THE PRINCESS. [Trying to seem practical.] But when one comes to a watering-place, one must have money.
STRÜBEL. [Slapping himself on the chest.] Do I look to you as if I drank iron? Thank Heaven, I can't afford such luxuries! No; I'm only a poor fellow who earns his miserable pittance during vacation by acting as a private tutor—that's to say, "miserable" is only a figure of speech, for in the morning I lie abed until nine, at noon I eat five and at night seven courses; and as for work, I really haven't a thing to do! My pupil is so anæmic—why, compared to him, you're fit for a circus rider!
THE PRINCESS. [Laughing unrestrainedly.] Oh, well, I'm rather glad I'm not one.
STRÜBEL. Dear me, it's a business like any other.
THE PRINCESS. Like any other? Really, I didn't think that.
STRÜBEL. And pray, what did you think then?
THE PRINCESS. Oh, I thought that they were—an entirely different sort of people.
STRÜBEL. My dear young lady, all people are "an entirely different sort." Of course we two aren't. We get along real well together, don't we? As poor as church mice, both of us!
THE PRINCESS. [Smiling reflectively.] Who knows? Perhaps that's true.
STRÜBEL. [Kindly.] Do you know what? If you want to stay down there—I'll tell you how one can live cheaply. I have a friend, a student like myself. He's here to mend up as you are. I feed him up at the house where I'm staying. [Frightened at a peculiar look of The Princess's.] Oh, but you mustn't be—No, I shouldn't have said it. It wasn't decent of me. Only, let me tell you, I'm so glad to be able to help the poor fellow out of my unexpected earnings, that I'd like to be shouting it from the housetops all the time! Of course, you understand that, don't you?