[_Disquieted._] Didn't the temptation ever come to you to ... to marry a daughter of one of these Witzdorf gold farmers?

DR. SCHIMMELPFENNIG

The devil! Man, what do you take me for? You might as well ask whether I ...

LOTH

[_Very pale._] But why ... why?

DR. SCHIMMELPFENNIG

Because ... Anything wrong with you?

[_He regards LOTH steadily for several moments._

LOTH

Certainly not. What should be wrong?

DR. SCHIMMELPFENNIG

[_Has suddenly become very thoughtful. He stops in his walking suddenly and whistles softly, glances at LOTH and then mutters to himself._]

That's bad!

LOTH

You act very strangely all of a sudden.

DR. SCHIMMELPFENNIG

Sh!

[_He listens carefully and then leaves, the room quickly by the middle door._

HELEN

[_Comes at the end of several seconds from the middle door. She cries out._] Alfred!--Alfred!... You're here. Oh, thank G.o.d!

LOTH

Well, dear, did you suppose I had run away?

[_They embrace each other._

HELEN

[_Bends back. With unmistakable terror in her face._] Alfred!

LOTH

What is it, dearest?

HELEN

Nothing, nothing ...

LOTH

But there must be something.

HELEN

You seemed so cold ... Oh, I have such foolish fancies....

LOTH

How are things going upstairs?

HELEN

The doctor is quarreling with the midwife.

LOTH

Isn't it going to end soon?

HELEN

How do I know? But when it ends, when it ends--then....

LOTH

What then?... Tell me, please, what were you going to say?

HELEN

Then we ought soon to go away from here. At once! Oh, right away!

LOTH

If you think that would really be best, Nellie--

HELEN

It is! it is! We mustn't wait! It's the best thing--for you and for me.

If you don't take me soon, you'll just leave me quite, and then, and then ... It would just be all over with me.

LOTH