box 38/4
2. Cuttings
Schlager, a smart young milliner, merry, light-hearted and
good-natured, soon to be followed by-Christine. There follows
a delightful hour, Theodor and Mizi doing their best to cheer
up Fritz and Christine. For Christine is sad; she is deepli
in love with Fritz, and therefore feels that his love of her is
not what she wishes it to be; he dees not come to sce her as
often as she should wish; moreover, she has seen him at the
Opera the other day in companv of a lady to whom he was
paying marked attentions, and her jealousy is roused. Vet
so irresistible is the merry mood ofthe others that both Fritz
and Christine cannot help joining in. After supper, while
music and dancing are going on, the general merriment is
suddenly interrupted by a bell. Fritz asks the girls and his
friend to wait in the adjoining room, while he himself goes to
open the door to the husband of his mit ress. Not many
words are exchanged; the wronged husbar! returns the
letters to his wife and brings the challenge to a duel. Now
all is lost. When the visitor has left Fritz calls in Theodor
and explains to him in a few hurried words who his visitor
was; the duel is to take place in two days. Theodor is the
self-same night to go and find out another friend who is to
act as second. Theodor tries to make light of the affair, but
Fritz knows that in two days he will be a dead man. Then
the girls are called in; of course they are kept in ignorance
asto what has occurred, and the happy evening is continued
until the time has come to leave.
Christine's room. Christine, who is on the point
ACT II. of going out, is detained by Catherine Binder a,
neighbouring hosier’s wife, who comes to ask her to go out
with them in the evening, but the girl refuses, for she knows
quite well that Catherine’s cousin will be of the party, and
the young man being very much in love with her Christine
does not wish to encourage his advances. Their conver¬
sation is interrupted by old Weiring; his kindly face is
beaming on his daughter while he hands her a spray of lilac and
urges her to go out into the wonderful spring air. Christine
leaves, glad to be able to get off. Her father’s eyes follon¬
her tenderly; though his child has not breathed a word to him
he knows her secret and gladly allows her to live her dream
of love. Andto Mrs. Binder’s spiteful remark whether it is
wiseto let a pretty young girlgo her own ways, unguarded, he
simply answers by describing to her his late sister, whom he
had carefully guarded from all temptation: "1 still see her
before me—how often she used to sit opposite me in the
evening—in this room, the lamp between her and me, and she
looking at me with her quiet smile, a smile so resigned as
though she wishedtothank me for something, and 1—I would
tain have thrown myself at her feettoask her to forgive me for
having shielded her so well from all temptation—and all happi¬
ness. Their conversation is interrupted by Mizi, who comes to
tetch Christine, and a fewminutes later Christine herself enters,
looking very tired and depressed. She reassures her anxious
father by saying that it is nothing but a headache, whereupon
he leaves to attend to his orchestral duties at the Opera. Left
alone with Mizi, Christine confides to her that she had gone
out to meet Fritz, but he had not come. While Mizi is trying
to comfort her and convert her to her own opinion on men,
Fritz enters. Christine is delighted, and Mizi leaves the two
alone. Itis the first time that Fritz has ever entered Christine’s
room; everything here surrounds him with an air of peace
and love. He feels so happy and at home in her simple abode,
and nearer and nearer does he feel himself drawn towards
this gentle young heart. But it is not to be: his dream of
love and life is over. To-morrow will find him a corpse. He
gently tells Christine that he will have to leave town for a
short time to go and see his parents. The girl’s anxious
forebodings he tries to calm. Then the hour of parting
strikes. Theodor comes to fetch Fritz and the lovers part.
Christine is in a fearful state of excitement. Three
ACT III. days have passed and she has not had a word
from Fritz, nor have they seen Theodor since. She entreats
Mizi to go and see if Theodor is back and try to get news
about Fritz. Mizi promises to do it and leaves. Shortly aster
Weiring enters. He looks at his child: she does not know
it yet. And gently and tenderly he tries to prepare the poor
heart for the terrible blow that is coming. Christine, alarmed
beyond endurance, tries to rush out to find out what it all
means, when Mizi and Theodor enter. Their faces tellthe
poor girlthe whole, sad truth. Fritz is dend, killed in a duel
for another woman! Her love is dend and gone and she had
not known it! She entreats Theodorto take her to him to
let her have a last look at his face. It is too late, he was
buried this very morning! Buried, and she had not been told!
