Yes. You are loved by everybody, but if I were a King, I would have sent you an aeroplane. _Throwing back her hands in sorrow which she is trying vainly to suppress._ Ah, how good it would be now to rise from the ground and fly--and fly for a long, long time. _Enter Maurice._ MAURICE I am ready now, I have cleaned my teeth. I've even taken a walk in the garden. But I have never before noticed that we have such a beautiful garden! Papa, our garden is wonderfully beautiful! JEANNE Coffee will be ready directly. If he disturbs you with his talk, call me, Emil. MAURICE Oh, I did not mean to disturb you. Forgive me, papa. I'll not disturb you any more. EMIL GRELIEU You may speak, speak. I am feeling quite well, quite well. JEANNE But you must save your strength, don't forget that, Emil. _Exit._ MAURICE _Sitting down quietly at the window._ Perhaps I really ought not to speak, papa? EMIL GRELIEU _Smiling faintly._ Can you be silent? MAURICE _Blushing._ No, father, I cannot just now. I suppose I seem to you very young. EMIL GRELIEU And what do you think of it yourself? MAURICE _Blushing again._ I am no longer as young as I was three weeks ago. Yes, only three weeks ago--I remember the tolling of the bells in our church, I remember how I teased François. How strange that François has been lost and no one knows where he is. What does it mean that a human being is lost and no one knows where he is? Before, one could see everything on earth. EMIL GRELIEU Yes. MAURICE Papa! Why do they hang such people as François? That is cruel and stupid. Forgive me for speaking so harshly. But need an old man love his fatherland less than I love it, for instance? The old people love it even more intensely. Let everyone fight as he can. I am not tiring you, am I? An old man came to us, he was very feeble, he asked for bullets--well, let them hang me too--I gave him bullets. A few of our regiment made sport of him, but he said: "If only one Prussian bullet will strike me, it means that the Prussians will have one bullet less." That appealed to me. EMIL GRELIEU Yes, that appeals to me, too. Have you heard the cannonading at dawn? MAURICE No. Why, was there any cannonading? EMIL GRELIEU Yes. I heard cannonading. Did mamma tell you that they are coming nearer and nearer? They are approaching. MAURICE _Rising._ Really? Impossible! EMIL GRELIEU They are coming, and we must leave for Antwerp today. MAURICE Yes. _He rises and walks back and forth, forgetting his wounded arm. He is greatly agitated. Clenches his fist._ MAURICE Father, tell me: What do you think of the present state of affairs? EMIL GRELIEU Mamma says there is a God and there is righteousness. MAURICE _Raising his hand._ Mamma says----Let God bless mamma! I don't know--I--. Very well, very well. We shall see; we shall see! _His face twitches like a child's face. He is trying to repress his tears._ MAURICE