W. Yes, that’s so; but it’s so blamed general! Won’t it sound foolish?
GEO. Foolish! Why, of course; all German sounds foolish.
W. Well, that is true; I didn’t think of that.
GEO. Now, don’t fool around any more. Load up; load up; get ready. Fix up some sentences; you’ll need them in two minutes now. (They walk up and down, moving their lips in dumb-show memorising.)
W. Look here—when we’ve said all that’s in the book on a topic, and want to change the subject, how can we say so?—how would a German say it?
GEO. Well, I don’t know. But you know when they mean ‘Change cars,’ they say Umsteigen. Don’t you reckon that will answer?
W. Tip-top! It’s short and goes right to the point; and it’s got a business whang to it that’s almost American. Umsteigen!—change subject!—why, it’s the very thing!
GEO. All right, then, you umsteigen—for I hear them coming.
Enter the girls.
A. to W. (With solemnity.) Guten Morgen, mein Herr, es freut mich sehr, Sie zu sehen.