Books: Moral
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Ludwig Thoma >> Moral
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BEERMANN [confused]. You--with me? Well, since you must, I suppose
you must.
WASNER. Well, I am going. [Wasner exit left.] [Stroebel enters.
Wasner remains standing on the threshold.] The Executive Committee
will be called to the sick bed of our friend. We shall await our
chairman. [He goes. Stroebel and Beermann remain standing, silent,
facing each other.]
STROEBEL. You are surprised, I presume, that I come here at this
unusual hour.
BEERMANN. Why should I be surprised?
STROEBEL. You will have to pardon me. The matter which brings me
here is unusual and urgent.
BEERMANN. Oh, don't mention it. [A short pause. They both clear
their throats.]
STROEBEL. You were in my office this morning ...
BEERMANN. Was I?
STROEBEL. Why, of course you were in my office this morning.
BEERMANN. Oh, yes, yes. I remember we had a short conference. I
must ask you to excuse me, Herr Assessor. I am suffering with an
awful ringing in the ears. It makes me so forgetful.
STROEBEL. But I hope you still remember what we spoke about.
BEERMANN. Very dimly. If you would remind me of it perhaps it will
not be so difficult.
STROEBEL. You came on account of the Hauteville case.
BEERMANN. So-o?
STROEBEL. Or the Hochstetter ...
BEERMANN. Well, since you say so, it must be so.
STROEBEL. First I thought you came to express your satisfaction
that we had caught this person ...
BEERMANN. No, that was not my purpose.
STROEBEL. I am sure it wasn't. I was quite surprised that you were
not satisfied with her arrest.
BEERMANN. Why shouldn't I not be satisfied with her arrest?
STROEBEL [nervously]. But, Herr Beermann, you will recollect how
we discussed the diary.
BEERMANN [quickly]. A diary? I know nothing about it.
STROEBEL. You even became quite excited about it.
BEERMANN. I know nothing whatever of any diary. You never showed
me any book at all. Of that I am very positive.
STROEBEL [in despair]. It is just my confounded luck to find you
in this predicament. You are evidently suffering.
BEERMANN. An awful ringing in my ears--
STROEBEL. I would leave you at once if the least delay were
possible. But I simply must speak to you about it tonight. Can't
you get relief by taking medicine?
BEERMANN. No medicine can help me. I can only tell you that I do
not know anything about any diary.
STROEBEL. Lord, Lord, leave the diary out of it altogether. It is
absolutely of no importance.
BEERMANN. It is of no importance?
STROEBEL. Of course, it is safely locked in my desk ...
BEERMANN. Is that so? Well, then I can't understand why you
hurried to see me tonight.
STROEBEL [very embarrassed]. But that is exactly what I wanted to
explain to you. But how shall I do it? You scarcely remember any
more than that you were in my office this morning. It is
incredible how misfortune has been persecuting me since noon.
BEERMANN [greatly relieved]. Well, calm yourself, Herr Assessor.
It will come out right in the end.
STROEBEL [downcast]. No, it can never come out right.
BEERMANN [soothingly]. Sit down nicely in this chair--so! I'll sit
next to you here--so! ... And now let us see about it. [They seat
themselves on the left, upstage.] Do you know, I am beginning to
feel much better already. So the diary is in your desk.
STROEBEL. For my part, let it be buried a thousand feet deep. For
God's sake, don't talk of it any more. It takes us away from my
subject.
BEERMANN. That's right. We shan't talk of it any more. Now let me
see, I called on you about the Hauteville case. ...
STROEBEL. And on this occasion you demanded that the police
suppress the matter.
BEERMANN. Quite true, I did that.
STROEBEL. There you are! And that's why I thought you were mostly
interested in avoiding scandal. BEERMANN. In what way?
STROEBEL. Not personally, but from a wholly humanitarian or civic
standpoint. You even told me that just because of your position as
President of the Society for the Suppression of Vice, you regarded
it as your duty to keep this matter out of the courts.
BEERMANN. Only for the common welfare.
STROEBEL. And out of consideration for public opinion. I had the
impression that these considerations were of great importance to
you.
BEERMANN. And still are. Do you think I change my views? I repeat
to you, that I would consider this court trial a misfortune
because it would be contrary to the established order of Society.
STROEBEL. Then we are agreed in our principles!
BEERMANN. You too?
STROEBEL. Absolutely.
BEERMANN. I thought that you had ... this forenoon ...
STROEBEL. And I was also mistaken because you didn't seem to
remember. But at any rate we agree in our principles. [They shake
hands.] Although that does not accomplish anything still it is a
great relief to me that we understand each other. I am coming now
to the real purpose of my visit. [He clears his throat.] Herr
Beermann, I must demand your word of honor that not a syllable of
what I tell you will ever pass your lips.
BEERMANN. My sacred word of honor.
STROEBEL. These are official secrets, perhaps even State secrets,
and a single careless word might have tremendous consequences.
BEERMANN. You can depend on me.
STROEBEL. Not even to your family.
BEERMANN. Not a breath.
STROEBEL. To tell you: Since you were at my office this morning
there were most remarkable developments, quite unique in their
way. But I have your word of honor--have I not?
BEERMANN. My sacred word of honor.
STROEBEL [bends low and protects his mouth with his hand and
whispers]. That very night when Madame Hauteville's apartment was
raided, without our knowledge a very distinguished person was
hidden there.
BEERMANN. I can imagine.
STROEBEL [loudly]. You can't imagine it at all. [Whispering.] Our
young heir, Prince Emil, was there himself.
BEERMANN [surprised, slapping his thigh]. Now what do you think of
that!
