l as it is, the part of _Mrs. X._ would befit a "star," but an
actress of genius and discernment might prefer the dumb part of
_Miss Y_. One thing is certain: that the latter character has few
equals in its demand on the performer's tact and skill and
imagination. This wordless opponent of _Mrs. X._ is another of
those vampire characters which Strindberg was so fond of drawing,
and it is on her the limelight is directed with merciless
persistency.

"The Stronger" was first published in 1890, as part of the
collection of miscellaneous writings which their author named
"Things Printed and Unprinted." The present English version was
made by me some years ago--in the summer of 1906--when I first
began to plan a Strindberg edition for this country. At that time
it appeared in the literary supplement of the _New York Evening
Post_.

THE STRONGER
A SCENE
1890

PERSONS

MRS. X., an actress, married.
MISS Y., an actress, unmarried.

THE STRONGER

SCENE

[A corner of a ladies' restaurant; two small tables of cast-iron,
a sofa covered with red plush, and a few chairs.]

[MRS. X. enters dressed in hat and winter coat, and carrying a
pretty Japanese basket on her arm.]

[MISS Y. has in front of her a partly emptied bottle of beer; she is
reading an illustrated weekly, and every now and then she exchanges
it for a new one.]

MRS. X. Well, how do, Millie! Here you are sitting on Christmas Eve
as lonely as a poor bachelor.

[MISS Y. looks up from the paper for a moment, nods, and resumes
her reading.]

MRS. X. Really, I feel sorry to find you like this--alone--alone in
a restaurant, and on Christmas Eve of all times. It makes me as sad
as when I saw a wedding party at Paris once in a restaurant--the
bride was reading a comic paper and the groom was playing billiards
with the witnesses. Ugh, when it begins that way, I thought, how
will it end? Think of it, playing billiards on his wedding day!
Yes, and you're going to say that she was reading a comic paper--
that's a different case, my dear.

[A WAITRESS brings a cup of chocolate, places it before MRS. X.,
and disappears again.]

MRS. X. [Sips a few spoonfuls; opens the basket and displays a
number of Christmas presents] See what I've bought for my tots.
[Picks up a doll] What do you think of this? Lisa is to have it.
She can roll her eyes and twist her head, do you see? Fine, is it
not? And here's a cork pistol for Carl. [Loads the pistol and pops
it at