Page:Poet Lore, volume 31, 1920.djvu/532

512 lor failed to find himself a dear companion in due time, should such a youg girl—

Plavec (Interrupting).—But if the young girl without constraint—

Mrs. Rettig.—Must constraint be in words, threats, promises? May it not come from a sense of gratitude, when that suddenly flashes forth? When a physician saves the father of a poor family, the wage-earner; when he cares for them in illness and otherwise—

Plavec (Disturbed).—What, what, do you think that—?

Mrs. Rettig.—Friend and patriot, never in your life have you received such a fee, the blood of a young heart.

Plavec.—But she is free!

Mrs. Rettig.—She thought that she was free!

Plavec.—She said nothing of the sort to me.

Mrs. Rettig.—How could she!

Plavec.—She has been complaining to you.

Mrs. Rettig.—Not a word!

Plavec.—Madam, (with good humor.) I am not an old tom cat, stricken by love; I know that such a young girl cannot cherish the warmest of love for me. And upon my soul I really should not desire that! That is the storm, the uproar, the sweet poison of youth—but we, das heisst, I, I desire only the gentle sunbeams, desire only to be comfortably warm. And as for little Lenka, well, I think that she is considerate enough; she has already been trained by her sufferings. When she marries me she will not be badly off, nor will her family.

Mrs. Rettig.—That is, poverty will be dispelled, but at the price that I have mentioned.

Plavec.—O, madam, you take it too seriously, philosophically.

Mrs. Rettig.—Remember, doctor, what Lenka embroidered for your saint's day: "Sail on, avoid every depth and rock."

Plavec.—And that is exactly what I am doing, madam. I am avoiding the depths: why explore them? A man is happy when the boat simply sails. Even without such searching, the voyage of life is often troublesome enough: why should man, like a gnat, continually flit hither and thither? But if in such parched lands I come upon such a rosebud—

Mrs. Rettig.—Take care! It is one of those from my garden! And remember that there are limits and bounds of life; and that whoever wishes to overstep them, even for rosebuds, will wound himself or incur laughter from others.