BEERMANN. And after you were in the hospital—how did you get out?
DOBLER. As soon as I got stronger. Later on I became a printer—found a position—studied and published my book.
BEERMANN. That's all in your novel, I know. But the part where you describe how you were a tramp—that's not true?
DOBLER. Yes, I "hoboed" almost a whole year.
FRAU BOLLAND. "Hoboed!" Fancy that! How unique!
FRAULEIN KOCH-PINNEBERG. I can just picture it. Tramping along the railroad tracks.
DOBLER. Yes. You folks think you can picture it with four square meals a day. But it's quite different, I assure you. There were three of us at that time. We worked our way from Basel upwards—sometimes on the left—sometimes on the right bank of the Rhine. In Worms we spent the last of our money and we had to PEDDLE for HAND-OUTS.
FRAU BOLLAND [not understanding him]. "Handouts?" What is that?
DOBLER [with pathos]. To beg for something to eat, gnadige Frau, for our daily bread.
[They all remain silent. Only the voice of the butler who is serving liqueur can be heard.] "Cognac monsieur! Chartreuse! Champagne?"