The German Classics of the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries - LightNovelsOnl.com
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FORESTER.
And I am the forester of Dusterwalde.
[STEIN _is getting more and more excited. He shows plainly that the presence of other persons increases his sensitiveness, and he makes an evident effort to control his temper. The_ FORESTER _treats the matter lightly, as an every-day affair_. SOPHY _with increasing anxiety looks from one to the other_. WILKENS _does not move a muscle of his face_.
MoLLER _exhibits his sympathy by accompanying his master's words with appropriate gestures. The entire pantomimic by-play is very rapid_.]
STEIN.
You are my servant, and I command: The forest shall be cleared. If not, you are no longer my servant. The forest shall be cleared.
FORESTER.
Old hot-head!
STEIN.
Either you obey, or you are no longer forester.
FORESTER.
Stuff and nonsense!
STEIN.
And I shall put G.o.dfrey in your place.
FORESTER.
Quite right. Congratulations.
STEIN (_b.u.t.tons his coat_).
The forest shall be cleared.
FORESTER.
The forest shall not be cleared.
SOPHY (_stepping between the two_).
But--
STEIN.
I regret this exceedingly.--Mr. Moller!--I bid everybody good-day.
[_Exit_.]
MoLLER.
Bravo! At last he has spoken his mind in a manner worthy of Stein and Son. Yours truly.
[_Follows_ STEIN.]
FORESTER.
I deal--
[_He looks up while shuffling the cards_.]
But--well, let him go. If he can't sit for an hour without exploding, the old powder-bag--
SCENE VIII
_The_ FORESTER _remains seated imperturbably_. SOPHY _stands beside his chair_. WILKENS _steps up to the_ FORESTER.
SOPHY.
But what in the world is going to come of this?
WILKENS.
He should have gone after him.
FORESTER. The old hot-head!
SOPHY.
I am absolutely dumbfounded. On the very day of betrothal!
WILKENS.
But for the sake of a few miserable trees he surely is not going to--
FORESTER.
Miserable trees? Thunder! In my forest there is no miserable tree!--Nonsense. There is no cause for lamentation.
WILKENS.
But Mr. Stein--
FORESTER.
Is not going to run far. When his anger has subsided, he will be the first one to--he is better than I.
