1
n
im Mor
rauen
box 6/1
34 Spel
young German lieutenant who gambled and
lost in a single night more than he would be
able to earn in three years. His motives,
at first, were altruistic. Another army
officer, whom he knew only slightly, came
to him for a loan to pay a gambling debt.
The amount needed was 1,000 gulden.
Willi did not have that much; but his sense
of honor in these matters told him that the
desperate Lieutenant von Bogner would be
disgraced and cashiered if the money were
not raised. He offered to take a chance with
what money he had in a card game and if
his luck was good he would advance von
Bogner the moncy.
Willi played and won heavily. He was
ahead several thousand gulden. He was
rich. He could buy new capes and sword
belts to charm the ladies; he could afford
rendezvous in expensive restaurants; he
could live on a magnificent scale — for a
while. Realization that it would be only for
a while tempted him to greater stakes in
hope of greater gain.
Helost. He was soon down to the amount
he originally had, plus the thousand gulden
he could give to von Bogner. His new cape
and sword sheath had vanished and with
#
them his rendezvous, with champagne and
costly dinners. He risked the money meant
for von Bogner; he risked his last cent, he
(928
borrowed. He borrowed and lost until he
A—
—
atace
was eleven thousand gulden in debt to a
THE CODE OF HONOR
South American tradesman whom he openly
despised. Then the game ended. Accord¬
Davsanak. By Arthur Schnitzler. Translated
Jrôm ihe German by William A. Drake. Simon
ing to the code, a debt of honor must be
& Schuster. 81.50.
paid within twenty-four hours; and the
IIIS beautiful and exciting little story
South American was coldly emphatic in the
+ contains a great moral lesson. We, in
matter of promptness. He told Willi that
this country, can appreciate it the more
he would inform the commander of Willi's
because the whole modus operundt of the
regiment if the money were not paid on the
hour.
protagonist’s conscience is foreign to us.
We can have a detached point of view
Willi sought bis rich uncle only to find
toward the problem in ethics it involves.
that during the long period since he had last
We have no military caste in America and
found it useful to show some interest in the
the code of the corps is something we of the
uncle’s existence the latter had married a
laity know little about and can never take
young harlot and, having turned his wealth
with any great seriousness. Therefore, in
over to her, had from her only a small
reading this book, we can see what a pre¬
allowance. The wife had shown business
posterously egotistical and yet tragical thing
enterprise and foresight, and had made
a man’s notion of“honor'’ can be.
much money in speculation and investments;
Schnitzler has here related the story of a
but she permitted him to see her only on
rare occasions and gave him not a penny
before his allowance was due.
Willi found out the address of his aunt
and called upon her. He discovered that
she had formerly been one of his lights-o’¬
love, one whom he had treated rather
shabbily. He made up to her and impressed
upon her the urgency of his need for money,
while at the same time playing the ardent
lover. They spent a night together and
when he believed that she was going to
advance him the money she left him a
thousand gulden note instead, in payment
for their night of love — a bit of mockery
at the small sum he had left for her when
they had last spent a night together — a
gesture she had loathed at that time because
she was in love with him.
The thousand was of no use to Willi; but
much ado about their honor; for it is very
apt to be a weak, vain, and not very ad¬
mirable one, permitting them a free con¬
science to act discreditanty in most of those
relations with human beings which call for
fairness and simple justice, kindness and
common honesty.
That, I believe, was the point Schnitzler
was getting at in this ironic novelette.
There was nothing very tragic in Willi’s
suicide; for his life had no real significance
and his character was not worth preserving.
Even in death he was not ennobled. And
that is the final irony.
n
im Mor
rauen
box 6/1
34 Spel
young German lieutenant who gambled and
lost in a single night more than he would be
able to earn in three years. His motives,
at first, were altruistic. Another army
officer, whom he knew only slightly, came
to him for a loan to pay a gambling debt.
The amount needed was 1,000 gulden.
Willi did not have that much; but his sense
of honor in these matters told him that the
desperate Lieutenant von Bogner would be
disgraced and cashiered if the money were
not raised. He offered to take a chance with
what money he had in a card game and if
his luck was good he would advance von
Bogner the moncy.
Willi played and won heavily. He was
ahead several thousand gulden. He was
rich. He could buy new capes and sword
belts to charm the ladies; he could afford
rendezvous in expensive restaurants; he
could live on a magnificent scale — for a
while. Realization that it would be only for
a while tempted him to greater stakes in
hope of greater gain.
Helost. He was soon down to the amount
he originally had, plus the thousand gulden
he could give to von Bogner. His new cape
and sword sheath had vanished and with
#
them his rendezvous, with champagne and
costly dinners. He risked the money meant
for von Bogner; he risked his last cent, he
(928
borrowed. He borrowed and lost until he
A—
—
atace
was eleven thousand gulden in debt to a
THE CODE OF HONOR
South American tradesman whom he openly
despised. Then the game ended. Accord¬
Davsanak. By Arthur Schnitzler. Translated
Jrôm ihe German by William A. Drake. Simon
ing to the code, a debt of honor must be
& Schuster. 81.50.
paid within twenty-four hours; and the
IIIS beautiful and exciting little story
South American was coldly emphatic in the
+ contains a great moral lesson. We, in
matter of promptness. He told Willi that
this country, can appreciate it the more
he would inform the commander of Willi's
because the whole modus operundt of the
regiment if the money were not paid on the
hour.
protagonist’s conscience is foreign to us.
We can have a detached point of view
Willi sought bis rich uncle only to find
toward the problem in ethics it involves.
that during the long period since he had last
We have no military caste in America and
found it useful to show some interest in the
the code of the corps is something we of the
uncle’s existence the latter had married a
laity know little about and can never take
young harlot and, having turned his wealth
with any great seriousness. Therefore, in
over to her, had from her only a small
reading this book, we can see what a pre¬
allowance. The wife had shown business
posterously egotistical and yet tragical thing
enterprise and foresight, and had made
a man’s notion of“honor'’ can be.
much money in speculation and investments;
Schnitzler has here related the story of a
but she permitted him to see her only on
rare occasions and gave him not a penny
before his allowance was due.
Willi found out the address of his aunt
and called upon her. He discovered that
she had formerly been one of his lights-o’¬
love, one whom he had treated rather
shabbily. He made up to her and impressed
upon her the urgency of his need for money,
while at the same time playing the ardent
lover. They spent a night together and
when he believed that she was going to
advance him the money she left him a
thousand gulden note instead, in payment
for their night of love — a bit of mockery
at the small sum he had left for her when
they had last spent a night together — a
gesture she had loathed at that time because
she was in love with him.
The thousand was of no use to Willi; but
much ado about their honor; for it is very
apt to be a weak, vain, and not very ad¬
mirable one, permitting them a free con¬
science to act discreditanty in most of those
relations with human beings which call for
fairness and simple justice, kindness and
common honesty.
That, I believe, was the point Schnitzler
was getting at in this ironic novelette.
There was nothing very tragic in Willi’s
suicide; for his life had no real significance
and his character was not worth preserving.
Even in death he was not ennobled. And
that is the final irony.