hing cruel has been said of me.

The King. I shall certainly set to work and abuse you at once, if it
has such delightful results! I will begin with a selection from to-day's
papers: "You Aspasia! You Messalina! You Pompadour! You Phylloxera, that
are eating into our whole moral vine-crop! You blue-eyed curse of the
country, that are causing panics in the money-market, overthrowing
ministries, and upsetting all calculations in the elections! You
mischievous hobgoblin, who are pouring gall into the printers' ink and
poison into the people's coffee, filling all the old ladies' heads with
buzzing flies, and the King's Majesty with a million lover's follies!"
Do you know that, besides all the harm you are doing to-day, you are
hastening a revolution by ten years? You are! And no one can be sure
whether you haven't been pursuing the same wicked courses for the last
hundred years or more! All our royal and noble ancestors are turning in
their graves because of you! And if our deceased queens have any noses
left--

Clara (interrupting him). The Baroness! (They get up. The BARONESS comes
in wearing a cloak over her court dress and carrying CLARA'S cloak over
her arm.)

Baroness. I must take the liberty of disturbing you. Time is up!

The King. We have been killing it by talking nonsense.

Baroness. And that has put you in a good humour?

The King (taking his hat). In the best of humours! Here, my darling
(fastens CLARA'S cloak about her shoulders), here is the last scandalous
bit of concealment for you! When we take it off again, you shall stand
radiant in the light of your own truth. Come! (Gives her his arm, and
they go trippingly up to the back of the room. Suddenly the phantom of
an emaciated figure leaning on crutches appears in their path, staring
at them. His hair and beard are in wild disorder, and blood is pouring
from his mouth. CLARA gives a terrified scream.)

The King. In Heaven's name, what is it?

Clara. My father!

The King. Where? (To the BARONESS.) Go and see! (The BARONESS opens the
doors at the back and looks out).

Baroness. I can see no one.

The King. Look down the corridor!

Baroness. No--no one there, either! (CLARA has sunk lifelessly into the
KING'S arms. After one or two spasmodic twitchings of her hands, her
arms slip away from him and her head falls back.)

The King. Help, help!

The Baroness (rushing to him with a shriek). Clara!

Curtain.

ACT IV

(SCENE.--A room in G