_Scene: The same._
_The curtain rises on the the_ MAJOR, _the_ BURGOMASTER, OTTO, _the_
SECRETARY _and_ ISABELLE.
THE MAJOR
Mr. Burgomaster, Lieutenant Karl von Schaunberg has been murdered on
your premises, in your grounds. One of your gardeners has been arrested
near the spot where the crime was committed. We may therefore presume
him to be the culprit. In any case, I shall consider him such, until I
have proof to the contrary; and that is enough. We must make an
example; our safety demands it; and our safety outweighs all other
considerations. In war-time, the best form of justice is the promptest.
Your gardener, therefore, will be shot at seven o’clock precisely,
unless between now and then you hand over the person who, in your
opinion, is the criminal. You know the character and disposition of
your servants better than I do; and you are therefore better able to
discover the malefactor. I have it in my power to command the most
terrible reprisals. Any one else, in my place, would have ordered the
town to be pillaged and set on fire and sentenced a third or a half of
the inhabitants to death. It would have been more regular. Yielding to
the wishes of Lieutenant Otto Hilmer, I will be satisfied with a single
victim. Let me have no cause to regret my clemency and my moderation.
THE BURGOMASTER
I repeat what I said to the men who arrested him: it is quite
impossible for old Claus, my head-gardener, to have committed the
crime. He has been in my service for over forty years; and I can answer
for him as I would for myself. He is the gentlest of men, the most
patient, the most harmless. The reason why he was found in the little
wood where the Lieutenant was killed is that the wood contains a
nursery-garden where I myself sent him, this morning, to bud the
rose-trees. He had no weapons on him except his pruning-shears and his
grafting-knife. Besides, I am convinced that, of all my servants and
workmen, Claus is perhaps the only one who has never handled a gun or a
revolver in his life.
THE MAJOR
Mr. Burgomaster, you do not seem to perceive that, by exonerating your
head-gardener, you are accusing and condemning yourself. But I will not
argue with you; the enquiry is not my affair. Manage it as you please;
what I have said I have said. I need a culprit; and that culprit has to
be shot at seven o’clock. It shall be whichever of your men you choose
to name; it shall be yourself, if you give me no one else. Meanwhile,
please consider yourself under arrest in your own house. It is guarded;
and any attempt at escape will be pitilessly suppressed. I will let you
know at four o’clock the amount of the fine, over and above the
war-levy, which the town will have to pay before twelve o’clock
to-morrow morning. (_Exit._)
THE BURGOMASTER
This is sheer lunacy! To expect me to name the criminal among my
servants, when I know that it is physically impossible for any of them
to be guilty! And, if I do not hand him over before this evening, it
means delivering myself to the firing-party!... You must admit that
this Major of yours, with his “clemency” and his “moderation,” has a
very unpleasant sense of humour. I would rather deal with a brute who
runs amuck and destroys everything with fire and sword: then at least I
should know where I am.
OTTO
What would you have him do? As things are, he can hardly act
differently.
ISABELLE
Otto!
OTTO
But, after all, it’s true! You can see for yourself, we are surrounded
by enemies and traitors; we are surrounded by hatred on every side; we
live in a perpetual trap; our lives hang by a thread; and every one of
us can expect a bullet through his head at any moment. It is only
natural that we should protect ourselves, when we are treated like
this! I think the Major’s decision most reasonable, most fair, most
humane. He had the right, it was almost his duty, in fact, to put the
whole town to death; and he is contented with a single victim. Surely
you can’t ask that a crime of this sort should remain unpunished! It
would be the end of us! Besides, you will easily find the criminal; you
have only to confirm the evidence that points to him. The mere fact of
his presence in the wood implies so grave a presumption that you will
never destroy it, however hard you try. All you have to do is to leave
things alone and not interfere. Then, if the Major is wrong, the
mistake will be on his head!
THE BURGOMASTER
I can hardly believe my ears, Otto! The war has altered you completely.
You know old Claus as well as I do. You know that, of all men in my
employment, he alone most likely is absolutely incapable of an act of
this kind. If it were any one else, I might have a doubt, I might say:
“Very well, perhaps. In war-time, you can never tell.” But Claus! It’s
as much out of the question as though you suggested that the shot had
been fired by the child which Isabelle is about to bring into the
world!... “A grave presumption!” How dare you say that? You know why
the poor fellow was in the nursery-garden: I sent him there myself,
when he came to take my orders at six o’clock this morning. If I don’t
do all that can be done to prove his innocence, it is as though I
myself were commanding the firing-party....
