[_Has become more and more excited by the rising enthusiasm of the speaker. At the end of WEHRHAHN'S oratorical effort he can restrain himself no longer and breaks out in a loud, deceptively exact imitation of an ass's bray._] I! a! a! a! I! a! a! a! [_General embarrassment._ WEHRHAHN [_Also embarrassed._] What does that mean? GLASENAPP I really don't know. LANGHEINRICH That's Gustav's art, your honour. He's famous for imitatin' animals' voices. WEHRHAHN Is that so? And what animal was this supposed to be? LANGHEINRICH I guess a lion, all right.-- [_General laughter._ _WEHRHAHN shrugs his shoulders, laughs jeeringly and goes to his seat. Silence. Then renewed laughter._ WEHRHAHN I must request silence. This is no place for laughter! We are not indulging in horse-play for your benefit. We are not trying to amuse any one. The things we are discussing here are of a deadly seriousness. This isn't a circus. _RAUCHHAUPT enters and stares helplessly about him._ MRS. FIELITZ [_Tugs at the coat of SCHULZE, who stands near her but with his back turned. He faces her and she asks with a sorrowful expression._] Did you see my girl to-day? _SCHULZE nods and turns back again._ MRS. FIELITZ [_As before._] You did see Leontine this morning? _SCHULZE nods again and turns away._ MRS. FIELITZ [_Repeating the action._] An' where did you meet her, Constable? SCHULZE [_Almost without moving his lips._] It was over beyond Woltersdorf. RAUCHHAUPT [_To LANGHEINRICH._] What's the matter here? What's all this here about? WEHRHAHN [_Observes RAUCHHAUPT._] You are a retired Prussian constable? RAUCHHAUPT [_Having failed to hear the question._] Say, Schulze, what's all this for? SCHULZE His honour axed you somethin'. I can't go an' give you no information. That's against orders. If you'd only ha' kept a better watch on that there boy! I preached to you about that often enough. RAUCHHAUPT I don't know what you been preachin'! You ol' mush head! Go on preachin'! SCHULZE I begs to have it recorded that Rauchhaupt insulted me officially. RAUCHHAUPT What? 'Cause you're such a old idjit? That's the reason why I insults you officially.... WEHRHAHN Man alive! Do you know where you are? Or have you just dropped here out of the clouds! Confound it all! Stand still! Obey orders! RAUCHHAUPT Here I is, your honour, an' I humbly announces ... WEHRHAHN That you are recalcitrant and disorderly! You are trying to get into trouble! How long have you been retired? RAUCHHAUPT Eleven years. WEHRHAHN In addition your memory is probably injured. And anyhow--your whole appearance! The devil! To think of a former constable looking like that ... I thought I knew all types! RAUCHHAUPT That's 'cause I am ... You'll kindly excuse ... WEHRHAHN Nothing is excused here! D'you understand? You actually smell! You contaminate the air! RAUCHHAUPT 'Tain't nothin' but the smell o' earth ... WEHRHAHN Horse dung! RAUCHHAUPT