BEGGAR. Yes. I'm my own master now.
STRANGER. Do you catch birds?
BEGGAR. No. The lime twig's merely for appearances.
STRANGER. So you still cling to such things?
BEGGAR. What else should I cling to? What's within us is nothing but pure... nonsense.
STRANGER. Is that the final conclusion of your whole philosophy of life?
BEGGAR. My complete metaphysic. The view mad be rather out of date, but...
STRANGER. Can you be serious for a moment? Tell me about your past.
BEGGAR. Why unravel that old skein? Twist it up rather. Twist it up. Do you think I'm always so merry? Only when I meet you: you're so damnably funny!
STRANGER. How can you laugh, with a wrecked life behind you?