The Dramatic Works of Gerhart Hauptmann - LightNovelsOnl.com
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[_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
s.h.!.+
[_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
