Page:Poet Lore, volume 27, 1916.djvu/51

 (With conscious intention) How easily Mr. Dušek could have compromised himself here with me! (Takes his arm.) Come, Miss Bukovský will make up our loss to us. (They depart.)

Mrs. Fabian (Goes slowly forward into the room).—A really charming lad is this painter. And how talented, so they tell me! A regular genius!

Mrs. Daneš (Cuttingly).—It’s a pity his genius is a little entangled just now.

Mrs. Fabian.—So he’s really in love? (Pointing back of the scenes.)

( nodding significantly.)

Mrs. Fabian.—Mon Dieu!—An artist—how could it be otherwise? (Longingly gazing after the departing pair.) Fortunate ones!

Mrs. Daneš.—But I don’t understand Helen!

Mrs. Fabian (Surprised).—Why! Such a divine artist!

Mrs. Daneš.—I don’t know whether that would suffice for Helen after marriage.

Mrs. Fabian.—How you talk, Mrs. Daneš!

Mrs. Daneš.—Would you give your Juliana to him? Or Joanna?

Mrs. Fabian.—But dear me, our girls needn’t even think of marriage yet!

Mrs. Daneš.—And later you’d change your mind about it! (Seating herself.) Heavens, Mrs. Fabian, believe me—I often wonder at Mrs. Heller for caring so much for these so called artistic people.

Mrs. Fabian (Seating herself).—I don’t quite comprehend you, Mrs. Daneš

Mrs. Daneš.—They may be good people, I'm not saying anything about that—but—please tell me the sense of getting them accustomed to our sort of life? They can’t live up to it, my husband also says it—they just can’t live up to it! They haven’t the education or the income. You know what the result will be? Discontentedness, my dear Mrs. Fabian, discontentedness and debts. (From behind the scenes is heard a girl’s voice in song accompanied by a piano.)

Mrs. Fabian.—We will miss that delightful Miss Bukovský!

Mrs. Daneš (Undisturbedly seizes her hand).—Debts, Mrs. Fabian, debts! and the outcome of it all? Oh, there’ll be a public collection, they’ll come to you with a subscription sheet—and—what are you going to say to them?