--I have been listening to George. Horrible! Dreadful! George
made a mistake by coming into the world two hundred years too late.
Bayards are not appreciated nowadays.

Czeska.--Providence is above all.

Drahomir.--I believe it also.

Doctor.--Were I a mathematician, without contradicting you I would say
that, as in many cases we do not know what X equals, we must take care
of ourselves.

Prince.--What are you saying?

Stella.--Doctor, pray do not talk so sceptically, or there will be a
war--not with papa, but with me.

Doctor.--My scepticism is ended where your words begin, therefore I
surrender.

Stella.--How gallant--the member of parliament.

SCENE VI.

The same Servant.

Servant.--Tea is served.

George.--I must bid you good-bye.

Stella.--Why, why are you going so early to-night?

Doctor (aside).--My old schoolmate is at home here.

George.--You must excuse me. I am very happy with you, but to-night I
must be going home. I will leave Drahomir--he will replace me.

Stella.--To be angry with you would be to make you conceited. But you
must tell me why you are going.

George.--The people who have lost their homes by fire are in my house.
I must give some orders and provide for their necessities.

Czeska (aside).--He is sacrificing pleasure to duty. (Aloud.) Stella!

Stella.--What is it?

Czeska.--To-morrow we must make some collections for them, and provide
them with clothing.

Doctor.--I will go with you, ladies. It will be the first case in
which misery did not search for the doctor, but the doctor searched
for misery.

Czeska.--Very clever.

Prince (rapping with the stick).--Pretwic!

George.--Your Highness, what do you order?

Prince.--You say that this rabble is very poor?

George.--Very poor, indeed.

Prince.--You say that they have nothing to eat?

George.--Almost nothing, my prince.

Prince.--God punishes them for voting for such a man (he points to
Jozwowicz) as that one.

Doctor (bows).--They have not elected me yet.

Stella.--Papa.

Prince.--What did I want to say? Aha! Pretwic!

George.--I listen to you, my prince.

Prince.--You said that they were starving?

George.--I said--almost.

Prince.--Very well, then. Go to my cashier, Horkiewicz, and tell him
to give that rabble a thousand florins. (He raps with the stick.) They
must know that I will not permit any one to be hungry.

Stella--Dear father!

Drahomir.--I knew it would end that way.

Prince.-