JUHASZ—I brought you here ... and now I don’t know what to do.... I ...
I’ll talk to him ... and forbid him to——
PAULA—Please, Mr. Juhasz, don’t do anything of the kind!
JUHASZ—He wants to get rid of me anyhow. I know I’m in his way ...
because he wants you.... But don’t worry, my child, I shan’t let him
_drive_ me away. [_The COUNT enters at left._]
COUNT—Absolutely demoralized! All of them.
JUHASZ—The swine....
COUNT—Don’t bother me now with your swine. Come back later. [_JUHASZ
exits at left._]
COUNT—It gets worse all the time. He used to give us at least a few
minutes together, but now he keeps popping in like a—— [_Stops, enraged,
for a word._]
PAULA—He heard what you said to me before.
COUNT—Did he say anything to you?
PAULA—He promised to ... watch you closer than ever ... from now on.
COUNT—That’s an insult to you! Why don’t you forbid it?
PAULA—I thought of doing it, but when he looks at you ... with those
soft, kind eyes of his——
COUNT—I know. He has eyes like a devoted horse. I can’t endure them
either.... But now I’ve had enough. The thing must end to-day. If he
comes in once more, you must go out, my dear, and leave me alone with him.
PAULA—He won’t come in again. You made it plain to him that he mustn’t.
COUNT—You don’t know him. He’ll be in the moment he hears what he is
listening for. I’m perfectly certain he’s listening. [_Goes toward the
door at left._] Watch. [_Loudly._] Paula, I wonder if you know how sweet,
how charming, how utterly adorable you are. [_Approaches the door as he
speaks._] [_JUHASZ enters quickly, determinedly at left. When he sees
the COUNT standing there, smiling sarcastically, he stops short in the
doorway, abashed._]
JUHASZ—May I talk to you about the swine now?
COUNT—Come in. [_To PAULA, sternly._] Make a copy of what I have
dictated, Miss Paula.