struction! Soon I shall be the wife of that man, or--God! No!
I do not go begging for happiness--it is misery, the deepest misery that
I beg for! You will give me my misery!--Away! Where is the letter?

[_She takes it._]

Three wells you pass on your way to him! You must not halt at any of
them, Clara--you have not yet the right to do that!

[_Exit._]

ACT III

SCENE I

_LEONARD'S Room._

LEONARD (_at a table covered with documents, writing_).

That makes the sixth sheet since dinner! How good a man feels when he is
doing his duty! Now anybody that wanted to could come through the door,
even the king himself! I should rise, but I should not feel embarrassed!
I make just one exception--that is the old joiner! But, after all, he
cannot do much to me! Poor Clara! I am sorry for her. I cannot think of
her without uneasiness! If only it were not for that one cursed evening!
It was really more jealousy than love that made me so frantic, and she
must have yielded to me only to silence my reproaches--for she was as
cold as death toward me! She has some bad days ahead of her! Oh, well, I
too shall suffer considerable annoyance! Let everybody bear his own
burden! Above all things I must make the affair with the little humpback
secure, so that she cannot escape me when the storm breaks out! Then I
shall have the burgomaster on my side, and shall have nothing to fear!

SCENE II

_Enter, CLARA._

CLARA.

Good evening, Leonard!

LEONARD.

Clara! [_To himself._]

This is something I did not expect!

[_Aloud._]

Did you not receive my letter? Surely--Perhaps you are coming for your
father to pay the taxes! How much is it?

[_He fumbles in a ledger._]

I really ought to have it in my head!

CLARA.

I have come to give back your letter! Read it again!

LEONARD (_reads it with great seriousness_).

It is a perfectly sensible letter! How can a man who has public money in
trust marry into a family to which [_he swallows a word_]--to which your
brother belongs?

CLARA.

Leonard!

LEONARD.

But perhaps the whole town is mistaken! Your brother is not in prison?
He never was in prison? You are not the sister of a--of your brother?

CLARA.

Leonard, I am my father's daughter! Not as the sister of an accused,
innocent man, who has been set free--for my brother is at liberty--not
as a girl who trembles before undeserved disgrace, for [_in a low
voice_] I tremble still more before you, only as