So Runs the World

Doctor. – What is it, Your Highness?

Prince. – And perhaps you will also become a minister.

Doctor. – It may be.

Prince. – Did you hear? And do you think that I will call you "Your

Excellency"?

Doctor. – It would be proper.

Prince. – Jozwowicz, do you wish to give me a stroke of apoplexy?

Doctor. – Be calm, Your Highness. My Excellency will always take care of your Grace's bile.

Prince. – It is true. The irritation hurts me. What, Jozwowicz – does it hurt me?

Doctor. – Yes, it excites the bile, but it gives you an appetite. (He approaches with George.)

Stella. – What were you talking about?

Doctor. – 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!