25. BrofesseBerhad
16 PROFESSOR BERNHARDI: A PLAY
anything? Speak! Well—!
Sister: She said—
Bernhardi: Well—?
Sister: She was a little bit frightened.
ernhardi (not angrily): Well, speak!
what did she say?
„
Sister: Must I really die?“
Kurt (from the sick-room): It is all over—
Bernhardi: Do not be disturbed, Your Rev¬
erence. It was not your fauli; you only want¬
ed to do your duty, the same as I. I am more
than sorry that I did not succeed.
Priest: It is not for you, Professor, to give
me absolution. That poor soul has gone nith¬
er as a sinner, and without the solace of her
religion; and that is your fault.
Bernhardi: I am perfectly willing to ac¬
cept the responsibility.
Priest: It will remain to be seen whether
you are able to do so. Good day, gentlemen.
(Priest leaves. The others are stirred and
embarrassed. Bernhardi looks at all of them
in turn.)
Bernhardi: Well, Doctor Adler, tomorrow
the autopsy.
Cyprian (aside to Bernhardi): It was not
right.
Bernhardi: Why, not right?
Adler: I would be insincere, did I not say
right now, that in this affair, I cannot take
your side, Professor.
Bernhardi: And it would be insincere on
my part, if I did not assure you that I was
certainly aware of that.
(Cyprian and Adler leave. Oscar bites his
box 31/8
PROFESSOR BERNHARDI: A PLAY 17
lips.)
Bernhardi: I hope this will not hurt your
career.
Oscar: Oh, father!
(Bernhardi lays his hand tenderly upon Os¬
car’s head.)
Sister: Professor, I thought—
Bernhardi: Well, what did you think?
Well, what is the difference? It is all over
now.
Sister (stammering and pointing at Hoch¬
roitzpointner): Well—well—the Doctor—.
Hochroitzpointner: Well, I, of course, did
not forbid her.
Bernhardi: Oh, of course not, Doctor. You
undoubtedly are as zealous an attendant at
church as at the lectures.
Hochroitzpointner: Professor, we live in a
Christian state.
Bernhardi (looking at him steadfastly):
Yes, God forgive them, they know too d—
well what they do.
(Bernhardi leaves with Kurt and Oscar.)
Hochroitzpointner (to Sister): Why did
you excuse yourself, child? You only did your
duty. Why did you cry? Look out that you
do not get one of those attacks again.
Sister (weeping): Professor was so angry!
Hochroitzpointner: Suppose he was an¬
gry; the Professor, our President, he will not
last much longer—this will break his neck.
(Curtain.)
16 PROFESSOR BERNHARDI: A PLAY
anything? Speak! Well—!
Sister: She said—
Bernhardi: Well—?
Sister: She was a little bit frightened.
ernhardi (not angrily): Well, speak!
what did she say?
„
Sister: Must I really die?“
Kurt (from the sick-room): It is all over—
Bernhardi: Do not be disturbed, Your Rev¬
erence. It was not your fauli; you only want¬
ed to do your duty, the same as I. I am more
than sorry that I did not succeed.
Priest: It is not for you, Professor, to give
me absolution. That poor soul has gone nith¬
er as a sinner, and without the solace of her
religion; and that is your fault.
Bernhardi: I am perfectly willing to ac¬
cept the responsibility.
Priest: It will remain to be seen whether
you are able to do so. Good day, gentlemen.
(Priest leaves. The others are stirred and
embarrassed. Bernhardi looks at all of them
in turn.)
Bernhardi: Well, Doctor Adler, tomorrow
the autopsy.
Cyprian (aside to Bernhardi): It was not
right.
Bernhardi: Why, not right?
Adler: I would be insincere, did I not say
right now, that in this affair, I cannot take
your side, Professor.
Bernhardi: And it would be insincere on
my part, if I did not assure you that I was
certainly aware of that.
(Cyprian and Adler leave. Oscar bites his
box 31/8
PROFESSOR BERNHARDI: A PLAY 17
lips.)
Bernhardi: I hope this will not hurt your
career.
Oscar: Oh, father!
(Bernhardi lays his hand tenderly upon Os¬
car’s head.)
Sister: Professor, I thought—
Bernhardi: Well, what did you think?
Well, what is the difference? It is all over
now.
Sister (stammering and pointing at Hoch¬
roitzpointner): Well—well—the Doctor—.
Hochroitzpointner: Well, I, of course, did
not forbid her.
Bernhardi: Oh, of course not, Doctor. You
undoubtedly are as zealous an attendant at
church as at the lectures.
Hochroitzpointner: Professor, we live in a
Christian state.
Bernhardi (looking at him steadfastly):
Yes, God forgive them, they know too d—
well what they do.
(Bernhardi leaves with Kurt and Oscar.)
Hochroitzpointner (to Sister): Why did
you excuse yourself, child? You only did your
duty. Why did you cry? Look out that you
do not get one of those attacks again.
Sister (weeping): Professor was so angry!
Hochroitzpointner: Suppose he was an¬
gry; the Professor, our President, he will not
last much longer—this will break his neck.
(Curtain.)