Ferenc Molnár

“ Goes to KARL.
We break our necks for it: that's human nature. And if it once slips through your fingers, you will run after your found sovereign. And then, when it is too late, you will discover it was worth having.
KARL
To draw a revolver for a found sovereign?
DEVIL, sitting by him
And that little woman will become dearer and more precious to you every day—you will realize that she could have given you wings—that her temperament, her beauty, her passion, would have been the inspiration of your work— all this you'll realize when she has slipped away. You could have become a master—a giant! ”

“ But remember, you have one weapon which will deal the death blow to the most attractive woman—to the woman who knows every card in the game of love—that one weapon is purity.
ELSA
This sounds strange from you!
DEVIL
All the same—it may do you some good. And now—go dance with Karl—but don't try to be a woman, be a girl. Don't try to be saucy.
ELSA, L. C.
I'm not really saucy—I'm afraid it's only a pose—
DEVIL
Don't pose. Be yourself—be bashful—look at the young man as if you were only waiting for a pirate to steal you away from girl-land—and show you the way into Woman's Land. ”

“ KARL
You mustn't cry—it spoils your beauty.
MIMI
Oh, I'm a fool.
KARL
Now, you're talking sense.
MIMI
I've been a silly girl—but it's all over now. I'm sensible again. You are going to settle down and marry Elsa and be the most famous portrait painter in all Europe.
KARL
Mimi, child—don't speak of portraits. I feel at this moment as if I never wanted to hear the word portrait again. I'd like to run away from everything, Mimi. What do you say? ”

“ DEVIL kisses OLGA'S hand.
KARL
Our first love is generally our last, but our last love always our first—don't you think so?
ELSA
I don't know. I've never been really in love before—but have twice been disillusionized. ”

“ The smallest candle-end shows you it is worth while to burn up for the sake of a little warmth—a little light. The only end of life is to burn—to burn yourself up. You must flame and blaze like a torch and toss the fire about you. I know: your moralists tell you to love one another—don't believe them—your grubby little earth with its paltry million years is not ripe for such a love as that. It can only breed monks, madmen, Methodists. Don't be a fool, be a rogue—but be a jolly rogue—and the world is yours! Look at me! I own the earth. Here is the key of life—Love yourself—only yourself. ”

“ As if she was somewhat ashamed about her husband's speculations.
We want the wheat to be bad because that will drive the price up.
KARL
What of that?
OLGA
My husband will make lots of money.
DEVIL, to OLGA
And you will get that new gown.
OLGA
How do you know I want a new dress?
DEVIL
You have a new hat—a very pretty one—and you will certainly want a new dress to wear with it.
OLGA
You must be married.
DEVIL
Married? Not the least—but I have an eye for feminine vanities. Oh, no! A wife is like a single eyeglass—it looks very nice, but one is better off without it. ”

“ KARL
What do we care? Let's be happy—Elsa! I feel as if I had never known you before tonight.
ELSA, moves chair so she can hide OLGA from KARL. DEVIL repeats business
Why do you keep looking over there? ”

“ Did you understand my husband just now?
KARL
I think I did.
OLGA
He has often pretended to be jealous, but this time there was a ring in his voice that made me feel that there was something behind it.
KARL
You don't really think he's jealous?
OLGA, crosses to chair
No. But this is the first time I've been alone with you.
KARL
Now we can talk things over. I've wanted to for a long time.
OLGA, leans against R. back of chair
We've done well to avoid it all these years. A good conscience is like a warm bath—one feels so comfortable in it. ”

“ ELSA, interrupting
To what? To marry a man who is not madly in love with me—any more than I am with him. What of it? We are two perfectly sane people about to make a serious contract with our eyes wide open, instead of blinded by infatuation like crazy lovers in magazine stories. ”

