BEERMANN. You have always believed that an undisturbed happiness
prevailed in my family.
HAUSER [quickly]. Beermann, I resent that! Do not try to make
yourself interesting.
BEERMANN. Don't take it the wrong way. I am not blaming anybody. I
just want to ...
HAUSER. You even want to find moral justification for your
immorality.
BEERMANN. I know well enough that it is unjustifiable. I have been
saying that to myself a hundred thousand times. Do not think that
I overcame my principles so easily.
HAUSER. All you had to overcome was your timidity.
BEERMANN [sighing deeply]. If you only knew.
HAUSER. Of course you did not land on the primrose path with both
feet, but you climbed carefully over the fence--just as befits a
man of your embonpoint.
BEERMANN. I expected something better from you than mere mocking.
HAUSER. What do you want me to do? Shall I weep because you have
sinned? Why? What good would it do you? That is the way of your
kind. As long as no one has proofs against you, your virtue must
always be under the spotlight, but the very minute you trip up,
some peculiar background of justification ought to be invented for
the smallest sin. No, my dear friend. The world's moral system
will not go to pieces just because you slipped and broke your
nose.
BEERMANN. You cannot realize what suffering you are inflicting
upon me right now.
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