JUHASZ—That is ... more serious. [_Takes an aimless pace or two, sits
down, puts his head in his hands._] When you said that ... I felt so ...
lonely ... all of a sudden.
[_A delivery boy enters at the door. He carries three big packages and a
rocking-horse._]
DELIVERY BOY—Mr. Peter Juhasz?
JUHASZ—[_Goes to him._] Yes, yes. From the toy store?... All right, my
son, just put them down. [_Gives the boy a tip; calls._] Adolf!
DELIVERY BOY—Thank you, sir. Good night. [_The boy exits at the door.
ADOLF enters through the archway._]
JUHASZ—For your little boy’s birthday to-morrow. A horse, a steamship and
an automobile. And this is for your little girl, so that she won’t feel
slighted.
ADOLF—[_Tries to kiss his hand._] Oh, thank you ... thank you, sir!
JUHASZ—Yes, yes. Take them away.... Or, wait! Leave the steamship here
a moment. I’ll have to show you how it works.... The automobile is
quite simple, but the ship has a rather complicated mechanism.... I’ll
explain it to you before I go home. [_ADOLF puts the steamship under the
down-stage end of the counter at right, then exits through the archway
with the remaining packages. JUHASZ turns to ADELE._] Forgive me.... My
god-son, you know.
ADELE—[_Who has been weeping silently._] Peter, if you only knew how
sorry I am.
JUHASZ—I’m afraid I made it harder for you ... but I have a headache ...
and everything came at once.... I’m sorry ... but you _were_ a bit cruel.
ADELE—Kill me, Peter.
JUHASZ—But you were honest with me ... you couldn’t be anything else. And
yet I think it would have been less painful to me ... if you had simply
betrayed me.
ADELE—I can’t betray you, Peter. I respect you too much. [_Weeping._]
Don’t ask me to do that.
JUHASZ—You want to become another man’s wife. How can I prevent you? Go,
if you must. He is surely a better man than——
ADELE—No, no!
JUHASZ—But you are leaving me for him.