Erdgeist (Earth-Spirit): A Tragedy in Four ActsWedekind, Frank
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Erdgeist (Earth-Spirit): A Tragedy in Four Acts
Wedekind, Frank
German drama -- Translations into English; Tragedies (Drama)
LULU. He doesn't know me, but he loves me! If he had anything like a
correct idea of me, he'd tie a stone around my neck and sink me in the
sea where it's deepest.
SCHÖN. Let's finish this? (He gets up.)
LULU. As you say.
SCHÖN. I've married you off. Twice I have married you off. You live in
luxury. I've created a position for your husband. If that doesn't
satisfy you, and he laughs in his sleeve at it, I don't pretend to meet
ideal claims; but--leave me out of the game, out of it!
LULU. (Resolutely.) If I belong to any person on this earth, I belong
to you. Without you I'd be--I won't say where. You took me by the hand,
gave me food to eat, had me dressed,--when I was going to steal your
watch. Do you think that can be forgotten? Anybody else would have
called the police. You sent me to school, and had me learn manners. Who
but you in the whole world has ever thought anything of me? I've danced
and posed, and was glad to be able to earn my living that way. But
=love= at command, I can't!
SCHÖN. (Raising his voice.) Leave =me= out! Do what you will. I'm not
coming to make scandal; I'm coming to shake the scandal from my neck.
My engagement is costing me sacrifices enough! I had imagined that with
a healthy young man, than whom a woman of your years can wish herself
no better, you would, at last, have been contented. If you are under
obligations to me, don't throw yourself a third time in my way! Am I to
wait yet longer before putting my pile in security? Am I to risk the
whole success of my patents falling into the water again after two
years? What good is it to me to be your married-man, when =you= can be
seen going in and out of my house at every hour of the day? Why the
devil didn't Dr. Goll stay alive just one year more! With him you were
in safe keeping. Then I'd have had my wife long since under my roof!
LULU. And what would you have had then? The kid gets on your nerves.
The child is too uncorrupted for you. She's been much too carefully
brought up. What should I have against your marriage? But you are
deceived about yourself if you think that on account of your impending
marriage you may express your contempt to me.
SCHÖN. Contempt? I shall soon give the child the right idea. If
anything is contemptible, it's your intrigues!
LULU. (Laughing.) Am I jealous of the child? That never once entered my
head.
SCHÖN. Then why talk about the child? The child is not even a whole
year younger than you are. Leave me my freedom to live what life I
still have. No matter how the child's been brought up, she's got her
five senses just like you.... (Schwarz appears, right, brush in hand.)
SCHWARZ. What's the matter here?
LULU. (To Schön.) Well? Go on. Talk.
SCHWARZ. What's the matter with you two?
LULU. Nothing that touches you--
SCHÖN. (Sharply.) Quiet!
LULU. He's had enough of me. (Schwarz leads her off, to the right.)
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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