From now on, I suppose, you will dine earlier. COUNT I’ve thought of that too. Or maybe I won’t dine at all. Dining isn’t a special pleasure anyhow. ACTRESS Are there any pleasures left to an old man like you? COUNT That’s a question I often ask myself. But I am not an old man. There must be some other reason. ACTRESS Do you think so? COUNT Yes. Bobby, for instance, says, that I am a philosopher. You know he means that I do too much thinking. ACTRESS Yes … thinking is a misfortune. COUNT I have too much time, that’s why I reflect. You see, I’ve often thought if they would transfer me to Vienna, things would be better. There’s diversion here, stimulation. But at the bottom, it’s not really very different from up there. ACTRESS What do you mean by “up there”? COUNT Well, down there, you know, in Hungary, in the God forsaken country towns, where I’ve been stationed most of the time. ACTRESS And what did you do in Hungary? COUNT Well, as I am telling you, military service. ACTRESS Yes, but why did you stay in Hungary so long? COUNT Oh, things happen that way. ACTRESS But it must be enough to drive one mad. COUNT But why? You have a lot more work there, than here. You know, drilling recruits, breaking in mounts … and the country really isn’t as bad as they say. They are really quite beautiful, the lowlands—and marvelous sunsets. Too bad I’m not a painter, I’ve often thought if I were, I would paint them. We had a young chap, Splany, in our regiment, who could do it.—But, dear me, what dull stories I am telling you. ACTRESS Please go on; they are delightful! COUNT Do you know, the nice thing about you is the way one can chat with you, Bobby told me all about it. And it’s so seldom one can find any one like that. ACTRESS Down there in Hungary, I suppose. COUNT But it’s quite the same in Vienna! People are always the same. Where there are more of them, the crowd is larger. That’s the whole difference. Tell me, do you really like people? ACTRESS Like them—? I hate them! I hate to look at them. I never see any one. I’m always alone. Nobody enters my house. COUNT You see, I sort of thought that you hated people. It must often be the case with artists. If one lives in the higher regions… Well, you are lucky, you know at least why you live! ACTRESS Who told you that? I haven’t the slightest notion what I’m living for! COUNT But really—to be famous—to be fêted— ACTRESS Does that mean happiness? COUNT Happiness? There really is no such thing as happiness. All the things that people talk about most, don’t exist … for instance, love. That’s one of them. ACTRESS I suppose you are right. COUNT Enjoyment … intoxication … very good, nobody can deny them … they are something real. Now, when I am enjoying myself … very good, I am aware that I am enjoying myself. Or I am intoxicated, good. That also is something real. And when it’s over, well then it’s over. ACTRESS (_Grandly_) It is over. COUNT