Pandora's Box Part 12

LULU. It's all right with me! Nothing's wrong with me any more.

(_Puts the bottle to her lips._) That warms one! O accursed!

(_Exit._)

SCHIGOLCH. When we hear her coming, we must creep into my cubby-hole awhile.

ALVA. I'm d.a.m.ned sorry for her! When I think back.... I grew up with her in a way, you know.

SCHIGOLCH. She'll hold out as long as I live, anyway.

ALVA. We treated each other at first like brother and sister. Mama was still living then. I met her by chance one morning when she was dressing. Dr. Goll had been called for a consultation. Her hair-dresser had read my first poem, that I'd had printed in "Society": "Follow thy pack far over the mountains; it will return again, covered with sweat and dust--"

SCHIGOLCH. Oh, ya!

ALVA. And then she came, in rose-colored muslin, with nothing under it but a white satin slip--for the Spanish amba.s.sador's ball. Dr.

Goll seemed to feel his death near. He asked me to dance with her, so she shouldn't cause any mad acts. Papa meanwhile never turned his eyes from us, and all thru the waltz she was looking over my shoulder, only at him.... Afterwards she shot him. It is unbelievable.

SCHIGOLCH. I've only got a very strong doubt whether anyone will bite any more.

ALVA. I shouldn't like to advise it to anybody! (_Schigolch grunts._) At that time, tho she was a fully developed woman, she had the expression of a five-year-old, joyous, utterly healthy child. And she was only three years younger than me then--but how long ago it is now! For all her immense superiority in matters of practical life, she let me explain "Tristan and Isolde" to her--and how entrancingly she could listen! Out of the little sister who at her marriage still felt like a school-girl, came the unhappy, hysterical artist's wife.

Out of the artist's wife came then the spouse of my blessed father, and out of *her* came, then, my mistress. Well, so that is the way of the world. Who will prevail against it?

SCHIGOLCH. If only she doesn't skid away from the gentlemen with honorable intentions and bring us up instead some vagabond she's exchanged her heart's secrets with.

ALVA. I kissed her for the first time in her rustling bridal dress.

But afterwards she didn't remember it.... All the same, I believe she had thought of me even in my father's arms. It can't have been often with him: he had his best time behind him, and she deceived him with coachman and boot-black; but when she did give herself to him, then _I_ stood before her soul. Thru that, too, without my realizing it, she attained this dreadful power over me.

SCHIGOLCH. There they are! (_Heavy steps are heard mounting the stairs._)

ALVA. (_Starting up._) I will not endure it! I'll throw the fellow out!

SCHIGOLCH. (_Wearily picks himself up, takes Alva by the collar and cuffs him toward the left._) Forward, forward! How is the young man to confess his trouble to her with us two sprawling round here?

ALVA. But if he demands other things--low things--of her?

SCHIGOLCH. If, well, if! What more will he demand of her? He's only a man like the rest of us!

ALVA. We must leave the door open.

SCHIGOLCH. (_Pushing Alva in, right._) Nonsense! Lie down!

ALVA. I'll hear it soon enough. Heaven spare him!

SCHIGOLCH. (_Closing the door, from inside._) Shut up!

ALVA. (_Faintly._) He'd better look out! (_Lulu enters, followed by Hunidei, a gigantic figure with a smooth-shaven, rosy face, sky-blue eyes, and a friendly smile. He wears a tall hat and overcoat and carries a dripping umbrella._)

LULU. Here's where I live. (_Hunidei puts his finger to his lips and looks at Lulu significantly. Then he opens his umbrella and puts it on the floor, rear, to dry._) Of course, I know it isn't very comfortable here. (_Hunidei comes forward and puts his hand over her mouth._) What do you mean me to understand by that? (_Hunidei puts his hand over her mouth, and his finger to his lips._) I don't know what that means. (_Hunidei quickly stops her mouth. Lulu frees herself._) We're quite alone here. No one will hear us. (_Hunidei lays his finger on his lips, shakes his head, points at Lulu, opens his mouth as if to speak, points at himself and then at the door._) Herr Gott, he's a monster! (_Hunidei stops her mouth; then goes rear, folds up his overcoat and lays it over the chair near the door; then comes down with a broad smile, takes Lulu's head in both his hands and kisses her on the forehead. The door, right, half opens._)

SCHIGOLCH. (_Behind the door._) He's got a screw loose.

ALVA. He'd better look out!

SCHIGOLCH. She couldn't have brought up anything drearier!

LULU. (_Stepping back._) I hope you're going to give me something!

(_Hunidei stops her mouth and presses a gold-piece in her hand, then looks at her uncertain, questioningly, as she examines it and throws it from one hand to the other._)

LULU. All right, it's good. (_Puts it into her pocket. Hunidei quickly stops her mouth, gives her a few silver coins, and glances at her commandingly._) Oh, that's nice of you! (_Hunidei leaps madly about the room, brandishing his arms and staring upward in despair.

Lulu cautiously nears him, throws an arm round him and kisses him on the mouth. Laughing soundlessly, he frees himself from her and looks questioningly. She takes up the lamp and opens the door to her room.

He goes in smiling, taking off his hat. The stage is dark save for what light comes thru the cracks of the door. Alva and Schigolch creep out on all fours._)

ALVA. They're gone.

SCHIGOLCH. (_Behind him._) Wait.

ALVA. One can hear nothing here.

SCHIGOLCH. You've heard that often enough!

ALVA. I will kneel before her door.

SCHIGOLCH. Little mother's sonny! (_Presses past Alva, gropes across the stage to Hunidei's coat, and searches the pockets. Alva crawls to Lulu's door._) Gloves, nothing more! (_Turns the coat round, searches the inside pockets, pulls a book out that he gives to Alva._) Just see what that is. (_Alva holds the book to the light._)

ALVA. (_Wearily deciphering the t.i.tle-page._) Warnings to pious pilgrims and such as wish to be so. Very helpful. Price, 2 s. 6 d.

SCHIGOLCH. It looks to me as if G.o.d had left *him* pretty completely.

(_Lays the coat over the chair again and makes for the cubby-hole._) There's nothing doing with these people. The country's best time's behind it!

ALVA. Life is never as bad as it's painted. (_He, too, creeps back._)

SCHIGOLCH. Not even a silk m.u.f.fler he's got and yet in Germany we creep on our bellies before this rabble.

ALVA. Come, let's vanish again.

SCHIGOLCH. She only thinks of herself, and takes the first man that runs across her path. Hope the dog remembers her the rest of his life! (_They disappear, left, shutting the door behind them. Lulu re-enters, setting the lamp on the table. Hunidei follows._)

LULU. Will you come to see me again? (_Hunidei stops her mouth. She looks upward in a sort of despair and shakes her head. Hunidei, putting his coat on, approaches her grinning; she throws her arms around his neck; he gently frees himself, kisses her hand, and turns to the door. She starts to accompany him, but he signs to her to stay behind and noiselessly leaves the room. Schigolch and Alva re-enter._)

LULU. (_Tonelessly._) How he has stirred me up!

ALVA. How much did he give you?

LULU. (_As before._) Here it is! All! Take it! I'm going down again.

SCHIGOLCH. We can still live like princes up here.

ALVA. He's coming back.