She's been reel afraid o' people recently. An', Mrs. Flamm, if you'll permit me to say so, you mustn't take it ill. First of all she had her hands full with tendin' to me. I was so in need o' care--an' she did a good work by me! An' then, since that man slandered her so terrible, she scarce dared go out o' the room. MRS. FLAMM I don't take offence, Keil. Oh, no! But how is she otherwise? An' what does she do? AUGUST 'Tis hard to say, that's certain. To-day, for instance, when she had to go to court at eleven o'clock--'twas a regular dance she led us! She talked so strange, Mrs. Flamm, 'twas enough to scare a body out o' his wits.--First of all she didn't want to be goin' at all; next she thought she wanted to take me with her. In the end she was gone like a flash an' cried out to me that I wasn't to follow. Times she kept weepin' all day!--Naturally, a man has his thoughts. MRS. FLAMM What kind o' thoughts? AUGUST About several things.--Firstly, this mishap that came to me! She spoke of it to me many a time. That's cut her straight to the heart! An' about father Bernd an' that he has taken that business o' Streckmann so serious. MRS. FLAMM We're all alone here, Mr. Keil. Why shouldn't we speak openly for once. Did it never occur to you ... I mean about this Streckmann matter ... to you or, maybe to father Bernd--that there might be some truth in it? AUGUST I don't let myself have no thoughts about that. MRS. FLAMM That's right! I don't blame you for that in the least. There are times in life when one can't do better than stick one's head in the sand like an ostrich. But that isn't right for a father! AUGUST Well, Mrs. Flamm, as far as old Bernd goes, his mind is as far as the sky from any suspicion that somethin' mightn't be quite right. His conviction's as firm as a rock. He'd let you chop off his hands for it. Nobody wouldn't believe how strictly he thinks about things o' that kind. His honour was there too an' tried to persuade him to withdraw his charge.... MRS. FLAMM [_Excitedly._] Who was there? AUGUST His honour, Mr. Flamm. MRS. FLAMM My husband? AUGUST Yes! He talked to him a long time. You see, as for me--I've lost an eye, to be sure--but I don't care to have Streckmann punished. Vengeance is mine, saith the Lord. But father--he can't be persuaded to think peaceably about this matter. Ask anythin' o' me, says he, but not that! MRS. FLAMM You say my husband went to see old Bernd? AUGUST Yes, that time he got the summons. MRS. FLAMM What kind o' summons was that? AUGUST To appear before the examining magistrate. MRS. FLAMM [_With growing excitement._] Who? Old Bernd? AUGUST No; Mr. Flamm. MRS. FLAMM Was my husband examined too? What did he have to do with the affair? AUGUST Yes, he was examined too. MRS. FLAMM