.

GEORGE

Oh, pshaw! What's the use o' havin' things like that spoil one's temper.

[_He puts his arms around her._] That's nothin'! Nothin' at all.

MRS. HENSCHEL

[_Frees herself from his embrace._] Oh, I don't know! 'Tis true--I don't know how it comes--but things seem to go contrary with a body. Henschel sits aroun' at home the whole week, an' now that he's gone for a bit, we has to let the time slide away!

GEORGE

Well, we got plenty o' time to-day. He don't come back till Monday, I thought.

MRS. HENSCHEL

Who knows if it's true!

GEORGE

I don't know no reason why it shouldn't be true!

MRS. HENSCHEL

That man is bound to sit aroun' at home. 'Twasn't half as bad formerly.

He used to go on trips weeks at a time; nowadays he whines if he's got to sleep away from home a single night. An' if he says: I'll stay three days, he mostly comes back on the second--Listen ... I believe they've come already! Who else'd be crackin' whips like that in the yard?

GEORGE

[_After he has listened, in a restrained tone:_] The devil take 'em all--the whole d.a.m.ned crowd! A man hasn't had time to get warm a bit. I s'pose I'll have to leave right off, eh? I thought it'd be mighty different, I must say!

[_He slips his overcoat back on and takes up his hat._

MRS. HENSCHEL

[_Tears his hat from his head._] You stay right here! What d'you want to run off for? D'you think I got to be scared o' Henschel. He's got to come to my terms. I don't has to think about him. If you'd come yesterday!--I told you ...! Then n.o.body wouldn't ha' interrupted us, no Henschel an' no Siebenhaar. To-day the devil's broke loose!

_The horse dealer WALTHER enters--a handsome, vigorous fellow of forty. Bashly cap, fur jacket, hunting stockings and tall boots; his mits are fastened by cords._

WALTHER