HOFFMANN

Stubbornness.

LOTH

Deep feeling, too?

HOFFMANN

Too much at times ...

LOTH

But if the conditions here are so unfortunate for her, why doesn't your sister-in-law live with _your_ family?

HOFFMANN

You'd better ask her that! I've often enough made her the offer. Women have these fancies, that's all. [_Holding the cigar in his mouth, HOFFMANN takes out a note-book and adds a fete items._] You'll forgive me, won't you, if I have to leave you alone after a while?

LOTH

a.s.suredly.

HOFFMANN

How long do you think of stay--

LOTH

I mean to look for a lodging very soon. Where does Schimmelpfennig live?

The best thing would be to go to see him. He would _probably_ be able to secure one for me. I hope that I'll soon find a suitable place, otherwise I'll spend the night at the inn next door.

HOFFMANN

Why should you? Of course you'll stay with us till morning, at least. To be sure, I'm only a guest in this house myself, otherwise I'd naturally ask you to ... you understand?

LOTH

Perfectly.

HOFFMANN

But do tell me, were you really quite serious when you said ...

LOTH

That I would spend the night at an inn...?

HOFFMANN

Nonsense ... Of course not!... I mean what you mentioned a while ago--that business about your ridiculous descriptive essay?

LOTH

Why not?

HOFFMANN

I must confess that I thought you were jesting. [_He gets up and speaks confidentially and half-humorously._] Now, you don't mean to say you're really capable of undermining the ground here where a friend of yours has been fortunate enough to get a firm foothold?

LOTH

You may take my word for it, Hoffmann; I had no idea that you were here.

If I had known that ...

HOFFMANN

[_Jumps up, delighted._] Very well, then; very well. If that's the way things are. And I a.s.sure you I'm more than glad that I was not mistaken in you. So now you do know that I am here. It goes without saying that I'll make up to you all your travelling expenses and all extras. No, you needn't be so excessively delicate. It's simply my duty as a friend ...

Now I recognise my excellent old friend again. But I tell you: for a time I had very serious suspicions of you ... Now you ought to know this, however. Frankly, I'm not as bad as I sometimes pretend to be, not by any means. I have always honoured you, you and your sincere, single-minded efforts. And I'm the last man to fail to attach weight to certain demands of the exploited, oppressed ma.s.ses, demands which are, most unfortunately, only too well justified.--Oh, you may smile. I'll go further and confess that there is just one party in parliament that has any true ideals, and that's the party to which you belong! Only--as I said before--we must go slowly, slowly!--not try to rush things through.

Everything is coming, surely coming about exactly as it ought to. Only patience! Patience ...

LOTH

One must have patience. That is certain. But one isn't justified on that account in folding one's hands in idleness.

HOFFMANN

Exactly my opinion.--As a matter of fact my thoughts have oftener been in accord with you than my words. It's a bad habit of mine, I admit, I fell into it in intercourse with people to whom I didn't always want to show my hand.... Take the question, of woman, for instance ... You expressed a good many things quite strikingly. [_He has, in the meantime, approached the telephone, taken up the receiver and now speaks alternately into the telephone and to LOTH._] My little sister-in-law, by the way, was all ear ... [_Into the telephone._] Frank! I want the carriage in ten minutes ...

[_To LOTH._] You made an impression on her ... [_Into the telephone._]

What--oh, nonsense!--well, that beats everything ... Then hitch up the black horses at once ... [_To LOTH._] And why shouldn't you?... [_Into the telephone._] Well, upon my...! To the milliner, you say? The madame?

The ma--! Well, very well, then. But at once! Oh, very well! Yes! What's the--! [_He presses the b.u.t.ton of the servants' bell. To LOTH._] You just wait. Give me a chance to heap up the necessary mountain of shekels, and maybe you'll see something happen ... [_EDWARD has entered._] Edward, my leggings, my walking-coat! [_EDWARD withdraws_.] Maybe something will happen then that you fellows wouldn't believe of me now ... If, at the end of two or three days--you must stay with us so long by all means--I'd consider it a real insult if you didn't--[_he slips out of his dressing-gown_]--if, at the end of two or three days, you're ready to go.

I'll drive you over to the train.

_EDWARD enters carrying gaiters and walking-coat._

HOFFMANN

[_Permitting himself to be helped on with the coat._] So-o! [_Sitting down on a chair._] Now the boots. [_After he has pulled on one of them._]

There's number one!

LOTH

Perhaps you didn't quite understand me after all.

HOFFMANN

Surely, that's quite possible. A fellow gets out of touch with things.

Nothing but musty business affairs. Edward, hasn't the mail come yet?

Wait a minute!--Do go up into my room. You'll find a doc.u.ment in a blue cover on the left side of my desk. Get that and put it into the carriage.