PUNTSCHU. Well, what am _I_ to say, who have lost my whole fortune in it! To-morrow morning I shall have the pleasure of taking up the struggle for an assured existence for the thirty-sixth time! MAGELONE. (_Passing forward._) Am I dreaming or do I really hear the Jungfrau-stock has fallen? PUNTSCHU. Fallen even lower than you! Tho you can use 'em for curl-paper. MAGELONE. O God in Heaven! Ten years' work! (_Falls in a faint._) KADIDIA. Wake up, mama! Wake up! BIANETTA. Say, Mr. Puntschu, where will you eat this evening, since you've lost your whole fortune? PUNTSCHU. Wherever you like, young lady! Take me where you will, but quickly! Here it's getting frightful. (_Exeunt Puntschu and Bianetta._) HEILMANN. (_Squeezing up his stock and flinging it to the ground._) That is what one gets from this pack! LUDMILLA. Why do you speculate on the Jungfrau too? Send a few little notices on the company to the German police here, and then you'll still win something in the end. HEILMANN. I've never tried that in my life, but if you want to help me--? LUDMILLA. Let's go to an all-night restaurant. Do you know the Five-footed Calf? HEILMANN. I'm very sorry-- LUDMILLA. Or the Sucking Lamb, or the Smoking Dog? They're all right near here. We'll be all by ourselves there, and before dawn we'll have a little article ready. HEILMANN. Don't you sleep? LUDMILLA. Oh, of course; but not at night. (_Exeunt Heilmann and Ludmilla._) ALVA. (_Who has been trying to resuscitate Magelone._) Ice-cold hands! Ah, what a splendid woman! We must undo her waist. Come, Kadidia, undo your mother's waist! She's so fearfully tight-laced. KADIDIA. (_Without stirring._) I'm afraid. (_Lulu enters lower left in a jockey-cap, red jacket, white leather breeches and riding boots, a riding cape over her shoulders._) LULU. Have you any cash, Alva? ALVA. (_Looking up._) Have you gone crazy? LULU. In two minutes the police'll be here. We are denounced. You can stay of course, if you're eager to! ALVA. (_Springing up._) Merciful Heaven! (_Exeunt Alva and Lulu._) KADIDIA. (_Shaking her mother, in tears._) Mama, Mama! Wake up! They've all run away! MAGELONE. (_Coming to herself._) And youth gone! And my best days gone! Oh, this life! KADIDIA. But I'm young, mama! Why shouldn't I earn any money? I don't want to go back to the convent! Please, mama, keep me with you! MAGELONE. God bless you, sweetheart! You don't know what you say--Oh, no, I shall look around for an engagement in a Variete, and sing the people my misfortunes with the Jungfrau-stock. Things like that are always applauded. KADIDIA. But you've got no voice, mama! MAGELONE. Ah, yes, that's true! KADIDIA. Take me with you to the Variete! MAGELONE. No, it would break my heart!--But, well, if it can't be otherwise, and you're so made for it,--I can't change things!--Yes, we can go to the Olympia together to-morrow! KADIDIA. O mama, how glad that makes me feel! (_A plain-clothes detective enters, upper left._)