Oh dear, Greek history!----I only know how Socrates lay in his barrel when Alexander sold him the ass' shadow. WENDLA. He stands third in his class. THEA. Professor Knochenbruch says he can be first if he wants. MARTHA. He has a beautiful brow, but his friend has a soulful look. THEA. Moritz Stiefel?----He's a stupid! MARTHA. I've always gotten along well with him. THEA. He disgraces anybody who is with him. At Rilow's party he offered me some bon-bons. Only think, Wendla, they were soft and warm. Isn't that----? He said he had kept them too long in his trouser's pocket. WENDLA. Only think, Melchi Gabor told me once that he didn't believe anything----not in God, not in a hereafter----in anything more in this world. SCENE FOURTH. _A park in front of the grammar school. Melchior, Otto, George, Robert, Hans Rilow and Lämmermeier._ MELCHIOR. Can any of you say where Moritz Stiefel is keeping himself? GEORGE. It may go hard with him!----Oh, it may go hard with him! OTTO. He'll keep on until he gets caught dead to rights. LAEMMERMEIER. Lord knows, I wouldn't want to be in his skin at this moment! ROBERT. What cheek! What insolence! MELCHIOR. Wha----Wha----what do you know? GEORGE. What do we know?----Now, I tell you---- LAEMMERMEIER. I wish I hadn't said anything! OTTO. So do I----God knows I do! MELCHIOR. If you don't at once---- ROBERT. The long and the short of it is, Moritz Stiefel has broken into the Board Room. MELCHIOR. Into the Board Room----? OTTO. Into the Board Room. Right after the Latin lesson. GEORGE. He was the last. He hung back intentionally. LAEMMERMEIER. As I turned the corner of the corridor, I saw him open the door. MELCHIOR. The devil take---- LAEMMERMEIER. If only the devil doesn't take him. GEORGE. Perhaps the Rector didn't take the key. ROBERT. Or Moritz Stiefel carries a skeleton key. OTTO. That may be possible. LAEMMERMEIER. If he has luck, he'll only be kept in. ROBERT. Besides getting a demerit mark in his report! OTTO. If this doesn't result in his being kicked out. HANS RILOW. There he is! MELCHIOR. White as a handkerchief. (_Moritz comes in in great agitation._) LAEMMERMEIER. Moritz, Moritz, what have you done! MORITZ. Nothing----nothing---- ROBERT. You're feverish! MORITZ. From good fortune----from happiness----from jubilation---- OTTO. You were caught! MORITZ.