OTTO
And, if you do prove his innocence, you will be putting yourself in his
place, in front of the firing-party.
THE BURGOMASTER
Very well, I’d rather have it that way!... But surely that isn’t
possible.
OTTO
It won’t be, unless you want it yourself. We have ample time before us.
It is almost certain that the real criminal will be discovered between
now and this evening.
THE BURGOMASTER
The real criminal? Do you know where you’ve got to look for him? Among
your own men! It is simply one of your soldiers who has taken the
opportunity to rid himself of an officer who ill-treated him. You
yourself told me, before the Major came in, that Lieutenant von
Schaunberg was an insufferable lout and that he was generally hated and
loathed.
OTTO
I dare say; but it’s a far cry from that to murder. In any case, I will
myself make enquiries on that side; you, on yours, had better question
Claus; he may give us a clue that will prove useful.
THE BURGOMASTER
I don’t mind, but I don’t expect much: the poor man evidently knows
nothing, or he would have told me already. Between ourselves, do you
think the Major was speaking seriously? Does he really mean to place me
in this awful dilemma and condemn me to death if I refuse to surrender
an innocent man?
OTTO
You stand no chance whatever that way. I have never known him to go
back upon a decision which he has once taken. There is no hope of that
at all; but there is every hope elsewhere. We will all of us set to
work. You begin by questioning Claus; I’ll go and see my men.
ISABELLE
And may I go out?
OTTO
What for?
ISABELLE
You can’t expect me to sit quiet while my father’s life is at stake! I
want to go into the town, to see people, talk to them, ask them
questions, to do something!... Surely our united efforts....
OTTO
Very well, come with me, I’ll get the permit.
THE BURGOMASTER
Is Claus there?
OTTO
He’s under arrest and guarded by my men; I’ll send him to you. (_Exit
with_ ISABELLE.)
THE SECRETARY
I will leave you also, Mr. Burgomaster. I must go and see the sheriffs
and councillors. Perhaps they can take steps or interfere in some
way....
THE BURGOMASTER
Yes, my dear Pierre, go. (_Shakes hands with him._) There are bad
moments in a man’s life.... But here is Claus. Leave me with him.
(_Exit the_ SECRETARY. _Enter_ CLAUS, _with his clothes torn and
his head covered with bruises and scratches._)
CLAUS
Good-morning, Mr. Burgomaster.
THE BURGOMASTER
Well, my poor Claus? Why, what have they been doing to you? You’re
bleeding at the mouth and forehead.
CLAUS
There’s no great harm done, Mr. Burgomaster. They knocked me about a
bit, because I didn’t at once understand what they wanted with me; but
there’s no great harm done. Luckily I had on an old shirt and my
third-best trousers.
THE BURGOMASTER
You know what you’re accused of?
CLAUS
Yes, Mr. Burgomaster; I didn’t understand at first, but Mr. Otto has
explained.
THE BURGOMASTER
You and I have worked together for over forty years, my dear old Claus,
and neither of us has anything to say against the other. Do you trust
me?
CLAUS
Yes, Mr. Burgomaster.
THE BURGOMASTER
Then tell me all you know. Speak without fear. I give you my word that
whatever you say will remain between ourselves.
CLAUS
I don’t know much, Mr. Burgomaster. I was in the nursery-garden where
you told me to go this morning; I was trimming the rose-trees. They
needed it, Mr. Burgomaster, I can tell you, especially the Paul Nerons,
which had suckers as high as that. And the Malmaisons and Marshal Neils
are getting the blight, Mr. Burgomaster.
THE BURGOMASTER
The blight? I’m surprised at that; I didn’t notice any two days ago.
How much of the insecticide have we left?
CLAUS
Only a gallon or so, Mr. Burgomaster.
THE BURGOMASTER
That’s not enough. I’ll order some more to-morrow.... And then what
happened?
CLAUS
Then, Mr. Burgomaster, I heard a shot.
THE BURGOMASTER
From which side? At what distance?
CLAUS
Not very far, Mr. Burgomaster. Perhaps forty or fifty yards from where
I was working.
THE BURGOMASTER
And then?
