Close, close, my heart! Crush in upon thyself. Let not a drop of blood escape, to fire anew the waning life in my veins. There again something like a hope arose in thee. I realise it now. I thought (_laughing_)--“That’s too much for any man.” And if--isn’t it too much for you? Would you have courage to seize a hand that----? No, no, you would not have such base courage. You would have to bolt yourself into your prison, if they tried to open the gate from without. For ever--Oh, why does it stop, why doesn’t it go on grinding for ever, why is there a pause now and then? That’s why it seems so long. The tortured one thinks he is having a rest because the torturer has to stop and take breath; you breathe again, like a drowning man in the waves, when the whirlpool that is sucking him down, throws him up again, only to lay hold of him afresh. All he gains from it is a redoubled death-struggle. “Well, Clara.” Yes, father, I’ll go, I’ll go! Your daughter won’t drive you to suicide. I shall soon be his wife, or--O God, no! I’m not begging for happiness, I’m begging for misery, the deepest misery--surely you’ll grant me my misery. Away!--where is the letter? (_Taking it._) There are three wells on the road to him. Let me stop at none of them. You have no right to, yet. (_Goes out._) ACT III LEONARD’S _Room_. SCENE 1 LEONARD (_writing at a table covered with documents_). There’s the sixth sheet since dinner. How fine a man feels when he does his duty! Anybody could come into the room that liked, even the king himself--I would stand up, but I would not be embarrassed. Except for one man, that old joiner. But at bottom he can’t trouble me much. Poor Clara! I’m sorry for her. It disturbs me to think of her. If it hadn’t been for that one cursed evening. It was more jealousy than love that excited me, and I’m sure she only yielded to refute my reproaches, for she was as cold as death towards me. She has bad times ahead of her, and I shall have a lot of worry, too. Let each bear his lot. Above all things, I must make sure of that little humpbacked girl and not let her escape me when the storm breaks. Then I shall have the mayor on my side and need fear nothing. SCENE 2 CLARA (_enters_). Good-evening, Leonard. LEONARD. Clara? (_Aside._) I didn’t expect this. (_Aloud._) Didn’t you get my letter? Oh--perhaps your father’s sent you to pay the rates. How much is it? (_Turning leaves in a journal._) I ought to know it without looking it up. CLARA. I’ve come to give you your letter back. Here it is. Read it again. LEONARD (_reads it very seriously_). It’s quite a sensible letter. How can a man, who’s in charge of public money, marry into a family that--(_swallowing a word_) your brother belongs to? CLARA. Leonard! LEONARD.