No-o! I don't see why. Such a goose like that ... That's an end o' all justice ... such a sl...! HOFFMANN Oh, but mother, I must really beg of you to control-- MRS. KRAUSE [_Doubly enraged._] Instead o' sich a crittur takin' a hand on the farm.... God forbid! She pulls her sheets 'way over her ears. But her Schillers and her Goethes and sich like stinkin' dogs--that can't do nothin' but lie; they c'n turn her head. It's enough to make you sick! [_She stops, quivering with rage._ HOFFMANN [_Trying to pacify her._] Well, well--she will be all right now ... perhaps it wasn't quite right ... perhaps.... [_He beckons to HELEN, who in her excitement has drawn aside, and the girl, fighting down her tears, returns to her place._ HOFFMANN [_Interrupting the painful silence that has followed, to LOTH._] Ah, yes ... what were we talking about? To be sure, of good old alcohol. [_He raises his glass._] Well, mother, let us have peace. Come,--we'll drink a toast in peace, and honour alcohol by being peaceful. [_MRS. KRAUSE, although somewhat rebelliously, clinks glasses with him._] What, Helen, and your glass is empty.... I say, Loth, you've made a proselyte. HELEN Ah ... no ... I.... MRS. SPILLER But, dear Miss Helen, that looks sus-- HOFFMANN You weren't always so very particular. HELEN [_Pertly._] I simply have no inclination to drink to-day. That's all. HOFFMANN Oh, I beg your pardon, very humbly indeed ... Let me see, what were we talking about? LOTH We were saying that there were whole families of dipsomaniacs. HOFFMANN [_Embarrassed anew._] To be sure, to be sure, but ... er.... [_Growing anger is noticeable in the behaviour of MRS. KRAUSE. KAHL is obviously hard put to it to restrain his laughter concerning something that seems to furnish him immense inner amusement. HELEN observes KAHL with burning eyes and her threatening glance has repeatedly restrained him from saying something that is clearly on the tip of his tongue. LOTH, peeling an apple with a good deal of equanimity, has taken no notice of all this._ LOTH What is more, you seem to be rather blessed with that sort of thing hereabouts. HOFFMANN [_Almost beside himself._] Why? How? Blessed with what? LOTH With drunkards, of course. HOFFMANN H-m! Do you think so ... ah ... yes ... I dare say--the miners.... LOTH Not only the miners. Here, in the inn, where I stopped before I came to you, there sat a fellow, for instance, this way. [_He rests both elbows on the table, supports his head, with his hands and stares at the table._ HOFFMANN Really? [_His embarrassment has now reached its highest point; MRS. KRAUSE coughs; HELEN still commands KAHL with her eyes. His whole body quivers with internal laughter, but he is still capable of enough self-command not to burst out._ LOTH