.. and I've already gathered a lot of very significant
material that will be of some service to me! Sh! I've got the bad habit
of raising my voice. [_He falls silent, listens, goes to the door and
comes back._] But what took you among these gold farmers?
LOTH
I would like to study the local conditions.
DR. SCHIMMELPFENNIG
[_In a repressed tone._] What a notion! [_Still more softly._] I can give
you plenty of material there too.
LOTH
To be sure. You must be thoroughly informed as to the conditions here.
How do things look among the families around here?
DR. SCHIMMELPFENNIG
Miserable! There's nothing but drunkenness, gluttony, inbreeding and, in
consequence,--degeneration along the whole line.
LOTH
With exceptions, surely?
DR. SCHIMMELPFENNIG
Hardly.
LOTH
[_Disquieted._] Didn't the temptation ever come to you to ... to marry a
daughter of one of these Witzdorf gold farmers?
DR. SCHIMMELPFENNIG
The devil! Man, what do you take me for? You might as well ask whether I
...
LOTH
[_Very pale._] But why ... why?
DR. SCHIMMELPFENNIG
Because ... Anything wrong with you?
[_He regards LOTH steadily for several moments._
LOTH
Certainly not.
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