We might ha' talked together like sensible people, but for him to go an' run straight to the police--no, no! FLEISCHER Well, the poor little old couple is having bad luck: only a week ago their wood, and now the fur coat.... MRS. WOLFF Are you comin' to your great news now? Out with it! FLEISCHER Well, it's a clear case of burglary. MRS. WOLFF Some more stealin'? Don't make fun o' me! FLEISCHER Yes, and this time it's a perfectly new fur coat. MRS. WOLFF Well now, you know, pretty soon I'll move away from here. That's a crowd round here! Why, a person ain't sare o' their lives. Tst! Tst! Such folks! It ain't hardly to be believed! FLEISCHER You can form an idea of the noise they're making. MRS. WOLFF Well, you can't hardly blame the people. FLEISCHER And really, it was, a very expensive garment--of mink, I believe. MRS. WOLFF Ain't that somethin' like beaver, Mr. Fleischer? FLEISCHER Perhaps it was beaver, for all I know. Anyhow, they were real proud of it.--I admit, I laughed to myself over the business. When something like that is discovered it always has a comic effect. MRS. WOLFF You're a cruel man, really, Doctor. I can't go an' laugh about things like that. FLEISCHER You mustn't think that I'm not sorry for the man, for all that. MRS. WOLFF Them must be pretty strange people. I don't know. There ain't no way o' understandin' that. Just to go an' rob other people o' what's theirs--no, then it's better to work till you drop. FLEISCHER You might perhaps make a point of keeping your ears open. I believe the coat is supposed to be in the village. MRS. WOLFF Has they got any suspicion o' anybody? FLEISCHER Oh, there was a washerwoman working at the Krueger's.... MRS. WOLFF By the name o' Miller? FLEISCHER And she has a very large family...? MRS. WOLFF The woman's got a large family, that's so, but to steal that way ... no! She might take some little thing, yes. FLEISCHER Of course Krueger put her out. MRS. WOLFF Aw, that's bound to come out. My goodness, the devil hisself'd have to be back o' that if it don't. I wish I was justice here. But the man is that stoopid!--well! I c'n see better'n the dark than he can by day with his glass eye. FLEISCHER I almost believe you could. MRS. WOLFF I c'n tell you, if I had to, I could steal the chair from under that man's behind. FLEISCHER [_Has arisen and calls, laughingly, into the adjoining room._] Come, Philip, come! We've got to go! Good-bye, Mrs. Wolff. MRS. WOLFF You get dressed, Adelaide. You c'n go an' row Mr. Fleischer a ways. ADELAIDE [_Enters, buttoning the last buttons at her throat and leading PHILIP by the hand._] I'm all ready. [_To PHILIP._] You come right here; I'll take you on my arm. FLEISCHER [_Anxiously helping the boy on with his coat._] He's got to be wrapped up well; he's so delicate, and no doubt it's windy out on the river. ADELAIDE I better go ahead an' get the boat ready. MRS. WOLFF Is your health better these days?