ALVA--You?--you are as heavenly high above me as--as the sun is over the abyss! [_Kneeling._] Destroy me! I beg you, put an end to me! Put an end to me! LULU--Do you =love= me then? ALVA--I will pay you with everything that was mine! LULU--Do you love me? ALVA--Do you love me--Mignon? LULU--I? Not a soul. ALVA--I love you. [_Hides his face in her lap._] LULU--[_Both hands in his hair._] I poisoned your mother---- [RODRIGO _sticks his head out from the curtains, left, sees_ SCHÖN _sitting in the gallery and signs to him to watch_ LULU _and_ ALVA. SCHÖN _points his revolver at_ RODRIGO; RODRIGO _signs to him to point it at_ ALVA. SCHÖN _cocks the revolver and takes aim_. RODRIGO _draws back behind the curtains_. LULU _sees him draw back, sees_ SCHÖN _sitting in the gallery, and gets up_.] His father! [SCHÖN _rises, lets the hangings fall before him_. ALVA _remains motionless on his knees. Pause._] SCHÖN--[_A newspaper in his hand, takes_ ALVA _by the shoulder_.] Alva! [ALVA _gets up as though drunk with sleep_.] A revolution has broken out in Paris. ALVA--To Paris ... let me go to Paris---- SCHÖN--Up in the office the editors are tearing their hair. Not one of them knows what to write about it. [_He unfolds the paper and accompanies_ ALVA _out, rear_. RODRIGO _rushes out from the curtains toward the stairs_.] LULU--[_Barring his way._] You can’t get out here. RODRIGO--Let me through! LULU--You’ll run into his arms. RODRIGO--He’ll shoot me thru the head! LULU--He’s coming. RODRIGO--[_Stumbling back._] Devil, death and demons! [_Lifts the tablecloth._] HUGENBERG--No room! RODRIGO--Damned and done for! [_Looks around and hides in the doorway, right._] SCHÖN--[_Comes in, centre; locks the door; and goes, revolver in hand, to the window down left, of which he throws up the curtains._] Where is =he= gone? LULU--[_On the lowest step._] Out. SCHÖN--Down over the balcony? LULU--He’s an acrobat. SCHÖN--That could not be foreseen. [_Turning against_ LULU.] You who drag me thru the muck of the streets to a tortured death! LULU--Why did you not bring me up better? SCHÖN--You destroying angel! You inexorable fate!--To turn murderer or else to drown in filth; to take ship like a fleeing convict, or hang myself over the mire!--You joy of my old age! You hangman’s noose! LULU--[_In cold blood._] Oh, shut up, and kill me! SCHÖN--Everything I possess I have made over to you, and asked nothing but the respect that every servant pays to my house. Your credit is exhausted! LULU--I can answer for my account for years to come. [_Coming forward from the stairs._] How do you like my new gown?