les of wood that he paints on.

BERTHA. H'm! Tell me one thing, Ida; has monsieur ever been familiar
with you?

MAID. Oh, never! No, he is such a proper gentleman.

BERTHA. Are you sure?

MAID [Positive]. Does madame think that I am such a--

BERTHA.--What time is it now?

MAID. It must be along toward twelve.

BERTHA. Very well. Then you may go to bed.

MAID. Won't you be afraid to be alone with all these skeletons?

BERTHA. I, afraid?--Hush, some one is coming through the gate--so, good
night to you.

MAID. Good night, Madame. Sleep well.

[Goes out. Bertha alone; she puts the work away; throws herself on the
couch, arranges lace on her gown, then she jumps up, turns down the
lamp to half-light, then returns to couch and pretends to sleep. A pause
before Axel enters.]

AXEL. Is any one here? Are you here, Bertha? [Bertha is silent. Axel
goes to her.] Are you asleep?

BERTHA. [Softly.] Ah, is it you, my friend? Good evening! I was lying
here and fell asleep, and I had such a bad dream.

AXEL. Now you are lying, for I saw you thro' the window from the garden
when you took this pose. [Bertha jumps up.]

AXEL [Quietly]. And we don't want any seductive scenes in nightgowns,
nor any melodramas. Be calm and listen to what I am going to tell you.
[He sits down in the middle of the room.]

BERTHA. What have you got to tell me?

AXEL. A whole lot of things; but I shall begin with the ending. We must
dissolve this concubinage.

BERTHA. What? [Throwing herself on the couch.] Oh, my God, what am I not
made to live through!

AXEL. No hysteria, or I will empty the water bottle on your laces!

BERTHA. This is your revenge because I defeated you in an open
competition!

AXEL. That has no connection with this matter.

BERTHA. You have never loved me!

AXEL. Yes, I have loved you; that was my only motive for marrying you.
But why did you marry me? Because you were hard up, and because you had
green sickness!

BERTHA. It's fortunate that no one can hear us.

AXEL. It would be no misfortune if any one did hear us. I've treated
you like a comrade, with unlimited trust, and I've even made small
sacrifices that you know about.--Has the locksmith been here yet?

BERTHA. No, he didn't come.

AXEL. It doesn't matter--I have looked over your accounts.

BERTHA. So, you've been spying in my book, have you?

AXEL. The household account-book is common property. You have entered
false expenses and neglected to p