WIRTHIN. That’s it; that’s my project. She doesn’t know a word of English. And Gretchen’s a real good soul, and can talk the slates off a roof. Her tongue’s just a flutter-mill. I’ll keep my room,—just ailing a little,—and they’ll never see my face except when they pay their little duty-visits to me, and then I’ll say English disorders my mind. They’ll be shut up with Gretchen’s wind-mill, and she’ll just grind them to powder. Oh, _they’ll_ get a start in the language—sort of a one, sure’s you live. You come back in three weeks. S. Bless you, my Retterin! I’ll be here to the day! Get ye to your sick-room—you shall have treble pay. (_Looking at watch._) Good! I can just catch my train. Leben Sie wohl! (_Exit._) WIRTHIN. Leben Sie wohl! mein Herr! ACT II. SCENE I. Time, a couple of days later. (The girls discovered with their work and primers.) ANNIE. Was fehlt der Wirthin? MARGARET. Dass weiss ich nicht. Sie ist schon vor zwei Tagen ins Bett gegangen— A. My! how fliessend you speak! M. Danke schön—und sagte dass sie nicht wohl sei. A. Good! Oh, no, I don’t mean that! no—only lucky for _us_—glücklich, you know I mean because it’ll be so much nicer to have them all to ourselves. M. Oh, natürlich! Ja! Dass ziehe ich durchaus vor. Do you believe your Meisterschaft will stay with you, Annie? A. Well, I know it _is_ with me—every last sentence of it; and a couple of hods of Ollendorff, too, for emergencies. May be they’ll refuse to deliver,—right off—at first, you know—der Verlegenheit wegen—aber ich will sie später herausholen—when I get my hand in—und vergisst Du dass nicht! M. Sei nicht grob, Liebste. What shall we talk about first—when they come? A. Well—let me see. There’s shopping—and—all that about the trains, you know,—and going to church—and—buying tickets to London, and Berlin, and all around—and all that subjunctive stuff about the battle in Afghanistan, and where the American was said to be born, and so on—and—and ah—oh, there’s so _many_ things—I don’t think a body can choose beforehand, because you know the circumstances and the atmosphere always have so much to do in directing a conversation, especially a German conversation, which is only a kind of an insurrection, any way. I believe it’s best to just depend on Prov—(_Glancing at watch, and gasping_)—half-past—seven! M. Oh, dear, I’m all of a tremble! Let’s get something ready, Annie! (_Both fall nervously to reciting_): Entschuldigen Sie, mein Herr, können Sie mir vielleicht sagen wie ich nach dem norddeutschen Bahnhof gehe? (_They repeat it several times, losing their grip and mixing it all up._) (A knock.) BOTH. Herein! Oh, dear! O der heilige— Enter Gretchen.