ALVA. You seem to envy your man the joy you offer to him. (Lulu is at the right, Alva at the left, of the centre table. He regards her with shy satisfaction. Ferdinand enters, rear, covers the table and lays two plates, etc., a bottle of Pommery, and hors d' oeuvres.) Have you a toothache?
LULU. (Across to Alva.) Don't.
FERDINAND. Doctor Schön ...?
ALVA. He seems so puckered-up and tearful to-day.
FERDINAND. (Thru his teeth.) One is only a man after all. (Exit.)
LULU. (When both are seated.) What I always think most highly of in you is your firmness of character. You're so perfectly sure of yourself. Even when you must have been afraid of quarreling with your father about it, you always stood up for me like a brother just the same.
ALVA. Let's drop that. It's just my fate— (Moves to lift up the table-cloth in front.)
LULU. (Quickly.) That was me.
ALVA. Impossible! It's just my fate, with the most frivolous ideas always to seize on the best.
LULU. You deceive yourself if you make yourself out worse than you are.