CLAUS
I went on with my work, Mr. Burgomaster, saying to myself that a shot
more or less in war-time was no reason to make me desert my rose-trees.
Then I heard shouts; I came out of the nursery, to see what was
happening; some German soldiers saw me, fell upon me, shook me, struck
me and kept shouting, “Kaput! Kaput!” Then they dragged me to the
house; and Mr. Otto rescued me from them and locked me up in the
seed-house.
THE BURGOMASTER
After the shot was fired, did you see no one near you, no one running
away under the trees? Did you hear nothing, notice nothing?
CLAUS
As you know, Mr. Burgomaster, there’s a thick hedge all the way round
the nursery and you can’t see what happens in the woods.
THE BURGOMASTER
Now is there any one whom you suspect among the workmen and gardeners?
Is there any one who has let himself go at all and who has said things
that may put us on the right track? Once more, I give you my word that
all this will remain strictly between ourselves.
CLAUS
The young men, Mr. Burgomaster, the hot-headed ones, are gone: they
have all joined the army. There’s none left here but old men like you
and me, who know that you can’t fight against God’s will and that any
show of violence only makes things worse for us.
THE BURGOMASTER
Well, in the town or outside, don’t you know of some reckless fellow
who might have committed the murder?
CLAUS
That’s not so easy to answer, Mr. Burgomaster. But I’ve thought and
thought; and, since the young men are gone, there’s no one I can think
of.
THE BURGOMASTER
You’re a Christian, Claus, you’re a religious man; and I’ve always
respected you for it. Do you swear that what you have told me is the
exact truth and that you are keeping nothing from me?
CLAUS
I swear it, Mr. Burgomaster, as I hope to be saved.
THE BURGOMASTER
I believe you, my dear old Claus, and there was no need for you to take
that oath. But the fact is that all this is very important to me, for
my life depends upon it....
CLAUS
Your life? How do you mean, Mr. Burgomaster?
THE BURGOMASTER
I may as well tell you that, if I declare you to be innocent and if I
don’t produce the criminal, it’s I who will be shot in your place this
evening.
CLAUS
You, Mr. Burgomaster? Why? You’ve done nothing! It’s impossible; people
don’t do such things!
THE BURGOMASTER
Yes, they do, my dear Claus: it’s what they did at Aerschot, what
they’ve done everywhere and what they mean to do here as well. Otto
himself told me that nothing could prevent it.
CLAUS
It can’t be possible, Mr. Burgomaster, it would be too unjust!... We
shall find the man who did it, or the man himself when he hears, will
feel ashamed and will give himself up.... Or else you will be able to
escape: Mr. Otto will help you. Something will happen; and I am sure
that God will not permit....
THE BURGOMASTER
He permits plenty of other things, my poor Claus; He is permitting
everything to-day. The only thing that will happen is my death; and we
may think ourselves lucky if nothing worse happens. You know as I do
that escape is quite impossible. Otto might try and help me, as a last
resort; but then he would be shot in my place; and that would not be
fair either. But all hope is not lost. Otto is at this moment making
enquiries among his men; that may lead to something. You, in your turn,
must collect our labourers and speak to them. You have great influence
with them; they will listen to you. Explain the position to them; and,
if one of them knows the guilty man, you must arrange things among
yourselves. I do not ask them to betray him or to surrender him. I will
not mix myself up in it. They must settle among themselves what is the
right thing to do.
CLAUS
I will speak to them, Mr. Burgomaster; and you may be sure that, if the
man who did it is one of them, he will do his duty.
THE BURGOMASTER
Get them to come to the palm-house; say there’s some urgent work to be
done because of the damage last night. I will ask Otto to let you come
and go freely. Ah, here he is!
(_Enter_ OTTO.)
THE BURGOMASTER
Otto, I have questioned Claus; I told you that he was as innocent as
you or I; as I thought, he has no information to give me. Can you take
it upon yourself to let him move about freely, so that he may see the
gardeners and workmen and make enquiries which may lead to the
discovery of the murderer?
OTTO
By all means; I trust him fully. Come with me, Claus; I’ll give the
necessary orders. (_Exit with_ CLAUS.)
THE BURGOMASTER
(_Taking out his watch and looking at the clock._) Three o’clock.
There’s not much time to lose. (_Enter_ OTTO.) Well, what have you
learnt on your side?
