[Shoemaker's company make wry faces and pretend not to be listening; the people are interested and drop pennies into the old woman's bank. The women are moved to tears and wipe their eyes now and then.]
RELATIVE. [To shoemaker.] Have you many orders now-a-days?
SHOEMAKER. Oh, so-so—
OLD WOMAN. Give the old blind woman a coin?
CHIROPODIST. Begging is prohibited, don't you know that?
ONE OF THE PEOPLE. She's not begging; she asks remuneration.
SHOEMAKER. What kind of rot is he talking?
ONE OF THE PEOPLE. The Schulze Society is paid to sing for the statue yonder, but the men pocket the coins and stay away. This morning only three were there.
SHOEMAKER. [To his guests.] Think, they know all that goes on, the villains!
OLD WOMAN. Give the blind old woman a coin!