STROEBEL [loudly]. You can understand that I am not telling you
this as a mere bit of gossip, but certain important reasons compel
me to. That which you mentioned before about the reasons of state
was fulfilled. Fulfilled to the very letter. All possibilities of
prosecuting this person at present have simply gone up in the air.
BEERMANN [starting from his seat]. Then everything is all right.
STROEBEL. There's nothing "all right" about it. Keep your seat,
Herr Beermann. Of course our desire to prosecute has disappeared,
but the lady in question is still at headquarters and we don't
know how to get rid of her.
BEERMANN. Madame Hauteville? [Stroebel nods.] Just forget to lock
the door and she'll vanish.
STROEBEL [shaking his head]. No, ... for a great many reasons. Do
you think I did not try hard to find a solution? First, if we
openly permit her to escape, the whole city will know it tomorrow;
the press will take it up and there will be a far greater scandal
than the court proceedings would cause. No, sir, at least the
letter of the law must be carried out. Madame Hauteville must give
a bond. She will be set free and then she must escape. That's the
only way we can protect ourselves from criticism. Do you
understand me?
BEERMANN. You mean ... about the bail?
STROEBEL. Yes, sir, the bail first of all. But if it were only the
bail! Just think! She doesn't want to go at all.
BEERMANN. She does not want to ...?
STROEBEL. No. I gave her another hearing this afternoon and told
her that we don't care to bother with her any more. "Listen," I
said to her, "you are lucky. Give bail of Five Thousand Marks, and
you will be free in ten minutes. There is a ten o'clock train for
Brussels tomorrow morning." [The bell in the hall rings.] What do
you suppose she said? She laughed. She knows very well why we are
so humane, but she will not give a bond of five marks, even if by
luck she had it. She says that she has already prepared for a
trial. I talked to her politely, then rudely. She will not budge.
She laughs and laughs and that's all. [Knock at the door. Maid
enters with a visiting card.]
BEERMANN [to the maid]. What does it all mean to-night, at this
hour? This is not a hotel. [Takes the card and reads.] Freiherr
Bodo von Schmettau, Herr auf Zirnberg?
STROEBEL. Do receive this gentleman, please.
BEERMANN. Now, while we are conferring?
STROEBEL. Yes, now, if you please.
BEERMANN [to the maid]. Ask the gentleman to come in. [Betty
exit.]
STROEBEL. He is Adjutant to the young Prince. I told him I was
going to see you, and you can realize how upset he is.
BEERMANN. If it affords you pleasure.
STROEBEL. It does. The entire responsibility rests on me and I at
least must show that I have left nothing undone. [Knock on the
door.]
BEERMANN. Come in. [Schmettau enters.]
SCHMETTAU. Good evening.
STROEBEL [rising. Beermann rises also]. May I introduce you
gentlemen? Herr Beermann, the banker--Herr Baron Schmettau.
SCHMETTAU. We have already had a glimpse of each other today.
BEERMANN. Yes, I remember.
SCHMETTAU. You are the President of the Local Morality Club.
Before we go further I must tell you that I do not at all agree
with those views ...
STROEBEL [interrupting with anxiety]. Herr Baron, may I call your
attention to the fact that Herr Beermann, personally, is far above
these narrow theories.
SCHMETTAU. I am glad to hear it. Besides as theories they're not
so bad.
BEERMANN. As theories! That's what I say.
SCHMETTAU. Well, there you are!
STROEBEL. Herr Beermann is also the candidate of the local
Conservative-Liberal Coalition.
SCHMETTAU. Then he is certainly no stickler for high-flown
notions. I should be right glad if we understood each other. And
how far are you, gentlemen?
STROEBEL. In principles we are agreed.
BEERMANN. Absolutely.
SCHMETTAU. Then we shall have no difficulty in finding the right
solution.
STROEBEL. I have taken Herr Beermann into our confidence.
SCHMETTAU. That was a very disagreeable mishap, was it not? Very
bad. Whoever has any patriotism can realize it.
BEERMANN. Herr Baron was also ...
SCHMETTAU. Locked in the closet.
STROEBEL. Permit me to revert to the facts. I was just telling
Herr Beermann that this Hauteville woman refuses to leave. She
boasts that she has not the bail and even if she had it, she would
not pay it.
SCHMETTAU. Confound her! She controls the situation.
STROEBEL. Now we come to the most difficult part of it. She says
that if she is compelled to leave the city and is deprived of her
livelihood, she wants proper damages for it. Of course I told the
woman that this, to say the least, was an extortionate demand.
Well then, she says, we will have a trial in court.
BEERMANN. The fox! She knows well that's out of the question.
SCHMETTAU. I am very grateful to you for these sentiments.
STROEBEL. I asked what she considered proper damages. "Ten
thousand marks," she says. I almost lost my senses. With the
necessary bail that would make Fifteen thousand marks.
SCHMETTAU. In the end perhaps that is not so gigantic.
STROEBEL. Who is going to pay it?
SCHMETTAU. Not we, of course. Our state is a poor paymaster.
STROEBEL. Here is a fine mess, which I cannot solve--at least not
I. Herr Beermann, you said yourself that your Society for the
Suppression of Vice is vitally interested in the undisturbed
maintenance of the popular belief in morality. For the members of
your Society, it ought to be quite easy to collect that sum. I
know of no other way.
BEERMANN [with folded hands he stands in a pensive mood]. The
Executive Committee is expecting its chairman. And I know of a
professor who alone ought to pay an extra thousand for a letter he
wrote. [To the others.] Gentlemen, briefly speaking, I will do it.
On behalf of the society, I pledge this sum.
SCHMETTAU. Herr von Beermann, I can only say that you have acted
honorably. The House of Emil the Benevolent knows on whom to
confer an order. [He offers his hand.]
BEERMANN. But let me assure you, Herr Baron, I did not do it
expecting a reward.
CURTAIN
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