ted.

SHOUTS. Vive la Liberte! Vive Henri! Vive Henri!

LEBRET. Look at the fellows--they are running away from us.

GRASSET. Let them for tonight--let them; they will not escape us.

LITERATURE

A COMEDY IN ONE ACT

* * * * *

CHARACTERS

MARGARET

CLEMENT

GILBERT

LITERATURE (1902)

BY ARTHUR SCHNITZLER

TRANSLATED BY A. I. DU P. COLEMAN, A.M.
Professor of English Literature, College of the City of New York

Scene, a decently but not richly furnished room, belonging to
MARGARET. Table, small writing-desk, chairs, a cupboard, two windows up
stage, doors right and left. At rise of curtain, CLEMENT is discovered
leaning against mantelpiece, in a very elegant dark gray morning suit,
smoking a cigarette and reading a newspaper. MARGARET stands by window,
then walks up and down, finally comes behind CLEMENT and runs her hands
through his hair. She seems rather restless. CLEMENT goes on reading,
then seizes her hand and kisses it.

CLEMENT. Horner is sure of his game--or rather my game. Waterloo five
to one, Barometer twenty to one, Busserl seven to one, Attila sixteen
to one.

MARGARET. Sixteen to one!

CLEMENT. Lord Byron six to four--that's us, darling!

MARGARET. I know.

CLEMENT. Besides, it's still six weeks to the race.

MARGARET. Apparently he thinks it's a dead certainty.

CLEMENT. The way she knows all the terms ...!

MARGARET. I've known these terms longer than I have you. And is it
quite settled that you'll ride Lord Byron yourself?

CLEMENT. How can you ask? The Ladies' Plate! Whom else should I put up?
If Horner didn't know I was going to ride him myself, he wouldn't be
standing at six to four, you may be sure of that.

MARGARET. I believe you. You're so handsome on horseback--simply fit to
take one's breath away! I shall never forget how you looked at Munich,
the day I got to know you ...

CLEMENT. Don't remind me of it! I had awful luck that day. Windisch
would never have won the race if he hadn't got ten lengths start. But
this time--ah ...! And the next day we go away.

MARGARET. In the evening.

CLEMENT. Yes ... But why?

MARGARET. Because in the morning we shall be getting married, I
suppose.

CLEMENT. Yes, yes, darling.

MARGARET. I'm so happy! (Embraces him.) And where shall we go?

CLEMENT. I thought we'd agreed about that--to my place in the country.

MARGARET. Yes, later. But can't we have a little while on the Riviera
first?

CLEMENT