25
S
PPe e er den eee e e ee e
60 PROFESSOR BERNHARDI: A PLAY
eyes. And I never felt that stronger than in
that remarkable moment when the suspicions,
the dismay, the anger of Parliament, came
rushing up to me, as it were, like an angry
wave. And when I succeeded in quieting the
storm and pacifying the waves, and became
master of the situation by a lucky turn—
Bernhardi: Turn! that’s right.
Flint: My dear Bernhardi, I had the al¬
ternative of plunging down into the abyss with
you, to commit a sort of a crime against my
mission in life, or to surrender a man already
lost.
(Bernhardi looks at him and then applauds.)
(Enter Winkler.)
Winkler: I beg your pardon, Your Excel¬
lency, for taking the liberty, but I have just
now received a very important message from
the Minister of Justice, and as it concerns the
affair of Professor Bernhardi—
Bernhardi: My affair?
Winkler: Yes, just imagine! Sister Lud¬
milla, the chief witness in your case, has made
an affidavit wherein she admits giving false
testimony at the trial of your case.
Bernhardi: She, herself?
Winkler: Why, yes. And of course you
can demand a revision at once.
Bernhardi: A revision? Never! I do not
want to go through that farce again. What
good would it do me to have her and her ac¬
complice locked up? I want my peace. This
matter is closed for me.
Flint: Bernhardi, it will be necessary to
box 31/8
PROFESSOR BERNHARDI: A PLAY 61
take steps now; and it is perhaps good that
one’s ammunition has been saved.
Bernhardi: What is that?
Flint: A letter which will do service in this
impending battle.
(Enter servant.)
Servant: Counselor Berman of the Depart¬
ment of Justice, wishes to speak to his Ex¬
cellency.
Flint: Bernhardi, please wait for me. Please,
dear Counselor, keep him for half an hour.
(Exit Flint.)
Winkler: Prince Constantin has already
called you, today. That looks like him.
Bernhardi: I shall ask him to dispense with
my medical advice in the future. I shall get
away from here; from all that is likely to
develop now.
Winkler: In course of time, you'll be proud
of it.
Bernhardi: Proud? You have no idea how
ridiculous it all seems to me. This morning
44
the reception at the prison, the article in The
Latest News''! All my plans have vanished.
Winkler: Plans? You mean your book?
Bernhardi: When I started to write that, my
wrath meited. From the accusations against
Flint and consorts, I drifted into Austrian
politics; then into philosophy and ethical re¬
sponsibility, revelation and freedom of the
vill.
Winkler: That is always the case, if you
go to the root of the thing. It is better to
on the brakes sooner, for some fine day
put
S
PPe e er den eee e e ee e
60 PROFESSOR BERNHARDI: A PLAY
eyes. And I never felt that stronger than in
that remarkable moment when the suspicions,
the dismay, the anger of Parliament, came
rushing up to me, as it were, like an angry
wave. And when I succeeded in quieting the
storm and pacifying the waves, and became
master of the situation by a lucky turn—
Bernhardi: Turn! that’s right.
Flint: My dear Bernhardi, I had the al¬
ternative of plunging down into the abyss with
you, to commit a sort of a crime against my
mission in life, or to surrender a man already
lost.
(Bernhardi looks at him and then applauds.)
(Enter Winkler.)
Winkler: I beg your pardon, Your Excel¬
lency, for taking the liberty, but I have just
now received a very important message from
the Minister of Justice, and as it concerns the
affair of Professor Bernhardi—
Bernhardi: My affair?
Winkler: Yes, just imagine! Sister Lud¬
milla, the chief witness in your case, has made
an affidavit wherein she admits giving false
testimony at the trial of your case.
Bernhardi: She, herself?
Winkler: Why, yes. And of course you
can demand a revision at once.
Bernhardi: A revision? Never! I do not
want to go through that farce again. What
good would it do me to have her and her ac¬
complice locked up? I want my peace. This
matter is closed for me.
Flint: Bernhardi, it will be necessary to
box 31/8
PROFESSOR BERNHARDI: A PLAY 61
take steps now; and it is perhaps good that
one’s ammunition has been saved.
Bernhardi: What is that?
Flint: A letter which will do service in this
impending battle.
(Enter servant.)
Servant: Counselor Berman of the Depart¬
ment of Justice, wishes to speak to his Ex¬
cellency.
Flint: Bernhardi, please wait for me. Please,
dear Counselor, keep him for half an hour.
(Exit Flint.)
Winkler: Prince Constantin has already
called you, today. That looks like him.
Bernhardi: I shall ask him to dispense with
my medical advice in the future. I shall get
away from here; from all that is likely to
develop now.
Winkler: In course of time, you'll be proud
of it.
Bernhardi: Proud? You have no idea how
ridiculous it all seems to me. This morning
44
the reception at the prison, the article in The
Latest News''! All my plans have vanished.
Winkler: Plans? You mean your book?
Bernhardi: When I started to write that, my
wrath meited. From the accusations against
Flint and consorts, I drifted into Austrian
politics; then into philosophy and ethical re¬
sponsibility, revelation and freedom of the
vill.
Winkler: That is always the case, if you
go to the root of the thing. It is better to
on the brakes sooner, for some fine day
put