SCHIGOLCH.—Blood!—Alva!—He's got to be put away somewhere. Hop!—Or else our friends 'll get a shock from him—Alva! Alva!—He that isn't quite clear about it—! One thing or t'other; or it'll soon be too late! I'll give him legs! (Strikes a match and sticks it into Alva's collar....) He will have his rest. But no one sleeps here.—(Drags him by the head into Lulu's room. Returning, he tries to turn up the light.) It'll be time for me, too, right soon now, or they'll get no more Christmas puddings down there in the tavern. God knows when she'll be coming back from her pleasure tour! (Fixing an eye on Lulu's picture.) She doesn't understand business! She can't live off love, because her life is love.—There she comes. I'll just talk straight to her once—(Countess Geschwitz enters.) ... If you want to lodge with us to-night, kindly take a little care that nothing is stolen here.
GESCHWITZ. How dark it is here!
SCHIGOLCH. It gets much darker than this.—The doctor's already gone to rest.
GESCHWITZ. She sent me ahead.
SCHIGOLCH. That was sensible.—If anyone asks for me, I'm sitting downstairs in the pub.
GESCHWITZ. (After he has gone.) I will sit behind the door. I will look on at everything and not quiver an eye-lash. (Sits on the broken chair.) Men and women don't know themselves—they know not what they are. Only one who is neither man nor woman knows them. Every word they say is untrue, a lie. And they do not know it, for they are to-day so and to-morrow so, according as they have eaten, drunk, and loved, or not. Only the body remains for a time what it is, and only the children have reason. The men and women are like the animals: none knows what it does. When they are happiest they bewail themselves and groan, and in their deepest misery they rejoice over every tiny morsel. It is strange how hunger takes from men and women the strength to withstand misfortune. But when they have fed full they make this world a torture-chamber, they throw away their lives to satisfy a whim, a mood. Have there ever once been men and women to whom love brought happiness? And what is their happiness, save that they sleep better and can forget it all? My God, I thank thee that thou hast not made me as these. I am not man nor woman. My body has nothing common with their bodies. Have I a human soul? Tortured humanity has a little narrow heart; but I know I deserve nothing when I resign all, sacrifice all.... (Lulu opens the door, and Dr. Hilti enters. Geschwitz, unnoticed, remains motionless by the door.)
LULU. (Gaily.) Come right in! Come!—you'll stay with me all night?
DR. HILTI. (His accent is very broad and flat.) But I have no more than five shillings on me. I never take more than that when I go out.
LULU. That's enough, because it's you! You have such faithful eyes! Come, give me a kiss! (Dr. Hilti begins to swear, in the broadest north-country vowels.) Please, don't say that.
DR. HILTI. By the de'il, 'tis the first time I've e'er gone with a girrl! You can believe me. Mass, I hadn't thought it would be like this!