OTTO
I am feeling a little less uneasy; but everything depends on you. To
begin with, Dr. van Cassel, of this town, has made a hurried
post-mortem examination. It appears that the bullet entered by the back
of the neck, passed through the brain and came out at the forehead. The
bullet has not been found. The wound shows that it was of military
calibre.
THE BURGOMASTER
That’s something, at any rate, for it proves that there is no question
of a sporting-gun.
OTTO
Yes, but it may have been a revolver-bullet. Also, I don’t believe it
is possible that one of our men committed the crime. At the time when
the shot was fired, we had only a hundred and fifty men here, in
addition to a dozen Uhlans. The soldiers stacked their rifles in the
square and never left the square. Six men, with their arms, were posted
in the little yard behind the stables and they never left the yard.
These are the men who ran up after the shot was fired. As for the
Uhlans, with the exception of two who were on sentry duty outside the
house, they were grooming their horses in the stable of the Unicorn
Hotel. I have personally examined the arms of those six men. They did
not look as if they had been used this morning at all; the barrels were
oiled and shiny, they might have just come from the gunsmith’s.
THE BURGOMASTER
It is easy enough to polish up a rifle-barrel.
OTTO
Of course; but remember that the Major will never admit that one of his
men committed the murder, unless we bring him a concrete and undeniable
proof.
THE BURGOMASTER
So there is nothing more to be hoped for in that direction?
OTTO
I fear not.
THE BURGOMASTER
That closes one more door against us. Have you seen the Major since?
OTTO
Yes; and I came away with a very hopeful feeling. But, once more,
everything will depend upon yourself.... First of all, though, here is
the proclamation which he handed me for you to sign. I may tell you, it
is already in print and will soon be posted in the town.
THE BURGOMASTER
Show me the proclamation.
OTTO
I’ll read it to you: “A dastardly attack having been committed on an
officer of the German army, if the culprit is not delivered before
seven o’clock this evening precisely, the Burgomaster of the town of
Stilemonde, being responsible, will be publicly shot at the hour
aforesaid. If any other attempt were made, the town will be looted and
set on fire; and the tenth man of all the male inhabitants will be put
to death.”
THE BURGOMASTER
He wants me to sign that, does he?
OTTO
You must. Besides, he has taken your consent for granted, for your
signature already appears at the foot of the sheet.
THE BURGOMASTER
Then it was scarcely worth while asking me to sign it.
OTTO
It was more regular and more correct.
THE BURGOMASTER
And suppose I refuse?
OTTO
You will be no better off; he will do without and will not forgive you
for refusing.
THE BURGOMASTER
What more can he do than shoot me?
OTTO
You are not the only one whom he can order to be shot.
THE BURGOMASTER
That’s true. After all, I am only signing my own death-warrant and am
wronging nobody. (_Signing the paper._) There, that’s done. But wait:
what about improving the grammar a bit?
OTTO
You had better not try. He is persuaded that it is above criticism.
THE BURGOMASTER
My poor Otto, I believe there’s nothing left for me to do but make my
will. It is made; but I should like to revise it and alter a few of the
bequests.
OTTO
Don’t say that and don’t lose courage; you still have several chances
of escape.
THE BURGOMASTER
Really? I don’t see one.
OTTO
To begin with, there’s this: the Major is so thoroughly convinced of
Claus’s guilt that he is quite capable of having him shot together with
yourself, if you persist in proclaiming his innocence. He has taken it
into his head that you are absolutely determined to save Claus from the
punishment which he deserves. In reality, he is not at all keen on
having you shot; I could see that; he bears you no ill-will....
THE BURGOMASTER
That’s very good of him....
OTTO
But he must have an example at all costs; on this point his mind is
fully made up; and I am bound to say that I agree with him. I gathered
that, if need be, he will cease to demand that you should declare Claus
guilty. It will be enough for you to keep quiet, to make no fuss and
not to protest the man’s innocence. You have only to know nothing of
what happens.
THE BURGOMASTER
Indeed? And you, what would you do in my place?
OTTO
I should not hesitate. After all, as there are two innocent men, why
should you, who are unquestionably the more innocent of the two, be the
one to suffer? We are at war; war brings strokes of good and bad luck
which have nothing in common with the chances of ordinary life. Those
upon whom ill-luck falls can only accept their fate. The others are not
responsible for an injustice in which they have no more share, in which
they take no more part than, let me say, in the injustice of a bridge
that breaks down or a factory-chimney that falls to the ground, burying
a dozen victims in its ruins.
