SCENE--_A splendid hall in German Renaissance style, with a heavy ceiling of carved oak. The lower half of the walls of dark carved wood; the upper half on both sides hung with faded Gobelins. At rear, a curtained gallery from which, at right, a monumental staircase descends to halfway down stage. At centre, under the gallery, the entrance-door, with twisted posts and pediment. At left, a high and spacious fireplace with a Chinese folding screen before it. Further down, left, a French window onto a balcony with heavy curtains, closed. Down right, door hung with Genoese velvet. Near it, a broad ottoman, with an arm-chair on its left. Behind, near the foot of the stairs_, LULU’S _Pierrot-picture on a decorative stand and in a gold frame made to look antique. In the centre of the hall, down-stage, a heavy square table, with three high-backed upholstered chairs round it and a vase of white flowers on it._ COUNTESS GESCHWITZ _sits on the ottoman, in a soldier-like, fur-trimmed waist, high, upstanding collar, enormous cufflinks, a veil over her face, and her hands clasped convulsively in her muff_. SCHÖN _stands down right_. LULU, _in a big-flowered morning-dress, her hair in a simple knot in a golden circlet, sits in the arm-chair left of the ottoman_. GESCHWITZ--[_To_ LULU.] You can’t think how glad I shall be to see you at our lady artists’ ball. SCHÖN--Is there no sort of possibility of a person like me smuggling in? GESCHWITZ--It would be high treason if any of us lent herself to such an intrigue. SCHÖN--[_Crossing to the centre table, behind the ottoman._] The glorious flowers! LULU--Fräulein von Geschwitz brought me those. GESCHWITZ--Don’t mention it.--Oh, you’ll be in man’s costume, won’t you? LULU--Do you think that becomes me? GESCHWITZ--You’re a dream here. [_Signifying the picture._] LULU--My husband doesn’t like it. GESCHWITZ--Is it by a local man? LULU--You will hardly have known him. GESCHWITZ--No longer living? SCHÖN--[_Down left, with a deep voice._] He had enough. LULU--You’re in bad temper. [SCHÖN _controls himself_.] GESCHWITZ--[_Getting up._] I must go, Mrs. Schön. I can’t stay any longer. This evening we have life-class, and I have still so much to get ready for the ball. Good-bye, Dr. Schön. [_Exit, up-stage._ LULU _accompanies her_. SCHÖN _looks around him_.]