[_He carries the cigar end to a cuspidor, sits down on the sofa again and lights his cigar._] LOTH [_Stands at the table and turns the leaves of a deluxe volume._] "The Adventures of Count Sandor." HOFFMANN You'll find that trash among all the farmers in the neighbourhood. LOTH [_Still turning the leaves._] How old is your sister-in-law? HOFFMANN She was twenty-one last August. LOTH Is she in delicate health? HOFFMANN Don't know. I hardly think so, though. Does she make that impression on you? LOTH She really looks rather worried than ill. HOFFMANN Well, if you consider all the miseries with her step-mother ... LOTH She seems to be rather excitable, too. HOFFMANN In such an environment ... I should like to see any one who wouldn't become excitable. LOTH She seems to possess a good deal of energy. HOFFMANN Stubbornness. LOTH Deep feeling, too? HOFFMANN Too much at times ... LOTH But if the conditions here are so unfortunate for her, why doesn't your sister-in-law live with _your_ family? HOFFMANN You'd better ask her that! I've often enough made her the offer. Women have these fancies, that's all. [_Holding the cigar in his mouth, HOFFMANN takes out a note-book and adds a fete items._] You'll forgive me, won't you, if I have to leave you alone after a while? LOTH Assuredly. HOFFMANN How long do you think of stay-- LOTH I mean to look for a lodging very soon. Where does Schimmelpfennig live? The best thing would be to go to see him. He would _probably_ be able to secure one for me. I hope that I'll soon find a suitable place, otherwise I'll spend the night at the inn next door. HOFFMANN Why should you? Of course you'll stay with us till morning, at least. To be sure, I'm only a guest in this house myself, otherwise I'd naturally ask you to ... you understand? LOTH Perfectly. HOFFMANN But do tell me, were you really quite serious when you said ... LOTH That I would spend the night at an inn...? HOFFMANN Nonsense ... Of course not!... I mean what you mentioned a while ago--that business about your ridiculous descriptive essay? LOTH Why not? HOFFMANN I must confess that I thought you were jesting. [_He gets up and speaks confidentially and half-humorously._] Now, you don't mean to say you're really capable of undermining the ground here where a friend of yours has been fortunate enough to get a firm foothold? LOTH You may take my word for it, Hoffmann; I had no idea that you were here. If I had known that ... HOFFMANN