THE YOUNG WIFE AND THE HUSBAND
A comfortable bedroom. It is half past ten at night. The Wife is lying abed and reading. The Husband enters the room in a dressing gown.
Young Wife
(Without looking up) You have stopped working?
Husband
Yes. I’m too tired. And besides…
Young Wife
Well?—
Husband
I felt so lonely at my desk all at once. A longing for you came over me.
Young Wife
(Looking up) Really?
Husband
(Sitting down on the bed beside her) Don’t read any more to-night. You will ruin your eyes.
Young Wife
(Closing the book) What’s the matter with you?
Husband
Nothing, child. I’m in love with you. But you know that.
Young Wife
One might almost forget it sometimes.
Husband
One must forget it sometimes.
Young Wife
Why?
Husband
Because, otherwise, marriage would be something imperfect. It would … how shall I express it … it would lose its sanctity.
Young Wife
Oh…
Husband
Believe me—it is so… If we hadn’t sometimes forgotten that we are in love with each other during the five years we have been married—we might not be in love any longer.
Young Wife
That’s beyond me.
Husband
The case is simply this. We have had perhaps ten or twelve love-affairs with each other… Doesn’t it seem that way to you, too?
Young Wife
I haven’t counted them!
Husband
If we had enjoyed the first one to the last drop, if I had from the very beginning surrendered without restraint to my passion for you, the same thing would have happened to us that has happened to millions of other lovers. We would be tired of each other.
Young Wife
Ah … do you mean that?
Husband
Believe me—Emma—in the early days of our marriage, I was afraid that this would happen.
Young Wife
I, too.
Husband
See? Am I not right? Therefore, it is wise every now and then to live only as good friends.
Young Wife
Oh.
Husband
And some can always experience new honeymoons, especially since I am careful never to let such weeks of honeymoon…
Young Wife
Run into months.
Husband
That is true.
Young Wife
And now … now it seems we are at the end of another such period of friendship—?
Husband
(Pressing her tenderly to him) So it might seem.
Young Wife
But if … if I should feel differently?
Husband
You couldn’t. You are the wisest and most delicious being in the world. I am very happy to have found you.
Young Wife
You know how to make love very well—every now and then.
Husband
(Who has also gone to bed) Well, for a man who has looked about in the world a bit—come, lay your head on my shoulder—who has seen something of the world, marriage is really something much more mysterious than it is for you sheltered young girls. You come to us entirely innocent and … to a certain degree, at least, ignorant of things, and therefore you really understand the essence of love much better than we.
Young Wife
(Laughing) Oh!
Husband
Certainly. For we get all tangled up by the many experiences that we have to go through before marriage. You women, of course, hear a lot of things, you know a lot of things, no doubt read too much, but you can’t have any real idea of the things men experience. We men really become quite disgusted with this thing people call love, for the kind of creatures to which we are restricted really are…
Young Wife
Tell me—what kind of creatures are they?
Husband
(Kissing her on the forehead) You ought to be glad, dear child, that you never have had a glimpse of relations like that. After all most of the poor things deserve pity—it is not for us to throw stones.
Young Wife
But—this pity—it doesn’t seem quite appropriate to me.
Husband
(With gentle benevolence) They deserve it. You young girls of good family, who wait quietly under the care of your parents for the man who desires you in marriage,—you won’t know the misery that drives most of these poor creatures into the arms of sin.
Young Wife
Do all of them really sell themselves?
Husband
I would hardly say that. I don’t mean the material misery alone. There is also—one might call it—a moral misery, a lack of appreciation for what is permissible, and, especially, for what is noble.
Young Wife
But why are they to be pitied?—They seem to enjoy themselves.
Husband
You have strange ideas, my child. You must not forget that such people are predestined by nature to sink lower and lower. There is no stopping them.
Young Wife
(Cuddling to him) It seems pleasant to fall.
Husband
(Hurt) How can you say things like that, Emma? I should think that to good women like you, nothing could be more repulsive than those who are not!
Young Wife
Of course, Karl, of course. I was just thinking. Go on, tell me more. I like it when you talk like this. Tell me something.
Husband
What?—
Young Wife
Why—about these people.
Husband
The idea!
Young Wife
But, I asked you a long time ago—you know, when we were first married to tell me something of your younger days.
Husband
Why does that interest you?
Young Wife
Aren’t you my husband? Isn’t it a sort of injustice that I really know nothing about your past?
Husband
You surely don’t think I have such bad taste, as to—No, Emma … it would be like a profanation.
Young Wife
And yet you have … heaven knows how many other women you have held in your arms, just as you are holding me now.
Husband
Don’t say “women.” You are the woman.
