Oh, there's plenty of time. In another hour Cecilia will be telling me all that's in it.... (He opens the other letter, runs through it, and flings it away) How stupid people are ... how stupid! ... Ugh! And mean! (He glances through Cecilia's letter once more) Cecilia writes me about a reception at the house of the Director.... Sigismund was there, too. Yes, you know, of course, that Sigismund has been in Berlin?
MARIE (embarrassed)
I ... I thought ... Or rather, I knew ...
AMADEUS (with an air of superiority)
Well, well—there is no cause for embarrassment in that. Don't you consider the Prince an uncommonly sympathetic person?
MARIE
Yes, he's very pleasant. But I can assure you, Amadeus, that he came only once to our place in the Pustertal,[4 ] and he didn't stay more than two hours.
AMADEUS (laughing)
And what if he had stayed a week...? Really, Marie, you're very funny!
MARIE (shyly)