Gustav.[On her left.] Not that only, but you’ll be jolly careful in the future of wounding other people’s vanity—it’s the most sensitive part of a man.
Thekla. What a vindictive wretch! Ugh!
Gustav. What a promiscuous wretch. Ugh!
Thekla. Do you mean that’s my temperament?
Gustav. Do you mean that’s my temperament?
Thekla.[Goes over toward him to the left.] You wouldn’t like to forgive me?
Gustav. Certainly, I have forgiven you.
Thekla. You?
Gustav. Quite. Have I ever raised my hand against you two in all these years? No. But when I happened to be here I favored you two with scarce a look and the cleavage between you is already there. Did I ever reproach you, moralize, lecture? No. I joked a little with your husband and the accumulated dynamite in him just happened to go off, but I, who am defending myself like this, am the one who’s really entitled to stand here and complain. Thekla, have you nothing to reproach yourself with?
Thekla. Not the least bit—the Christians say it’s Providence that guides our actions, others call it Fate. Aren’t we quite guiltless?