Back, of course. MAID Please, don’t walk so fast. SOLDIER Well, what’s wrong? I don’t like to walk around in the dark. MAID Tell me, Frank … do you love me? SOLDIER But I just told you that I loved you! MAID Won’t you give me a little kiss? SOLDIER (_Condescendingly_) There… Listen—There’s the music again. MAID Would you really like to go back, and dance again? SOLDIER Of course, why not? MAID But, Frank, see, I have to get home. Madame will scold me anyway,—she’s cranky … she’d like it best if I never went out. SOLDIER Well, you can go home. MAID But, I thought, Frank, you’d take me home. SOLDIER Take you home? Oh! MAID Please, it’s so sad to go home alone. SOLDIER Where do you live? MAID Not very far—in Porzellanstrasse. SOLDIER So? Then we go the same way … but it’s still too early for me … me for the dance… I’ve got late leave to-day… I don’t need to be back at the barracks before twelve o’clock. I’m going to dance. MAID Oh, I see, now it’s that cross-eyed blonde’s turn. SOLDIER Humph!—Her face isn’t so bad. MAID Oh Lord, how wicked men are. I’m sure you do the same to every one. SOLDIER That’d be too much!— MAID Please, Frank, no more to-day—stay with me to-day, you see— SOLDIER Oh, very well, all right. But I suppose I may dance. MAID I’m not going to dance with any one else to-night. SOLDIER There it is already… MAID What? SOLDIER The hall! How quick we got back. They’re still playing the same thing … that tatata-tum tatata-tum (_He hums with the band_)… Well, I’ll take you home, if you want to wait for me … if not … good-by— MAID Yes, I’ll wait. (_They enter the dancehall_) SOLDIER Say, Miss Marie, get yourself a glass of beer. (_Turning to a blonde who is just dancing past him in the arms of another, very formally_) Miss, may I ask for a dance?— THE PARLOR MAID AND THE YOUNG MAN _Sultry summer afternoon. The parents of the YOUNG MAN are away in the country. The cook has gone out. The PARLOR-MAID is in the kitchen writing a letter to the soldier who is now her sweetheart. The YOUNG MAN’S bell rings. She gets up and goes to his room. The YOUNG MAN is lying on a couch, smoking a cigarette and reading a French novel._ MAID Yes, Sir? YOUNG MAN Oh, yes, Marie, oh, yes; I rang, yes … I only wanted … yes, of course… Oh, yes, of course, let the blinds down, Marie… It’s cooler with the blinds down … yes… (_The MAID goes to the window and pulls down the blinds_) YOUNG MAN (_Continues reading_) What are you doing, Marie? Oh, yes. But, now, I can’t see to read. MAID You are always so studious, Sir. YOUNG MAN (_Ignoring the remark_) There, that’s better. (_MARIE goes._) YOUNG MAN (_Tries to go on with his reading, lets the book fall, and rings again_) MAID (_Enters_) YOUNG MAN I say, Marie … let’s see, what was it I wanted to say? … oh, yes… Is there any cognac in the house? MAID Yes, but it’s locked up. YOUNG MAN Well, who has the key? MAID Lini. YOUNG MAN