Ah! how beautiful!
[She listens for a moment with devotion, then breaks into sobs. Robert moves slowly about; as the song continues makes a grimace, as if to say, “Well, this is the last straw”; walks further on, smiles ironically and several times shakes his head. Passing Augusta, he says something to her half audibly. Augusta, partly touched by the song, now breaks out. William has been standing by the table, nervously drumming with his fingers, a prey to conflicting emotions; now his face reddens with resentment. Robert towards the end of the song appears to suffer physically. The impossibility of escaping from the impression of Ida’s tones appears to torture and embitter him more and more. Just at the end of the verse, a word escapes him involuntarily like the fragment of a soliloquy.
Robert.
Child’s play! (in a biting contemptuous tone).
[All, including the Doctor, have heard him, and turn to him with a shocked expression.
Mrs Scholz and Augusta.
Robert!
[Dr Scholz suppresses an explosion of violent anger. William, white with rage, steps up to Robert.
Mrs Scholz (rushing towards him, embraces him).
William—for my sake!