Scene Third
Thea, Wendla and Martha come along the street arm in arm.
Martha.
How the water gets into one’s shoes!
Wendla.
How the wind blows against one’s cheeks!
Thea.
How one’s heart thumps!
Wendla.
Let’s go out there to the bridge. Ilse says the stream is full of bushes and trees. The boys have built a raft. Melchi Gabor was almost drowned yesterday.
Thea.
Oh, he can swim!
Martha.
I should think so, child!
Wendla.
If he hadn’t been able to swim he would have been drowned!
Thea.
Your hair is coming down, Martha, your hair is coming down.
Martha.
Pooh!——Let it come down! It bothers me day and night. I may not wear short hair like you; I may not wear my hair down my back like Wendla; I may not wear bangs, and I must always do my hair up at home——all on account of my aunt!
Wendla.
I’ll bring the scissors with me to-morrow to devotions. While you are saying, “Blessed are they who do not stray,” I will clip it off.
Martha.
For heaven’s sake, Wendla! Papa would beat me black and blue, and Mamma would lock me up in the coal hole for three nights.
Wendla.
What does he beat you with, Martha?
Martha.
It often seems to me as if they would miss something if they didn’t have an ill-conditioned brat like me.
Thea.
Why, girl!
Martha.
Are you ever allowed to put a blue ribbon through the top of your chemise?
Thea.
A pink ribbon! Mamma thinks a pink ribbon goes well with my big dark eyes.
Martha.
Blue suits me to a T!——Mamma pulled me out of bed by the hair. I fell with my hands out so on the floor.——Mamma prayed night after night with us——
Wendla.
In your place I should have run away long ago.
Martha.
There you have it! The reason I am going away!——There you have it!——They will soon see——oh, they will soon see! At least I shall never be able to reproach my mother——
Thea.
H’m, h’m.——
Martha.
Can you imagine, Thea, what Mamma meant by it?
Thea.
I can’t——can you, Wendla?
Wendla.
I should simply have asked her.
Martha.
I lay on the floor and shrieked and howled. Then Papa came in. Rip——he tore off my chemise. Out of the door I went. There you have it!——I only wanted to get out in the street that way——
Wendla.
But that is not so, Martha.
Martha.
I froze. I was locked up. I had to sleep all night in a sack.
Thea.
Never in my life could I sleep in a sack!
Wendla.
I only wish I could sleep once for you in your sack.
Martha.
If only one weren’t beaten!
Thea.
But one would suffocate in it!
Martha.
Your head is left outside. It’s tied under your chin.
Thea.
And then they beat you?
Martha.
No. Only when there is special occasion.
Wendla.
What do they beat you with, Martha?
Martha.
Oh, with anything that is handy.——Does your mother think it’s naughty to eat a piece of bread in bed?
Wendla.
No! no!
Martha.
I believe they enjoy it——even if they don’t say so. If I ever have children I will let them grow up like the weeds in our flower garden. Nobody worries about them and they grow so high and thick——while the roses in the beds grow poorer and poorer every summer.
Thea.
If I have children I shall dress them all in pink. Pink hats, pink dresses, pink shoes. Only the stockings——the stockings shall be black as night! When I go for a walk they shall march in front of me.——And you, Wendla?
Wendla.
How do you know that you will have any?
Thea.
Why shouldn’t we have any?
Martha.
Well, Aunt Euphemia hasn’t any.
Thea.
You goose, that’s because she isn’t married.
Wendla.
Aunt Bauer was married three times and she didn’t have a single one.
Martha.
If you have any, Wendla, which would you rather have, boys or girls?
Wendla.
Boys! boys!
Thea.
I, too, boys!
Martha.
So would I. Better twenty boys than three girls.
Thea.
Girls are tiresome.
Martha.
If I weren’t a girl already I certainly wouldn’t want to be one.
Wendla.
That’s a matter of taste, I believe, Martha. I rejoice every day that I am a girl. Believe me, I wouldn’t change places with a king’s son.——That’s the reason why I only want boys!
Thea.
But that’s crazy, pure craziness, Wendla!
Wendla.
But it must be a thousand times more exciting to be loved by a man than by a girl!
Thea.
But you don’t want to assert that Forest Inspector Pfälle loves Melitta more than she does him.
Wendla.
That I do, Thea. Pfälle is proud. Pfälle is proud because he is a forest inspector—for Pfälle has nothing.——Melitta is happy because she gets ten thousand times more than she is.
Martha.
Aren’t you proud of yourself, Wendla?
Wendla.
That would be silly.
Martha.
In your place I should be proud of my appearance.
Thea.
Only look how she steps out——how free her glance is—how she holds herself, Martha. Isn’t that pride?
Wendla.
Why not? I am so happy to be a girl; if I weren’t a girl I should break down the next time——
(Melchior passes and greets them.)
Thea.
He has a wonderful head.
Martha.
He makes me think of the young Alexander going to school to Aristotle.
Thea.
Oh dear, Greek history!——I only know how Socrates lay in his barrel when Alexander sold him the ass’ shadow.
Wendla.
He stands third in his class.
Thea.
Professor Knochenbruch says he can be first if he wants.
Martha.
He has a beautiful brow, but his friend has a soulful look.
Thea.
Moritz Stiefel?——He’s a stupid!
Martha.
I’ve always gotten along well with him.
Thea.
He disgraces anybody who is with him. At Rilow’s party he offered me some bon-bons. Only think, Wendla, they were soft and warm. Isn’t that——? He said he had kept them too long in his trouser’s pocket.
Wendla.
Only think, Melchi Gabor told me once that he didn’t believe anything——not in God, not in a hereafter——in anything more in this world.