There
has been no sudden shattering of an ideal. Our marriage was not an
ideal and ... don't feel offended ... your personality was never
so immaculate, that one stain more or less would spoil the effect.
BEERMANN [excited]. But there must be some sort of reason back of
all these reproaches?
FRAU BEERMANN. If you think them reproaches, then we do not
understand each other.
BEERMANN. What else are they?
FRAU BEERMANN. I meant it merely as a request. Do not bring your
family into ridicule.
BEERMANN. You are playing hide and seek all the time. In what way
am I likely to do that?
FRAU BEERMANN. With your moral priesthood to which you have
absolutely no right.
BEERMANN. No right?
FRAU BEERMANN. Not the slightest one. But you are creating enemies
who will make a laughing-stock of us all, if they find out certain
things. Those things can be found out whether we like it or not.
BEERMANN [forced laughter]. Lena dear, I believe you are jealous.
FRAU BEERMANN [quietly]. Jealous, of what? [Short pause.] I hope
that you credit me with at least good taste enough not to be
jealous of my so-called right, and ... otherwise what can I lose?
No, Fritz, I am not jealous. [Short pause, it is getting darker.]
I had to get accustomed to it; that's true. This secrecy, the
petty lies and the false gravity irritated me a little bit too
much at first, but I made an effort so that I could still retain a
feeling of comradeship.
Pages:
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89