The Dramatic Works of Gerhart Hauptmann Volume I Part 172

EDE

She's gone to sleep.

LEONTINE

[_Appealing to the DOCTOR._] Mother is swingin' her arms around so!

DR. BOXER

Who? Where? Mrs. Fielitz?

LEONTINE

Look! Look!

EDE

[_Laughing._] Is she tryin' to catch sparrows in the air?

_DR. BOXER has turned from FIELITZ to MRS. FIELITZ._

DR. BOXER

Mrs. Fielitz!

_FIELITZ unconcerned by the events in the room, walks excitedly up and down in the background. RAUCHHAUPT is tensely watching from the window what takes place without._

LEONTINE

What is it? Mother won't answer at all!

RAUCHHAUPT

I believe they're goin' to end by comin' over here!

DR. BOXER

What is it, Mrs. Fielitz? What are you trying to do? Why do you move your hands about in that way?

MRS. FIELITZ

[_Reaching out strangely with both hands._] You reaches ... you reaches ... always this way ...

DR. BOXER

After what?

MRS. FIELITZ

[_As before._] You always reaches out after ... somethin' ...

[_Her arms drop and she falls silent._

LEONTINE

[_To DR. BOXER._] Is she sleepin'?

DR. BOXER

[_Seriously._] Yes, she has fallen asleep. But keep all those people back now.

RAUCHHAUPT

The whole crowd is comin' over here.

DR. BOXER

[_Emphatically._] Keep them back! Ede! Turn them back at once!

_EDE runs out._

LEONTINE

Doctor, what's happened to mother?

DR. BOXER

Your mother has ...

LEONTINE

What, what?

DR. BOXER

[_Significantly._] Has fallen asleep.

LEONTINE'S

[_Face a.s.sumes an expression of horror; she is about to shriek. DR. BOXER takes hold of her vigorously and puts his hand over her mouth. She regains a measure of self-control._] But, Doctor, she was talkin' just now...?

DR. BOXER

[_Gently draws LEONTINE forward with his left hand and places his right upon the forehead of the dead woman._] So she was. And from now on she takes her fill of silence.

_In the background FIELITZ, careless of what has happened, regards his eyes sharply and intently in a hand mirror._