THE YOUNG MAN AND THE YOUNG WIFE
Evening—A drawing-room furnished with cheap elegance in a house in Schwind street. The Young Man has just come in; and, still wearing his hat and overcoat, he lights the gas. Then he opens a door to a side-room and looks in. The light from the drawing-room shimmers over the inlaid floor as far as the Louis Quinze bed, which stands against the opposite wall. A reddish light plays from the fire-place in the corner of the bedroom upon the hangings of the bed. The Young Man now inspects the bedroom. He takes an atomizer from the dressing-table, and sprays the bed-pillows with a fine rain of violet perfume. Then he carries the atomizer through both rooms, constantly pressing upon the bulb, so that soon the odor of violets pervades the place. He then takes off his hat and coat. He sits down in a blue velvet armchair, lights a cigarette, and smokes. After a short pause he rises again, and makes sure that the green shutters are closed. Suddenly, he goes into the bedroom, and opens a drawer in the dressing-table. He puts his hand in it, and finds a tortoise-shell hair-pin. He looks for a place to hide it, and finally puts it into a pocket of his overcoat. He opens the buffet in the drawing-room; takes a silver tray, with a bottle and two liqueur glasses, and puts them on the table. He goes back to his overcoat, and takes from it a small white package. Opening this, he places it beside the cognac. He goes again to the buffet, and takes two small plates and knives and forks. He takes a candied chestnut from the package and eats it. Then he pours himself a glass of cognac, and drinks it quickly. He then looks at his watch. He walks up and down the room. He stops a while before a large mirror, ordering his hair and small mustache with a pocket-comb. He next goes to the door of the vestibule and listens. Nothing is stirring. Then he closes the blue portières, which hang before the bedroom. The bell rings. He starts slightly. Then he sits down in the armchair, and rises only when the door has been opened and the Young Wife enters.
Young Wife
(Heavily veiled, closes the door behind her, pausing a moment with her left hand over her heart, as though mastering a strong emotion)
Young Man
(Goes toward her, takes her left hand, and presses a kiss on the white glove with black stitching. He says softly.) Thank you.
Young Wife
Alfred—Alfred!
Young Man
Come, Madame… Come, Emma…
Young Wife
Let me be for a minute—please … oh, please, please, Alfred!
(She is still standing at the door)
Young Man
(Standing before her, holding her hand)
Young Wife
Where am I?
Young Man
With me.
Young Wife
This house is terrible, Alfred.
Young Man
Why terrible? It is a very proper house.
Young Wife
But I met two gentlemen on the staircase.
Young Man
Acquaintances of yours?
Young Wife
I don’t know. It’s possible.
Young Man
But, Madame—You surely know your friends!
Young Wife
I couldn’t see their faces.
Young Man
But even had they been your best friends—they couldn’t possibly have recognized you… I, myself … if I didn’t know it was you … this veil—
Young Wife
There are two.
Young Man
Won’t you come closer?… And take off your hat, at least?
Young Wife
What are you thinking of, Alfred? I promised you: Five minutes… Not a moment more … I swear it, no more—
Young Man
Well, then, your veil—
Young Wife
There are two of them.
Young Man
Very well, both of them—you will at least let me see your face.
Young Wife
Do you really love me, Alfred?
Young Man
(Deeply hurt) Emma! You ask me…
Young Wife
It’s so warm here.
Young Man
You’re still wearing your fur-coat—really, you will catch cold.
Young Wife
(Finally enters the room, and throws herself into the armchair) I’m tired—dead tired.
Young Man
Permit me.
(He takes off her veil, removes her hat-pin, and puts hat, pin, and veil aside)
Young Wife
(Permits it)
Young Man
(Stands before her, and shakes his head)
Young Wife
What is the matter?
Young Man
You’ve never been so beautiful.
Young Wife
How is that?
Young Man
Alone … alone with you—Emma—
(He kneels down beside her chair, takes both her hands, and covers them with kisses)
Young Wife
And now … now let me go again. I have done what you asked me to do.
Young Man
(Lets his head sink into her lap)
Young Wife
You promised me to be good.
Young Man
Yes.
Young Wife
It is stifling hot in this room.
Young Man
(Gets up) You still have your coat on.
Young Wife
Put it with my hat.
Young Man
(Takes off her coat, and puts it on the sofa)
Young Wife
And now—good-by—
Young Man
Emma—! Emma—!
Young Wife
The five minutes are long past.
Young Man
Not one yet!—
Young Wife
Alfred, tell me truly now, how late it is.