THE BURGOMASTER
All this is much too subtle for me. I see and understand one thing
only: Claus is innocent. If I do not declare the fact aloud, by your
Major’s own decision my silence becomes tantamount to a formal
accusation and, to save my own life, I shall be sending a man whom I
know to be innocent to face the firing-party. Is there a name for that
action in German?
OTTO
You refuse to understand. Whatever happens, from your point of view an
injustice is bound to be committed. The question is who shall be the
victim, you or Claus. Why should you die rather than he?
THE BURGOMASTER
And why he rather than I?
OTTO
Because he has been appointed by fate, chance, destiny, or whatever you
like to call it. You are not responsible for his death; and there is no
reason why you should shout, like Nisis, “I, I am here, I did it! Let
me die in his stead!” This is not the time and place for theatrical
display or inopportune heroism.
THE BURGOMASTER
You are quite right; and, if, in order to save Claus, I went and said
to the Major, “You need look no further, it is I who killed the
Lieutenant,” I should, as you say, be making a display of inopportune
heroism for which I am not at all fitted. There is nothing of the hero
about me; I am just a poor, respectable man, like the other men of this
town; like the other men, I fear death; and I am as much attached to
life as any one else, indeed perhaps more, for my life hitherto has
been happier than I deserved. I should like to end it as calmly as
possible, but even so, I want to end it decently. It is all very well
for you to say that Claus, innocent as he is, must die because he has
been selected by fate and that I am not responsible for what happens to
him. But I too am selected by fate! If an unlucky chance brought him on
the scene of the murder, a similar and equally unlucky chance has
placed me at the head of this town at a moment of terrible
responsibility and danger. Our position, looked at from the point of
view of ill-luck and of the excuse which you are trying to find in
destiny, is absolutely the same. If Claus had in his hands the power
which I have in mine, if my life or death depended on his evidence
alone and if, knowing me to be innocent, he proclaimed me guilty, you
would consider him a monster or the meanest of cowards; yet he would be
doing exactly what you wish me to do. He and I are both marked down, to
the same extent, by the same fatality and we stand an equal chance; but
you are urging me to cheat and to take an unfair advantage against a
decent man who cannot protect himself and who trusts me. I should be
only too glad to be convinced by what you say, but that is out of the
question; and I cannot understand how you yourself do not understand!
OTTO
Very well, let us drop argument, since you will not listen to reason.
Let us admit that the position is the same in both cases; but, as a
choice has to be made between two lives, would you consider your own,
which is useful and necessary to all, of no more value than that of a
poor devil who has no relations, no children, no one to regret him, who
does no public service and who will soon be a burden to the community?
THE BURGOMASTER
Old Claus’s life is worth just as much as mine; and my answer would be
the same if, instead of being the respectable, God-fearing man that he
is, he were the lowest of scoundrels. It is here a question not of
weighing the value or the usefulness of a man’s life, but of knowing
whether or not I am to dishonour my own.
OTTO
You really amaze me! You scarcely seem to be the same man, the wise,
prudent person, the man of tact and discretion, who did me the honour
to entrust me with his daughter!
THE BURGOMASTER
I certainly did not realize to what sort of man I was giving her.
OTTO
I will be fairer and more reasonable than you are; and I do not abandon
the hope of saving you in spite of yourself. You have time for
reflection; you have three hours before you; and I shall see that you
are free to make your choice until the very last minute.
THE BURGOMASTER
My choice is made. The longer I reflect, the more clearly I shall see
that any decent man in my place would do as I am doing and that I
cannot do otherwise. (_Enter_ CLAUS.) But here comes Claus, bringing us
news, which perhaps will show how futile all this discussion has been.
Well, Claus, what have you heard?
CLAUS
I’ll tell you, Mr. Burgomaster. I called my gardeners into the
palm-house. They were all there except old Decoster, who is ill in bed,
and the young men who left a fortnight ago. I told them what had
happened and what was going to happen. They understood and they were
wild with indignation. I saw quite plainly that they knew nothing and
could do nothing. And I also know that, if the guilty man was among
them, they would have no need to accuse him and to hand him over. He
would have handed himself over. They all had tears in their eyes, Mr.
