isfortune!

SCHIGOLCH. (_Yawning._) Not for you, child. Cheer up, I'll look after
him! (_Exit. Lulu puts her left foot on a foot-stool, fastens her
garter, and goes out into the card-room. Then Rodrigo is cuffed in
from the dining-room, lower left, by Casti-Piani._)

RODRIGO. You can treat me decently anyway!

CASTI-PIANI. (_Still perfectly unemotional._) Whatever would induce
me to do that? I will know what you said to her here a little while
ago.

RODRIGO. Then you can be very fond of me!

CASTI-PIANI. Will you bandy words with me, dog? You demanded that she
go up in the lift with you!

RODRIGO. That's a shameless, perfidious lie!

CASTI-PIANI. She told me so herself. You threatened to denounce her
if she didn't go with you.--Shall I shoot you on the spot?

RODRIGO. The shameless hussy! As if anything like that could occur to
me!--Even if I should want to have her, God knows I don't first need
to threaten her with prison!

CASTI-PIANI. Thank you. That's all I wanted to know. (_Exit, upper
left._)

RODRIGO. Such a hound! A fellow I could throw up onto the roof so
he'd stick like a Limburger cheese!--Come back here, so I can wind
your guts round your neck. That would be even better!

LULU. (_Enters, lower left; merrily._) Where were you? I've been
hunting for you like a pin.

RODRIGO. I've shown *him* what it means to start anything with me!

LULU. Whom?

RODRIGO. Your Casti-Piani! What made you tell him, you slut, that I
wanted to seduce you?!

LULU. Did you not ask me to give myself to my deceased husband's son
for twenty thousand in Jungfrau shares?

RODRIGO. Because it's your duty to take pity on the poor young
fellow! You shot away his father before his nose in the very best
years of life! But your Casti-Piani will think it over before he
comes into my sight again. I gave him one in the basket that made the
tripes fly to heaven like Roman candles. If you've got no better
substitute for me, then I'm sorry ever to have had your favor!

LULU. Lady Geschwitz is in the fearfullest case. She twists herself
up in fits. She's at the point of jumping into the water if you let
her wait any longer.

RODRIGO. What's the beast waiting for?

LULU. For you, to take her with you.

RODRIGO. Then give her my regards, and she can jump into the water.

LULU. She'll lend me twenty thousand marks to save me from
destruction if you will preserve her from it herself. If you'll take
her off to-night, I'll depos