Young Man
It is now exactly a quarter past six.
Young Wife
I should have been at my sister’s long ago.
Young Man
You can see your sister any time…
Young Wife
Oh, Merciful Heaven, Alfred, why did you tempt me to come?
Young Man
Because … I adore you, Emma!
Young Wife
To how many have you said the same thing?
Young Man
Since I met you, to no one.
Young Wife
What a foolish woman I am! If anybody had predicted … just a week ago … or even yesterday…
Young Man
But you had already promised me the day before yesterday.
Young Wife
You plagued me so. But I didn’t want to do it. God is my witness—I didn’t want to do it… Yesterday, I was firmly decided… Do you know I even wrote you a long letter last night?
Young Man
I didn’t receive any.
Young Wife
I tore it up later. Oh, if only I had sent it to you.
Young Man
It is better as it is.
Young Wife
Oh, no, it’s awful … of me. I don’t understand myself. Good-by, Alfred, let me go.
Young Man
(Seizes her, and covers her face with burning kisses)
Young Wife
So … is that the way you keep your word…
Young Man
One more kiss—one more.
Young Wife
The last.
(He kisses her, and she returns the kiss; their lips remain joined for a long time)
Young Man
Shall I tell you something, Emma? It is now for the first time that I know what happiness is.
Young Wife
(Sinks back into the armchair)
Young Man
(Sits on the arm of the chair, and puts one arm lightly about her neck) … or rather, I know now what happiness might be.
Young Wife
(Sighs deeply)
Young Man
(Kisses her again)
Young Wife
Alfred—Alfred, what are you doing to me!
Young Man
Wasn’t I right?—It isn’t so awfully uncomfortable here… And we are so safe here. It’s a thousand times better than those meetings outdoors…
Young Wife
Oh, don’t remind me of them.
Young Man
I shall always recall them with a thousand delights. Every minute you have let me spend with you is a sweet memory.
Young Wife
Do you remember the ball at the Manufacturers’ Club?
Young Man
Do I remember it…? I sat beside you through the whole supper—quite close to you. Your husband had champagne…
Young Wife
(Looks at him with a hurt expression)
Young Man
I meant to speak only of the champagne. Emma, would you like a glass of cognac?
Young Wife
Only a drop, but first give me a glass of water.
Young Man
Surely… But where is—oh, yes, I remember…
(He opens the portières, and goes into the bedroom)
Young Wife
(Follows him with her eyes)
Young Man
(Comes back with a water-bottle and two glasses)
Young Wife
Where have you been?
Young Man
In … the adjoining room.
(Pours her a glass of water)
Young Wife
Now I’m going to ask you something, Alfred—and you must tell me the truth.
Young Man
I swear—
Young Wife
Has there ever been any other woman in these rooms?
Young Man
But, Emma—this house was built twenty years ago!—
Young Wife
You know what I mean, Alfred … in these rooms, with you!
Young Man
With me—here—Emma!—It’s not kind of you even to imagine such a thing.
Young Wife
Then there was … how shall I… But, no, I’d rather not ask. It is better that I shouldn’t ask. It’s my own fault. Every fault has its punishment.
Young Man
But what is wrong? What is the matter with you? What fault?
Young Wife
No, no, no, I mustn’t think… Otherwise I would sink through the floor with shame.
Young Man
(With the water-bottle in his hand, shakes his head sadly) Emma, if you only knew how you hurt me.
Young Wife
(Pours a glass of cognac)
Young Man
I want to tell you something, Emma. If you’re ashamed of being here—if you don’t care for me—if you don’t feel you are all the happiness in the world for me—then you’d better go.—
Young Wife
Yes, I shall go.
Young Man
(Taking hold of her hand) But if you feel that I cannot live without you, that a kiss upon your hand means more to me than all the caresses of all the women in the whole world… Emma, I’m not like other young men, who are experienced in love-making—perhaps, I am too naïve … I…
Young Wife
But suppose you were like other young men?
Young Man
Then you wouldn’t be here to-night—because you are not like other women.
Young Wife
How do you know that?
Young Man
(Drawing her close beside him on the sofa)
I have thought a lot about it. I know you are unhappy.
Young Wife
(Pleased) Yes.
Young Man
Life is so dreary, so empty—and then,—so short—so horribly short! There is only one happiness—to find some one who loves you.—
Young Wife
(Takes a candied pear from the table, and puts it into her mouth)
Young Man
Give me half of it!
