ng down at the
corner to have earned a thousand marks. Against that, the House of
Oikonomopulos in Cairo bids sixty pounds for you--twelve hundred
marks--two hundred more than the Attorney General. And, besides, I am
still so far a friend of mankind that I prefer to help my loves to
happiness, not plunge them into misfortune.

LULU. (_As before._) The life in such a house can never make a woman
of my stamp happy. When I was fifteen, that might have happened to
me. I was desperate then--thought I should never be happy. I bought a
revolver, and ran one night bare-foot thru the deep snow over the
bridge to the park to shoot myself there. But then by good luck I lay
three months in the hospital without setting eyes on a man, and in
that time my eyes opened and I got to know myself. Night after night
in my dreams I saw the man for whom I was created and who was created
for me, and then when I was let out on the men again I was no longer
a silly goose. Since then I can see on a man, in a pitch-dark night
and a hundred feet away, whether we're suited to each other; and if I
sin against that insight I feel the next day dirtied, body and soul,
and need weeks to get over the loathing I have for myself. And now
you imagine I'll give myself to every and any Tom and Harry!

CASTI-PIANI. Toms and Harries don't patronize Oikonomopulos of Cairo.
His custom consists of Scottish lords, Russian dignitaries, Indian
governors, and our jolly Rhineland captains of industry. I must only
guarantee that you speak French. With your gift for languages you'll
quickly enough learn as much English, besides, as you'll need to get
on with. And you'll reside in a royally furnished apartment with an
outlook on the minarets of the El Azhar Mosque, and walk around all
day on Persian carpets as thick as your fist, and dress every evening
in a fabulous Paris gown and drink as much champagne as your
customers can pay for, and, finally, you'll even remain, up to a
certain point, your own mistress. If the man doesn't please you, you
needn't bring him any reciprocal feelings. Just let him give in his
card, and then--(_Shrugs, and snaps his fingers._) If the ladies
didn't get used to that the whole business would be simply
impossible, because every one after the first four weeks would go
headlong to the devil.

LULU. (_Her voice shaking._) I do believe that since yesterday you've
got a screw loose somewhere. Am I to understand that the Egyptian
will pay fifte