[_Pursuing his argument calmly._] According to my opinion, Goethe with his senile regulations for actors denied, in the pettiest way, himself and his whole original nature. What is one to say of his ruling that every actor, irrespective of the quality of the character represented by him, must--these are his very words--show an ogre-like expression of countenance in order that the spectator be at once reminded of the nature of lofty tragedy. Actually, these are his very words! _KAeFERSTEIN and KEGEL make an effort to assume ogre-like expressions._ HASSENREUTER Get out your note-book, most excellent Spitta, and record your opinion, please, that Manager Hassenreuter is an ass, that Schiller is an ass, Goethe an ass, Aristotle, too, of course--[_he begins suddenly to laugh like mad_]--and, ha, ha, ha! a certain Spitta a--night watchman! SPITTA I'm glad to see, sir, that, at least, you've recovered your good humour. HASSENREUTER The devil! I haven't recovered it at all! You're a symptom. So you needn't think yourself very important.--You are a rat, so to speak. One of those rats who are beginning, in the field of politics, to undermine our glorious and recently united German Empire! They are trying to cheat us of the reward of our labours! And in the garden of German art these rats are gnawing at the roots of the tree of idealism. They are determined to drag its crown into the mire!--Down, down, down into the dust with you! _KAeFERSTEIN and KEGEL try to preserve their gravity but soon break out into loud laughter, which HASSENREUTER is impelled to join. WALBURGA looks on in wide-eyed astonishment. SPITTA remains serious._ _MRS. JOHN is now seen descending the stairs of the loft. After a little while QUAQUARO follows her._ HASSENREUTER [_Perceives MRS. JOHN and points her out to SPITTA with violent gesticulations as if he had just made an important discovery._] There comes your tragic Muse! MRS. JOHN [_Approaches, abashed by the laughter of HASSENREUTER, KEGEL and KAeFERSTEIN._] Why, what d'you see about me? HASSENREUTER Nothing but what is good and beautiful, Mrs. John! You may thank God that your quiet, withdrawn and peaceful life unfits you for the part of a tragic heroine.--But tell me, have you, by any chance, had an interview with ghosts? MRS. JOHN [_Unnaturally pale._] Why do you ax that? HASSENREUTER Perhaps you even saw the famous soldier Sorgenfrei who closed his career above as a deserter into a better world? MRS. JOHN If it was a livin' soul, maybe you might be right. But I ain't scared o' no dead ghosts. HASSENREUTER Well, Mr. Quaquaro, how did it look under the roof there? QUAQUARO [_Who has brought down with him a Swedish riding-boot._] Well, I took a pretty good look aroun' an' I came to the conclusion that, at least, some shelterless ragamuffins has passed the night there; though how they got in I ain't sayin'. An' then I found this here boot.--