In wild despair she tears herself away from her father and
rushes out; Theodor and Mizi rush after her. Butthe heart¬
broken father feels they will be too late and he falls down
sobbing:" She won't come back! She won't come back!“
S
4
2. Cuttings
Schlager, a smart young milliner, merry, light-hearted and
good-natured, soon to be followed by-Christine. There follows
a delightful hour, Theodor and Mizi doing their best to cheer
up Fritz and Christine. For Christine is sad; she is deepli
in love with Fritz, and therefore feels that his love of her is
not what she wishes it to be; he dees not come to sce her as
often as she should wish; moreover, she has seen him at the
Opera the other day in companv of a lady to whom he was
paying marked attentions, and her jealousy is roused. Vet
so irresistible is the merry mood ofthe others that both Fritz
and Christine cannot help joining in. After supper, while
music and dancing are going on, the general merriment is
suddenly interrupted by a bell. Fritz asks the girls and his
friend to wait in the adjoining room, while he himself goes to
open the door to the husband of his mit ress. Not many
words are exchanged; the wronged husbar! returns the
letters to his wife and brings the challenge to a duel. Now
all is lost. When the visitor has left Fritz calls in Theodor
and explains to him in a few hurried words who his visitor
was; the duel is to take place in two days. Theodor is the
self-same night to go and find out another friend who is to
act as second. Theodor tries to make light of the affair, but
Fritz knows that in two days he will be a dead man. Then
the girls are called in; of course they are kept in ignorance
asto what has occurred, and the happy evening is continued
until the time has come to leave.
Christine's room. Christine, who is on the point
ACT II. of going out, is detained by Catherine Binder a,
neighbouring hosier’s wife, who comes to ask her to go out
with them in the evening, but the girl refuses, for she knows
quite well that Catherine’s cousin will be of the party, and
the young man being very much in love with her Christine
does not wish to encourage his advances. Their conver¬
sation is interrupted by old Weiring; his kindly face is
beaming on his daughter while he hands her a spray of lilac and
urges her to go out into the wonderful spring air. Christine
leaves, glad to be able to get off. Her father’s eyes follon¬
her tenderly; though his child has not breathed a word to him
he knows her secret and gladly allows her to live her dream
of love. Andto Mrs. Binder’s spiteful remark whether it is
wiseto let a pretty young girlgo her own ways, unguarded, he
simply answers by describing to her his late sister, whom he
had carefully guarded from all temptation: "1 still see her
before me—how often she used to sit opposite me in the
evening—in this room, the lamp between her and me, and she
looking at me with her quiet smile, a smile so resigned as
though she wishedtothank me for something, and 1—I would
tain have thrown myself at her feettoask her to forgive me for
having shielded her so well from all temptation—and all happi¬
ness. Their conversation is interrupted by Mizi, who comes to
tetch Christine, and a fewminutes later Christine herself enters,
looking very tired and depressed. She reassures her anxious
father by saying that it is nothing but a headache, whereupon
he leaves to attend to his orchestral duties at the Opera. Left
alone with Mizi, Christine confides to her that she had gone
out to meet Fritz, but he had not come. While Mizi is trying
to comfort her and convert her to her own opinion on men,
Fritz enters. Christine is delighted, and Mizi leaves the two
alone. Itis the first time that Fritz has ever entered Christine’s
room; everything here surrounds him with an air of peace
and love. He feels so happy and at home in her simple abode,
and nearer and nearer does he feel himself drawn towards
this gentle young heart. But it is not to be: his dream of
love and life is over. To-morrow will find him a corpse. He
gently tells Christine that he will have to leave town for a
short time to go and see his parents. The girl’s anxious
forebodings he tries to calm. Then the hour of parting
strikes. Theodor comes to fetch Fritz and the lovers part.
Christine is in a fearful state of excitement. Three
ACT III. days have passed and she has not had a word
from Fritz, nor have they seen Theodor since. She entreats
Mizi to go and see if Theodor is back and try to get news
about Fritz. Mizi promises to do it and leaves. Shortly aster
Weiring enters. He looks at his child: she does not know
it yet. And gently and tenderly he tries to prepare the poor
heart for the terrible blow that is coming. Christine, alarmed
beyond endurance, tries to rush out to find out what it all
means, when Mizi and Theodor enter. Their faces tellthe
poor girlthe whole, sad truth. Fritz is dend, killed in a duel
for another woman! Her love is dend and gone and she had
not known it! She entreats Theodorto take her to him to
let her have a last look at his face. It is too late, he was
buried this very morning! Buried, and she had not been told!
In wild despair she tears herself away from her father and
rushes out; Theodor and Mizi rush after her. Butthe heart¬
broken father feels they will be too late and he falls down
sobbing:" She won't come back! She won't come back!“
S
4