a and takes his place
beside her, with one arm along the back of the sofa. Helene leans
toward him, and flicks an imaginary particle of dust from his
coat-collar.]

HELENE. You were talking about your success in Dresden!

[Lassalle proceeds to talk to her most earnestly. She listens, nods
approval, sighs, and clasps her hands. The others in the room
gather at opposite sides of the room and talk, but with eyes
furtively turned now and then toward the couple, who are lost to
the world, interested but in each other, and the great themes they
are discussing.]

LASSALLE. I knew we must meet. Fate decreed it so. You are the Goddess
of the Morning and I am the Sun-God.

HELENE. You are sure then about your divinity?

LASSALLE. Yes, through a belief in yours.

HELENE. I knew I would meet you. I felt that I must, in order to get you
out of my mind. I am betrothed, you know----

LASSALLE. I know--to me, from the foundation of the world.

HELENE. I am betrothed to Prince Yanko Racowitza. You never heard of
him, of course. He is out of your class, because he is good, and gentle,
and kind, and of noble blood. And you are a demagogue, and a demigod,
and a Jew, and a Mephisto! I told Yanko I would not wed him until I saw
you. He has been trying to meet you, to introduce us.

LASSALLE. That you might be disillusioned!

HELENE. Precisely so.

LASSALLE. How interesting! And how superfluous in your fairy prince.

HELENE. He is an extraordinary man, for he said I should see you and him
both, see you together and take my choice.

LASSALLE. Good! He is a Christian, and does as he would be done by. I am
a Christianized Jew, and I will bejew all Christendom. Your prince is a
useless appendenda, and I would kill him, were it not that I am opposed
to duelling. I fought one duel--or did not fight it, I should say. I
faced my man, he fired and missed. I threw my pistol into the bushes and
held out my hand to the late enemy. He reeled toward me and fell into my
arms, pierced by his emotions. He is now my friend. Had I killed him,
the vexed question between us would still be unsettled. I believe in
brain, not brawn--soul, not sense. Let us meet your prince, and when he
sees you and me together, he will know we are one, and dare not withhold
his blessing which we do not need. He shall be our page. Win people and
use them, I say--use them! You and I working together can win and use
humanity