Moral | Page 9

BEERMANN. ... which I hope will happen.
HAUSER. That's as certain as fate. Else he never would have been
nominated.
BEERMANN [calling from the card table]. I have pretty sharp hearing!
HAUSER. A very fine acquisition, Beermann, when you grow old.
BOLLAND [throwing a card on the table]. Fifty-nine and four make
sixty-three! The rest you can take.

(They throw down their cards; Bolland collects them and shuffles.)
WASNER [half turning to Hauser], And then there is the celebrated
passage, "Ergo septa pudicitia agunt, nullis ... spectaculorum illecebris
corruptae."
BEERMANN. I have six cards.
BOLLAND. The bottom one belongs to the Professor.
WASNER [as before, continuing]. So the wife lived surrounded by
tenderness and care ... and so forth, "Literarum secreta. ..." Secret
communications were not tolerated by either husband or wife.
BEERMANN. Please drop that Tacitus. It's your chance to lead. ...
WASNER. I pass. ...
HOLLAND. So do I.
BOLLAND [loudly and enthusiastically]. That's the way to get at them!
Trumps! And trumps again.
WASNER [murmuring]. "Paucissima adulteria in tam numerosa
gente. ..." [Gradually lapses into silence and then continues to play with
energy.]
FRAU LUND [with a glance towards the card table]. Why do we take
our principles so seriously. ... It's really ridiculous how our every
opinion soon turns into religious beliefs.
WASNER. The matter is dead serious.
FRAU LUND. Who will think of it to-morrow?
HAUSER [nodding towards card table]. Not they, of course. But there
are cleverer people. The so-called thinking public in Germany must
have some national problem to solve. It finds some such, readily
enough in order to play with it. Meanwhile they take no notice that the
party in power [Footnote: Men with the brass buttons.] are lining their
pockets.
FRAU LUND. Haven't they always been doing that?
HAUSER. Yes, but not with such. ease. Here and there they were
rapped over the knuckles. But nowadays they could cart away the entire
capitol.
FRAU LUND. There's not so much left to-day.
HAUSER. A couple of pieces anyhow to take along as keepsakes.
FRAU LUND. In my days I saw one reform after another on the
bargain counter; but we women remain mere spectators while ideals
come and go; we can not realize how much they mean to men.

HAUSER. My dear Frau Lund, if a real reform should effectively rise
among us some day, then you women will have to lend a helping hand.
With those [nodding towards card-table] kindergarten heroes nothing
can be accomplished.
FRAU BEERMANN. What influence can we exert so long as men
organize their societies for the protection of women's virtue!
HAUSER. These henpecked gentlemen always nominate themselves
chastity's guardians.
FRAU BEERMANN. They are of importance only when they can get
some one to listen. I'd like to go to their meetings and tell them that.
HAUSER. Their meetings--bosh! Their sort only couple their nonsense
with a few self-evident generalities which no one would really oppose.
No, first of all they must be educated and that you women alone can
accomplish.
FRAU LUND. You say that as if we had any influence on public
opinion.
HAUSER. You do all the applauding. The whole game is played for
you. If you withdraw your applause not a single one of the peacocks of
virtue will open up his gospel feathers for exhibition. It is indeed of
great importance to you that they do not banish all refinement from our
social life.
FRAU LUND [citing].
[Footnote: in original "FRAU LUND [zitierend]. "Ja, da eur
Wonnedienst noch glanzte, Wie ganz anders, anders war es da! Da man
deine Tempel noch bekranzte. ...
DR. WASNER [hat beim Zitieren der Schillerischer Verse heruber
gehorcht und fallt nun mit tiefen Basse ein]. ... Venus Amathusia."]
"Yes, while still thy sanctuaries of pleasure Crowned this earth like in
Arcadia Joy had no penalty nor trader's measure. ..."
DR. WASNER [when the citation began listened over his cards, now
falls in with deep bass]. "... Venus Amathusia."
BOLLAND [angrily breaking in]. Man alive, why didn't you play your
Ace of Spades? If you had brought out that Ace you'd have a trump-
-then you'd beat this with a trump ... and then another trum. ...
BEERMANN. Now, beloved friends and countrymen, no post-mortem
speeches. [While dealing cards.] You cut, Bolland.
BOLLAND [cutting cards]. Make use of your trumps, Herr Professor. I

am trying to play into your hands.
DR. WASNER. I thought ...
BOLLAND. You didn't. If you had you'd play differently.
BEERMANN [speaking to Frau Lund, while dealing]. How far have
you gotten with your moralizing? Have we agreed yet--[Laughing.] Yes;
yes; these women folks!
WASNER [arranging cards in his hand]. They were citing Schiller a
moment ago. We must not forget, ladies, that it was Schiller himself
who awakened the national spirit of our race.
HAUSER. Your