Dr Scholz.
Sh!
[He and the rest watch William in suspense. William clears his throat, stretches himself, opens and shuts his eyes like one overcome with sleep, lays his head back as if to sleep.
Dr Scholz (audibly).
Thank God!
[He straightens himself, wipes his forehead with his handkerchief, and half touched, half embarrassed, surveys the others. Ida has fallen on her mother’s neck between laughter and tears. Robert, hardly master of his emotion, stands with clasped hands and glances at the others alternately. Augusta goes hastily up and down, her handkerchief pressed to her mouth, and every time she passes William pauses a moment to look at him searchingly. Friebe goes out on tiptoe. The Doctor’s eyes meet his wife’s; touched, she ventures timidly to approach him, gently seizes his hand and pats his back.
Mrs Scholz.
Dear old man!
Augusta (following her mother, embraces and kisses her father, who suffers it without removing his hand from his wife’s).
My dearest father!