May God, then, not look upon me too hardly, if I come before He calls me. If it meant only me, I’d bear it; take it patiently, as well-deserved punishment for I don’t know what, if people trampled on me in my misery, instead of helping me. I would love my child, even if it bore this man’s features. I would weep so before it’s helpless innocence, that it would not curse and despise its mother when it was older and wiser. But I’m not the only one. And when the judge asks me on the last day “Why did you kill yourself?” it will be an easier question to answer than “Why did you drive your father to it?” LEONARD. You talk as if you were the first woman and the last. Thousands before you have gone through this and borne it. Thousands after you will get into your plight and accept their fate. Are they all so low, that you want to go away in a corner by yourself? They had fathers too, who invented heaps of new curses when they heard of it, and talked about death and murder. They were ashamed of themselves later on, and did penance for their curses and blasphemies. Why! they sat down and rocked the child, or fanned the flies off him! CLARA. Oh, I can well believe that you don’t understand how anybody in the world should keep his oath! SCENE 3 BOY (_enters_). I’ve brought some flowers. I haven’t to say who’s sent them. LEONARD. Oh, what lovely flowers! (_Strikes his brow._) The devil! That’s stupid! _I_ should have sent some! How am I to get out of it? I don’t know much about these things, and the little girl will notice it; she has nothing else to think about. (_Takes the flowers._) But I won’t keep them all. (_To_ CLARA.) These mean remorse and shame, don’t they? Didn’t you once tell me that? [CLARA _nods_. LEONARD (_to the boy_). Look here, boy. These are for me. I put them here, you see, over my heart. These, red ones here, that burn like a glowing fire, you can take back. Do you understand? When my apples are ripe you can come again. BOY. That’s a long time yet! (_Goes out._) SCENE 4 LEONARD.