“ KARL takes up the ash tray and throws it angrily on table.
No; she doesn't love her husband. He must be either a genius or a very common man. Marriage with them is always unlucky. Believe me, common men live so low that women are afraid somebody will steal in at night through the window which they forgot to lock. And Genius, well! That lives on the top floor—so many stairs, no elevator. ”

“ KARL, concealing his pain very badly
And to think—and this afternoon—at my house—was the first time—
DEVIL, goes back of settee
She's a wonder! believe me, Karl, she's a wonder. It's just possible she's good—a dash of goodness won't hurt a pretty woman—but I hope not. I should then have to attribute my conquest to hypnotism—and that doesn't flatter my vanity. What do you think? ”

“ I have listened to all your lies—I have seen you as I've seen a hundred like you—steal a good woman's reputation and call it success, social success—and boast about it as you drag her in the mud. You have trapped me, it's true—but you will suffer for it. ”

“ But there is no reason for it, is there? We are not in love with one another, are we? And it's just lovely to think that we have not entirely forgotten old times. Don't you think so, Karl?
KARL, goes to chair
Of course I do. ”

“ We sit in every carriage, we vanish around every corner—clinging lovingly together; we stand behind every window curtain in close embrace, looking into your tortured face, your maddened eyes—and we cling closer—closer—and we laugh—-we laugh! ”

“ Goes L. to where KARL and ELSA had sat.
he must be in love with her.
DEVIL, crossing to L. C.
Don't you think a man's a fool to try to shoot his friend on account of a woman?
OLGA
Oh! Karl's not a fool—he thinks the world of me. And you must have said things—but there is no doubt—that he and Elsa—like—perhaps love each other.
DEVIL, very cold, leaning over chair at table L.
Strange! Your being so annoyed at the apparent success of your pet scheme. ”

“ You must show a bold front—you will perhaps feel that it is hard for a young girl to fight a woman—your weapons are not quite so numerous as those of the married woman—who knows love already—who understands—may I say something shocking? ”

“ This afternoon, when I told him I'd make you fall in love with me, he wanted to shoot—that's love—don't talk to me about respect— and thinking the world of you—they may fire cannons out of respect, but pistols—no—that's love every time. ”

“ She goes towards the stairs; KARL follows her, goes up side stairs, meeting her at the top as she passes OLGA.
OLGA
Oh! you are not in the ball-room.
ELSA, saucily
Can't you see?
OLGA
You'd better hurry, dear.
ELSA
I hate dancing, but I shan't miss one single dance tonight, just to spite some people. I shall dance to the last step. ”

“ The DEVIL goes back slowly up the stairs. KARL is about to follow him up as DEVIL is on third step, OLGA comes on in her opera cloak and comes down stairs to R. The DEVIL goes behind her. KARL backs over L. Long silence, KARL stares at OLGA and the DEVIL, speechless.
OLGA
Karl, you have not spoken to me once tonight.
DEVIL, stands very near to OLGA, cynically
The opera cloak—
OLGA
Everybody is gay, the girls dance as if it were their first ball—the young men as if it were their last. ”

“ Who is the dark man you left so suddenly in the ball room?
SECOND LADY GUEST, enters and comes down stairs to back of table L.
I don't know his name.
FIRST LADY GUEST
A most disagreeable man.
SECOND LADY GUEST, crosses to group L. C.
Oh, dreadful! He behaved shockingly to my husband. He told him that it will be so cold tonight that his teeth will shiver in their box.
FIRST LADY GUEST
Olga tells me he is a friend of Herr Karl's, and she only invited him as a compliment to him.
SECOND LADY GUEST (stout)
He insisted on telling me of a remedy for obesity. I don't consider myself stout—do you? ”

“ KARL
Even if I don't look at you, I see you just the same, Olga.
OLGA, covering her face with her hand
We must give up the portrait, Karl ... I'm going away ... away somewhere.
DEVIL, L., with HERMAN.
You don't say? You represent Holman & Co. in London? When I am in Odessa I am always old Mr. Holman's guest. A charming old gentleman. No doubt you have heard the rumors. It seems they've been mixed up with some unfortunate ventures which have seriously affected their standing.
HERMAN, seated on couch
Strange! Another friend of mine spoke to me about it only yesterday. ”

