bly a good friend he's recommended us to. Come in!
(_Countess Geschwitz enters, in poor clothes, with a canvas roll in
her hand._)

GESCHWITZ. (_To Lulu._) If I've come at a bad time, I'll turn around
again. The truth is, I haven't spoken to a living soul for ten days.
I must just tell you right off, I haven't got any money. My brother
never answered me at all.

SCHIGOLCH. Your ladyship would now like to stretch her feet out under
our table?

LULU. (_Tonelessly._) I'm going down again.

GESCHWITZ. Where are you going in this pomp?--However, I come not
wholly empty-handed. I bring you something else. On my way here an
old-clothes man offered me twelve shillings for it, but I could not
force myself to part from it. You can sell it, though, if you want
to.

SCHIGOLCH. What is it?

ALVA. Let us see it. (_Takes the canvas and unrolls it. Visibly
rejoiced._) Oh, by God, it's Lulu's portrait!

LULU. (_Screaming._) Monster, you brought that here? Get it out of my
sight! Throw it out of the window!

ALVA. (_Suddenly with renewed life, deeply pleased._) Why, I should
like to know? Looking on this picture I regain my self-respect. It
makes my fate comprehensible to me. Everything we have endured gets
clear as day. (_In a somewhat elegiac strain._) Let him who feels
secure in his middle-class position when he sees these blossoming
pouting lips, these child-eyes, big and innocent, this rose-white
body abounding in life,--let him cast the first stone at us!

SCHIGOLCH. We must nail it up. It will make an excellent impression
on our patrons.

ALVA. (_Energetic._) There's a nail sticking all ready for it in the
wall.

SCHIGOLCH. But how did you come upon this acquisition?

GESCHWITZ. I secretly cut it out of the wall in your house, there,
after you were gone.

ALVA. Too bad the color's got rubbed off round the edges. You didn't
roll it up carefully enough. (_Fastens it to a high nail in the
wall._)

SCHIGOLCH. It's got to have another one underneath if it's going to
hold. It makes the whole flat look more elegant.

ALVA. Let me alone; I know how I'll do it. (_He tears several nails
out of the wall, pulls off his left boot, and with its heel nails the
edges of the picture to the wall._)

SCHIGOLCH. It's just got to hang a while again, to get its proper
effect. Whoever looks at that'll imagine afterwards he's been in an
Indian harem.

ALVA. (_Putting on his boot again, standing up proudly._) Her body
was at its