AGI—Because I am so easily hurt myself.
ALBERT—By women?
AGI—By any intense emotion. I am supersensitive, I suppose. What another
man would only laugh at—might do me irreparable injury.
ALBERT—But that is really unnecessary.
AGI—I know.
BEATRICE—And not very probable.
ALBERT—But I daresay you have had your experience with women.
AGI—No, your highness. Only with books. [_ALFRED serves from a platter.
Only HYACINTH, ALBERT and WUNDERLICH help themselves._]
ALBERT—Oh, come now!
AGI—It is true, your highness. My first taste of the world was here. I
came here straight from my books. And it would be a pity ... if anything
happened ... to drive me back to them again.
HYACINTH—It _would_ be a pity!
AGI—Please, don’t misunderstand me. It is not myself I am thinking about
... but—I have a mother ... and you see ... I am the only son ... all she
has. And I have a sister, too.... She isn’t pretty, poor girl, but I have
educated her ... done all I could for her. I’d like to see her happily
married ... and then—— [_Looks about him._] I beg your pardon, I didn’t
realize I was the only one speaking.
ALEXANDRA—Go on. Go on.... I am very much interested in what you are
saying.
AGI—And there is also my old teacher, Dr. Waldbrott.
HYACINTH—Of the University of Heidelberg?
AGI—Yes, father, he lectures there.
ALBERT—On what subject?
AGI—Astral Chemistry.
ALBERT—[_To HYACINTH._] Tell me what that is.
HYACINTH—The chemistry of the heavenly bodies.
ALBERT—Oh!
HYACINTH—I know the old gentleman. An admirable man and an eminent
scholar.
AGI—Yes, isn’t he? He ... honors me with his confidence.
ALBERT—Chemistry of the heavenly bodies?
AGI—Yes.