Young Wife
But you must answer one question … otherwise … otherwise … there won’t be any honeymoon.
Husband
That’s a nice way to talk … remember you are a mother … our little girl is sleeping in there…
Young Wife
(Snuggling against him) But I want a boy, too.
Husband
Emma!
Young Wife
Don’t be silly … of course, I am your wife … but I’d like also to be … to be your sweetheart.
Husband
Would you?…
Young Wife
Well—now my question.
Husband
(Accommodating) All right.
Young Wife
Was there … a married woman … amongst them?
Husband
Why? What do you mean?
Young Wife
You know what I mean.
Husband
(Slightly disconcerted) What makes you think of a thing like that?
Young Wife
I would like to know if … I mean—there are such women… I know that very well. But did you?…
Husband
(Seriously) Do you know such a woman?
Young Wife
Well, I hardly know.
Husband
Is there, perhaps, such a woman among your friends?
Young Wife
How can I be sure that there is—or that there isn’t?
Husband
Did any of your friends … women talk about a lot of things—alone among themselves—did any of them ever confess—?
Young Wife
(Uncertainly) No.
Husband
Do you suspect any of your friends—that she…
Young Wife
Suspect … oh … suspect.
Husband
It would seem so.
Young Wife
No, indeed, Karl, most certainly not. When I think things over—I don’t believe there is any one.
Husband
No one?
Young Wife
Not among my friends.
Husband
Promise me something, Emma.
Young Wife
Well?
Husband
That you will never associate with a woman about whom you have the slightest suspicion that she … doesn’t lead a completely blameless life.
Young Wife
And you think it necessary for me to promise that?
Husband
I know that you will not seek out the company of such women. But, it might happen that you … in fact it often happens that such women, whose reputations are not of the best, seek out good women, partly to give them standing, and partly because they feel … how shall I say?… because they feel a certain homesickness for virtue.
Young Wife
Do they?
Husband
Yes. I believe what I just said is very true. Homesickness for virtue. For all of these women are at heart very unhappy; you can believe that.
Young Wife
Why?
Husband
You ask me, Emma?—How can you even ask?—Just imagine what a life these women lead! Full of lies, perfidy, vulgarity, and danger.
Young Wife
Yes, of course. You are right.
Husband
Truly … they pay for their little happiness … their little…
Young Wife
Pleasure.
Husband
Why “pleasure”? Why do you call it “pleasure”?
Young Wife
Well,—there must be something in it—! Otherwise, they wouldn’t do it.
Husband
It is nothing … an intoxication.
Young Wife
(Pensively) An intoxication…
Husband
No, it is not even intoxication. Like everything—it is dearly paid for, that much is certain.
Young Wife
Well … it has happened to you, hasn’t it?
Husband
Yes, Emma.—And it is the thing I most regret.
Young Wife
Who was she? Tell me! Do I know her?
Husband
The idea!
Young Wife
Was it long ago? Was it very long before you married me?
Husband
Don’t ask me. Please, don’t ask.
Young Wife
But, Karl!
Husband
She is dead.
Young Wife
Are you in earnest?
Husband
Yes … it sounds almost ridiculous, but I have the feeling that all such women die young.
Young Wife
Did you love her very much?
Husband
One doesn’t love women who lie.
Young Wife
Then why…
Husband
An intoxication…
Young Wife
Really?
Husband
Don’t talk about it any more, please. All that is passed long ago. I have only loved one woman—that is you. You only love where there is purity and truth.
Young Wife
Karl!
Husband
Oh, how secure, how happy one feels in such arms. Why didn’t I know you as a child? I am sure I wouldn’t then even have looked at other women.
Young Wife
Karl!
Husband
And how beautiful you are!… beautiful!… Oh, come…
(He puts the light out)
Young Wife
Do you know what I am thinking of to-night?
Husband
What, sweetheart?
Young Wife
Of … of … of Venice.
Husband
Our first night…
Young Wife
Yes…
Husband
What then? Tell me!
Young Wife
You love me as much to-day.
Husband
Yes, just as much.
Young Wife
Oh … if you would always…
Husband
(In her arms) If I would what?
Young Wife
My Karl!
Husband
What do you mean? If I would always?…
Young Wife
Well, yes.
Husband
Well, what then, if I would always?…
Young Wife
Then I would always know that you love me.
Husband
Yes. But you must know that anyway. One cannot always be a lover, sometimes one has to go out into the cold world to struggle and achieve! Don’t forget that, my child. There is a time for everything in marriage—that is the beauty of it. There are not many who can remember their Venice after five years.
Young Wife
True!
Husband
And now … good-night, my child.
Young Wife
Good-night!