Helen. Yes—yes—yes—yes—yes—yes ...
Gerardo (after kissing her in a perfunctory manner). A year from now, Helen, I shall sing again in this town.
Helen. A year from now!—Yes, to be sure.
Gerardo (affectedly sentimental). Helen! (Helen presses his hand, takes her muff from the chair, pulls from it a revolver, shoots herself in the head and sinks to the floor.) Helen! (He totters forward, then backward and sinks into an armchair.) Helen! (Pause.)
SCENE X
Same as before. The elevator boy. Two chambermaids. A scrubwoman. Müller. proprietor of the hotel. The valet.
Elevator Boy (enters, looks at Gerardo and at Helen). Mr.—Mr. Gerardo! (Gerardo does not move. Boy steps up to Helen. Two chambermaids and a scrubwoman, scrubber in hand, edge their way in hesitatively and step up to Helen. )
Scrubwoman (after a pause). She's still alive.
Gerardo (jumps up, rushes to the door and runs into the proprietor. Pulls him forward). Send for the police! I must be arrested! If I leave now, I am a brute and if I remain, I am ruined, for it would be a breach of contract. (Looking at his watch.) I still have a minute and ten seconds left. Quick! I must be arrested within that time!
Müller. Fritz, get the nearest policeman!