25. PrefeorBernhandi
40 PROFESSOR BERNHARDI: A PLAY
you misinterpret my conduct; I wish to ex¬
press to you in this hour, my admiration.
Bernhardi: Whoever is not for me, is
against me, gentlemen. Good evening, gentle¬
men.
(Exit Bernhardi.)
Pflugfelder: How can you let him go,
gentlemen? Come to your senses! Think
how this whole thing began—you must come
to your senses! A poor young creature lies
sick unto death in the hospital, paying for her
youth and happiness and sin—if you want to
call it so—with torture, agony, and even with
her life. The last hours bring euphoria; she
is well, happy, has no thought of death; dreams
that her lover is coming to take her away from
the place of suffering and misery, back to life
and happiness. It was perhaps the happiest
moment of her life, her last earthly dream, and
from this dream, Bernhardi did not wish to
awaken her to a terrible reality. That is his
fault, the crime that he committed. He asked
the priest to let the poor girl go peacefully to
sleep. He asked him, you all know it. Had
he even been less polite than he was, every¬
body would have to forgive him. What enor¬
mous hypocrisy it is, to look at this event more
than as a purelv humane action. Where does
the creature exist, whose religious sentiments
could, in reality, be hurt in any way by Bern¬
hardi’s action. And if snobdom, graft and vil¬
lainy were hot at the bottom of it all—in short
—vile politics, would it be possible, anywhere,
to construe this case into a serious affair?
Ah! I protest, gentlemen. This is the act of
box 31/8
PROFESSOR BERNHARDI: A PLAY 41
climbers, good-for-nothings! But we, gentle¬
men, we do not want to belong to any of these
classes. Why should we, for petty political
reasons, leave this man in the hour of his trial,
when he has only done his duty? Far be it
from me to praise him, or to represent him as
a hero, simply because he has acted as a good
man! And from you, gentlemen, I ask noth¬
ing more than that yeu prove yourselves wor¬
thy of this modest title. Annul the actions of
today’s meeting, and ask Professor Bernhardi
to again accept the position which cannot be
filled by a worthier representative. Call him
back, gentlemen; I implore you gentlemen,
call him back.
Ebenwald: Permit me to ask Professor
Pflugfelder if he has finished his tirade. If
so, we will proceed with the business of the
meeting.
Pflugfelder (starting to leave): Good-byel
Loewenstein: You are insane!
(Exit Cyprian and Loewenstein. As Pflug¬
felder opens the door, Hochroitzpointner en¬
ters.)
Pflugfelder: Ahl this happens opportune¬
Doctor Hochroitzpointner, please come in;
walk right in. Fine company. Have a good
(Exit Pflugfelder.)
Ebenwald: Close the door. Call the meet¬
ing to order, gentlemen.
CURTAIN.