(She offers it to him with her lips)
Young Wife
(Catches the hands of the Young Man that threaten to stray) What are you doing, Alfred?… Is that the way you keep your promise?
Young Man
(Swallows the pear, then, more daringly) Life is so short.
Young Wife
(Weakly) But that’s no reason—
Young Man
(Mechanically) Oh, yes.
Young Wife
(Still more weakly) Alfred, you promised to be good … and then it’s so light…
Young Man
Come, come, you only, only…
(He lifts her from the sofa)
Young Wife
What are you doing?
Young Man
It’s not so light in the other room.
Young Wife
Is there another room?
Young Man
(Drawing her with him) A beautiful one … and quite dark.
Young Wife
We’d better stay in here.
Young Man
(Already past the bedroom portières with her, loosening her waist)
Young Wife
You are so… O merciful Heaven, what are you doing with me!—Alfred!
Young Man
I adore you, Emma!
Young Wife
So then wait, wait a little… (Weakly) Go… I’ll call you.
Young Man
Let you help me—let us help you (becoming confused) … let … me—help—you.
Young Wife
But you’ll tear everything.
Young Man
You have no corset on?
Young Wife
I never wear a corset. Odilon[2] doesn’t wear any either. But you can unbutton my shoes.
Young Man
(Unbuttons her shoes and kisses her feet)
Young Wife
(Slips into bed) Oh, how cold it is.
Young Man
It’ll be warm in a minute.
Young Wife
(Laughing softly) Do you think so?
Young Man
(Slightly hurt, to himself) She ought not to have said that.
(He undresses in the dark)
Young Wife
(Tenderly) Come, come, come!
Young Man
(Mollified) In a minute, dear—
Young Wife
It smells like violets here.
Young Man
That’s you… Yes (To her) you, yourself.
Young Wife
Alfred… Alfred!!!!
Young Man
Emma…
Young Man
Apparently I love you too much … yes… I am as if out of my senses.
Young Wife
… …
Young Man
I have been beside myself all these days. I was afraid of this.
Young Wife
Don’t mind.
Young Man
Oh, certainly not. It’s perfectly natural, if one…
Young Wife
No … don’t… You are nervous. Calm yourself first.
Young Man
Do you know Stendhal?
Young Wife
Stendhal?
Young Man
The “Psychologie de l’amour.”
Young Wife
No. Why do you ask me?
Young Man
There’s a story in that book which is very much to the point.
Young Wife
What kind of a story?
Young Man
There is a gathering of cavalry officers—
Young Wife
Yes.
Young Man
And they are telling each other about their love affairs. And each one of them tells that with the woman he loved best—most passionately, you know … that with him, that then—well, in short, that the same thing happened just as it happened to me now.
Young Wife
Yes.
Young Man
That is very characteristic.
Young Wife
Yes.
Young Man
The story is not yet ended. One of them maintained … that this thing had never in his life happened to him, but, adds Stendhal—he was known as a great boaster.
Young Wife
And.—
Young Man
And, yet, it makes you feel blue—that’s the stupid side of it, even though it’s so unimportant.
Young Wife
Of course. Anyway, you know … you promised me to be good.
Young Man
Sh-h! Don’t laugh. That doesn’t help things any.
Young Wife
But no, I’m not laughing. That story of Stendhal’s is really interesting. I have always thought that only older people … or people who … you know, people who have lived fast…
Young Man
The idea! That has nothing to do with it. By the way, I had completely forgotten the prettiest of Stendhal’s stories. One of the cavalry officers went so far as to say that he stayed for three or even six nights… I don’t remember now—that is he stayed with a woman, whom he wanted for weeks—desirée—you understand—and nothing happened all those nights except that they wept for happiness … both…
Young Wife
Both?
Young Man
Yes. Does that surprise you? It seems very comprehensible—especially when two people love each other.
Young Wife
But surely there are many who don’t weep.
Young Man
(Nervously) Certainly … however, that is an exceptional case.
Young Wife
Oh—I thought Stendhal said that all cavalry officers weep on such an occasion.
Young Man
Look here, now you are laughing at me.
Young Wife
What an idea! Don’t be childish, Alfred.
Young Man
Well, it makes me nervous anyway… Besides I have the feeling that you are thinking about it all the time. That embarrasses me still more.
Young Wife
I’m not thinking of it at all.
Young Man
If I were only sure that you love me.
Young Wife
Do you want still further proofs?
Young Man
Didn’t I tell you … you are always laughing at me.
Young Wife
How so? Come, let me hold your sweet little head.
Young Man
Oh, that feels so good.