“ She now shrinks together, shivers, turns around. Sudden resolution, she turns the key, locking the door to the studio. Slowly unbuttons her blouse, looks at the shawls, of which she chooses one, afterwards takes her blouse off quietly, putting the shawl around her shoulders. She has put the blouse on the settee before she arranges the shawl. She now picks up the blouse and wants to put it on the chair in front of the fireplace; her arm is already stretched out when she suddenly drops the blouse, utters a suppressed shriek, dropping blouse by chair, and crosses quickly to foot of couch. ”

“ ELSA crosses.
ELSA
And you like Herr Karl?
MIMI, repressing her feelings
Yes—I—I like him—he's such a dear boy.
ELSA
Does he paint you now?
MIMI, coming to head of couch; sadly
No. He only paints landscapes and—bank presidents.
ELSA
Then you did not come to pose to-day?
MIMI
A model always comes to pose. It's tiring work, too, I can tell you—and if the artist wants to make love —it isn't her fault—and ”

“ Karl hasn't even touched a brush." Your husband is astonished—he tries to speak—the words stick in his throat—he gasps: "Well, if you didn't paint, why is she dressing?" Imagine the situation! You look at one another horribly embarrassed; Karl stammers something, but that only makes it worse. ”

“ KARL looks at him astonished.
If a lady takes as long as that to dress before a looking-glass, she's not a—model—anyway.
KARL, crosses around foot of couch to table L. C.
Look here! I think your remarks are, to say the least, in very bad taste. ”

“ At word "Devil" the DEVIL enters silently from hall door. He has his fur coat on. He smiles wickedly, and at OLGA'S words "re-create that letter," pulls OLGA'S letter out of his pocket, and stands so that the chair hides him from KARL and OLGA, who are close to studio door. ”

“ This elevation is bordered by a wooden railing with an opening on each side—in the middle of the railing an ancient Gothic chair, with back towards the public; the back of the chair must be so high that a person sitting in it cannot be seen by the public. On the R. a door leading into the entrance hall of the apartment. There is a little invisible door covered as the rest of the room, with wall paper, on the L. near the footlights. About a yard from this door, a settee with the head end towards the glass door of the studio. Next to this settee a small, ancient table, about one yard high. ”

“ SCENE.—A conservatory in Zanden's house. The L. side of the stage as well as the whole back of the stage is taken up by large bay windows, through which one sees into the garden. In the distance the wall surrounding the house, and some trees in the garden. It is winter. Bright weather, but it has been snowing. In the garden as well as in the street, electric lamps. On the R. side of the stage there are two doors, one quite near to the footlights, leading into the apartment—one in the rear, leading to the hall. ”

“ During speech OLGA goes up and gets her hat. KARL walks back and forth L. C.
I had to have it pressed. I told the tailor to send it here. I must dress for tonight. I'm going to a ball the prettiest woman in Vienna is giving at the house of the Duke of Maranse. ”

“ The DEVIL, in fashionable frock coat, a crimson carnation in buttonhole, a man of from thirty-five to thirty-eight years old, resembling in face classical Mephisto, very elegant, picks up the blouse and offers to OLGA in a most polite manner. ”

“ HERMAN comes down stairs
HERMAN
Good! You're the kind of guest I like—when all the rest have deserted the ship you stay and keep the hostess company.
DEVIL, crosses to C., putting letter into his pocket
Madame has been so entertaining, that I—
HERMAN, crossing to bell R.
Well, let's have another cognac before you go—quite en famille. ”

“ Reaches for revolver with R. hand. DEVIL grabs his hand and holds revolver. KARL draws away and sits staring straight ahead, DEVIL rises, leaves revolver on table, lights cigarette, then comes below table. ”