my family could not match up with the Warkentins any day!
After all, I am the daughter of a university professor, my dear Miss
Clara. You possibly fail to appreciate that a bit. Therefore I repeat
to you, Paul hasn't the slightest reason to be ashamed of me! And he
hasn't been. But Paul's father _was_. He forced us to earn our daily
bread! And now that we have been successful, now that we have won a
place for ourselves, now they begin to think of us, simply because they
need us. Now they are becoming sentimental. No, dearest! You did not
concern yourselves about us! Now we shall not concern ourselves about
you! Now we shall simply pay it all back! That's the sin that you were
talking about. Ellernhof has no claims upon us, (She breathes deeply
and leans back on the sofa.)

GLYSZINSKI (has hung upon her lips, enthusiastically). Madam, your
hand! (He extends his hand.)

HELLA (curtly). Oh do let us dispense with that for the present,
doctor!

PAUL (has been listening from the fireplace and now approaches). That
is quite correct, Hella, but there is one thing that you must not
forget. I really did provoke my father at the time. I was young and
inexperienced. I felt compelled to tell him at the outset, even before
I went to the university, that I did not believe that I should be able
to endure life in the country later on.

HELLA. And the fact that he expected you to marry any woman that suited
_him_; you don't seem to think of that at all.

PAUL. Yes, yes, you are right ...

AUNT CLARA. Tell me, Paul?

PAUL. Yes, Auntie.

AUNT CLARA. What in the world have you to do in Berlin that prevents
you from staying here?

PAUL. Oh, Aunt Clara, that is a difficult matter! I publish a journal.

AUNT CLARA. A journal? Hm!

HELLA. We publish a feminist journal which we ourselves have founded
and simply cannot desert.

AUNT CLARA (naively). Well is that so very necessary, Paul?

HELLA. _Is_ it necessary?

PAUL (dubiously). Oh Hella! (Shrugs his shoulders.)

HELLA. Yes it is necessary. If _you_ are able to forget it, _I_ am
_not_!

PAUL. I shall not quarrel now, the hour does not seem fitting to me. I
want to go in. (He makes a significant gesture to the right.) Would you
care to go with me?

HELLA. You want to see him?

PAUL. Yes, I want to see him.

HELLA (gets up and steps up to PAUL). Excuse me, Paul! I am really not
in the frame of mind.

PAUL. As you think best.

HELLA. You know very well that I spare