Page:Poet Lore, volume 21, 1910.djvu/476

 awaiting you in the hall there,—is that also in vain?

Petr.—You are terrible!

Maya.—I am. Because, look, I do not want to be otherwise. (After a while.) Well.

Petr (quietly).—You know best what I will have to do.

Maya (with a flash of joy, which she suppresses quickly).—And what will happen?

Petr (overcome).—I will return.

Maya.—Surely?

Petr.—Surely.

Votava (during the last phrases he has been unnoticed standing on the threshold. Now, when both Petr and Maya are silent for a while, he says, looking at his watch).—Well, Miss Zemanova, we must be going or we shall miss our train.

Maya.—All right, all right, doctor—we will go.

Votava (to ).—And how about you, my friend?

Maya.—We are agreed, are we not, Mr. Petr?

Petr (from his depths).—Yes.

Votava (with satisfaction).—Really?

Maya (with the last strength of her bravado).—And you doubted it, doctor? Go, Mr. Petr, go and tell your mother. She surely is waiting.

Petr (suddenly giving her his hand).—Thank you.

Maya (hardly able to overcome herself).—And I thank you also.

Petr (goes into the house).

Maya (sinks on the bench where before Petr was sitting.)

(Pause.)

Votava.—So, really, he will stay?

Maya (with a sigh).—He will.

Votava.—One really should not wonder. He could not have done otherwise.

Maya (looks at him).—And do you know, doctor, that this result was bought with blood?

Votava (calmly).—Ach, well, that’ll pass.

Maya (smiling sorrowfully).—And do you know that I paid