_] What, Helen,
and your glass is empty.... I say, Loth, you've made a proselyte.
HELEN
Ah ... no ... I....
MRS. SPILLER
But, dear Miss Helen, that looks sus--
HOFFMANN
You weren't always so very particular.
HELEN
[_Pertly._] I simply have no inclination to drink to-day. That's all.
HOFFMANN
Oh, I beg your pardon, very humbly indeed ... Let me see, what were we
talking about?
LOTH
We were saying that there were whole families of dipsomaniacs.
HOFFMANN
[_Embarrassed anew._] To be sure, to be sure, but ... er....
[_Growing anger is noticeable in the behaviour of MRS. KRAUSE. KAHL
is obviously hard put to it to restrain his laughter concerning
something that seems to furnish him immense inner amusement. HELEN
observes KAHL with burning eyes and her threatening glance has
repeatedly restrained him from saying something that is clearly on
the tip of his tongue. LOTH, peeling an apple with a good deal of
equanimity, has taken no notice of all this._
LOTH
What is more, you seem to be rather blessed with that sort of thing
hereabouts.
HOFFMANN
[_Almost beside himself._] Why? How? Blessed with what?
LOTH
With drunkards, of course.
Pages:
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89