Burgomaster, and in their hearts something of which I won’t speak, in
Mr. Otto’s presence.
THE BURGOMASTER
I was sure of it.
CLAUS
And now, Mr. Burgomaster, may I make a suggestion? I will say this in
Mr. Otto’s presence, for there is no harm in his repeating it to the
Major.
THE BURGOMASTER
What is it, Claus?
CLAUS
It’s like this, Mr. Burgomaster; I’ve been thinking things over. I’m an
old man, I shall be sixty-three by the end of next month. I’m a
widower, Mr. Burgomaster, and I have no children. I suffer a good deal;
and my life, which is nearly finished, isn’t worth much, Mr.
Burgomaster. So I said to myself, Mr. Burgomaster, “Claus, old man,
seeing that you were found near the Lieutenant who was killed, it would
perhaps be better if you did not say that it wasn’t you who killed him.”
OTTO
Then you admit that you killed him?
CLAUS
No, Mr. Otto, I can’t admit that I killed him, because I didn’t. I have
only to say nothing next time they accuse me. Or else I will ask the
Major to have me shot instead of the Burgomaster. The Burgomaster’s
life is necessary to everybody here, especially at this time, whereas
mine is no longer of much use to anybody.
OTTO
You see? It’s exactly what I said. There’s no more ground for
hesitation. This good man understands his duty and yours better than
you do. Claus, old fellow, give me your hand.
CLAUS
(_Withdrawing his hand._) No, Mr. Otto, excuse me. I have been digging
up the ground and I should soil your white gloves.
THE BURGOMASTER
I not only want to shake both your hands, though they be covered with
earth, but I want to take you in my arms as I would a brother, my dear
old Claus. (_Clasps him in his arms._) And now let there be no more
question of all this. What you propose to do is very beautiful and,
coming from you, does not astonish me at all; but it is not
practicable. To begin with, I have no right to accept your sacrifice.
It is very fine of you to offer it, but it would be mean and hateful of
me to accept it. Besides, if I did accept it, unless you formally
declared yourself guilty, it is pretty nearly certain that the Major on
his side would refuse it. What he wants, in order to make a striking
example, is not your life, but mine, or the murderer’s.
CLAUS
I will say anything that I have to, so as to die in your place, Mr.
Burgomaster.
OTTO
(_To the_ BURGOMASTER.) In that case, the Major will accept; I’ll
answer for him. Leave it to me and look upon yourself as saved.
THE BURGOMASTER
But don’t you see that it’s the same thing as before, that it means
handing over an innocent man to execution and that, the more you try to
obscure it, the clearer my duty becomes? If I will not permit Claus to
die voluntarily in my stead while declaring himself innocent, still
less can I allow him to do so by declaring himself guilty, when I know
that he is not. That would be committing two mean actions instead of
one.
OTTO
(_Trying to drag_ CLAUS _away._) Come, Claus, we will save him in spite
of himself. Come along to the Major.
THE BURGOMASTER
Claus, stay here. You love me, my dear old Claus: you have just given
me the most beautiful and positive proof that one man can give to
another. I will ask you for yet another proof, perhaps even more
trying; it shall be the last. Promise me that, whatever happens, you
will not go to the Major.
CLAUS
Mr. Burgomaster, Mr. Burgomaster, you know what is right better than I
do.... (_Sobbing._) But I meant it with all my heart, Mr. Burgomaster.
THE BURGOMASTER
(_Embracing him._) Good-bye, my dear Claus.
CLAUS
Good-bye, Mr. Burgomaster.
OTTO
I can’t understand a syllable of all this. It’s simply a mad craving
for martyrdom.
THE BURGOMASTER
No, my dear fellow, it’s only the way decent folk behave in this
country. (_A knock at the door._) Come in! (_Enter the_ FOOTMAN.) What
is it?
THE FOOTMAN
Mr. Burgomaster, the Major has sent to ask you and Lieutenant Otto to
go with him to the Town-hall.
THE BURGOMASTER
Of course, I was forgetting the war-levy and the fine. We shall have a
tough discussion. I’m reckoning on you, Otto.
OTTO
I will do my best, but I can’t promise much: the Major seldom allows
any one to differ from him.
THE BURGOMASTER
What’s the time? Past four? And here was I quietly attending to private
matters, as though I were all alone in the world! It is time that we
were thinking of others.
CURTAIN
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