Young Wife
Do you love me?
Young Man
Oh, I’m so happy.
Young Wife
But you needn’t cry about it.
Young Man
(Moving away from her, highly irritated) There! Again! I begged you not to…
Young Wife
To tell you that you shouldn’t cry…
Young Man
You said: “You needn’t cry about it.”
Young Wife
You are nervous, sweetheart.
Young Man
I know.
Young Wife
But you ought not to be. It is beautiful even that … that we are together like good comrades…
Young Man
Now you are beginning again.
Young Wife
Don’t you remember! That was one of our first talks. We wanted to be comrades, nothing more. Oh, how nice that was … at my sister’s ball in January, during the quadrille… For heaven’s sake, I should have gone long ago… My sister expects me—what shall I tell her… Good-by, Alfred—
Young Man
Emma!—You will leave me in this way!
Young Wife
Yes—so!—
Young Man
Five minutes more…
Young Wife
All right. Five minutes more. But you must promise me … not to move?… Yes?… I want to give you a good-by kiss… Psst … be still … don’t move, I told you, otherwise I’ll get up at once, you, my sweetheart, sweet…
Young Man
Emma … my ador… …
Young Wife
My Alfred!
Young Man
Oh, it is heaven to be with you.
Young Wife
But now I’ve really got to go.
Young Man
Oh, let your sister wait.
Young Wife
I must go home. It is much too late to see my sister. How late is it?
Young Man
How should I know?
Young Wife
You might look at your watch.
Young Man
My watch is in my waistcoat.
Young Wife
Get it.
Young Man
(Gets up with a jump) Eight o’clock.
Young Wife
(Jumps up quickly) For heaven’s sake… Quick, Alfred, give me my stockings. What shall I say? They must be waiting for me at home … eight o’clock…
Young Man
When shall I see you again?
Young Wife
Never.
Young Man
Emma! Don’t you love me any more?
Young Wife
Just for that reason. Give me my shoes.
Young Man
Never again? Here are your shoes.
Young Wife
My button-hook is in my bag. Please, be quick…
Young Man
Here is the button-hook.
Young Wife
Alfred, this may cost us our lives.
Young Man
(Unpleasantly moved) In what way?
Young Wife
What shall I say, if he asks me where I’ve been?
Young Man
At your sister’s.
Young Wife
Oh, if I only could lie.
Young Man
Well, you’ll have to.
Young Wife
Everything for a man like you. Oh, come here … let me give you a last kiss. (She embraces him)—And now—leave me by myself, go in the other room.—I can’t dress, if you are around.
Young Man
(Goes into the drawing-room, where he dresses. He eats some pastry and drinks a glass of cognac)
Young Wife
(Calls after a while) Alfred!
Young Man
Yes, sweetheart.
Young Wife
Isn’t it better that we didn’t weep?
Young Man
(Smiling, not without pride) How can you talk so frivolously?—
Young Wife
Oh, how difficult it will be now—if we should meet by chance in company?
Young Man
By chance?—sometime?… Surely you are coming to Lobheimer’s to-morrow?
Young Wife
Yes. You too?
Young Man
Of course. May I ask for the cotillion?
Young Wife
Oh, I shall not go. What do you imagine?—I would… (She enters the drawing-room fully dressed, and takes a piece of chocolate pastry) sink through the floor.
Young Man
To-morrow at Lobheimer’s. That’s fine.
Young Wife
No, no… I shall decline … certainly decline—
Young Man
Well, the day after to-morrow … here.
Young Wife
The idea!
Young Man
At six…
Young Wife
There are cabs at this corner, aren’t there?
Young Man
Yes, as many as you want. Well, the day after to-morrow, here at six o’clock. Please say “yes,” sweetheart.
Young Wife
… We’ll discuss that to-morrow night during the cotillion.
Young Man
(Embracing her) My angel.
Young Wife
Don’t muss my hair again.
Young Man
Well then, to-morrow night at Lobheimer’s, and the day after to-morrow in my arms.
Young Wife
Good-by…
Young Man
(Suddenly anxious again) And what will you—tell him to-night?—
Young Wife
Don’t ask me … don’t ask me … it’s too terrible.—Why do I love you so?—Good-by—If I meet any one again on the stairway, I shall faint.—Ugh!
Young Man
(Kisses her hand for the last time)
Young Wife
(Exit)
Young Man
(Remains standing. Then he sits down on the couch. He smiles reflectively, and says to himself) Now, at last, I have an affair with a respectable woman.