olitary hunter's house in the midst of the forest,
and at such an hour of the night!

[_A door is heard slamming; she starts up_.]

Merciful God! It is he! If he should look into the room and should not
see Mary! Or--

SCENE IV

_Enter the_ FORESTER _in haste; pale and distracted_; SOPHY.

SOPHY (_going to meet him_).

Back already?--[_Correcting herself_] at last?

FORESTER (_looking shyly about_).

Did anybody ask for me?

SOPHY.

No. Are they pursuing you?

FORESTER.

Who?

SOPHY.

Godfrey--

FORESTER.

Why?

SOPHY.

Because you come in as if you were being hunted.

FORESTER.

I meant the soldiers.--Why do I see Mary everywhere! In the Dell--

SOPHY (_is frightened_).

In the Dell!

[_Aside_.]

Good Heavens!

FORESTER.

And all the way back I heard her walking behind me.

SOPHY.

On your way back--

FORESTER.

Whenever I walked, I heard her behind me; whenever I stood still, she
also stood still, but I did not look around.

SOPHY (_relieved_).

You did not look around?

FORESTER.

Why, I knew it was nothing. I have a feeling as though even now she were
still standing behind me.

SOPHY (_wishes to divert him from the subject_).

Did you shoot anything? Is it outside?

FORESTER (_shuddering involuntarily_).

Outside?

SOPHY.

Before the door. What a strange look you give me! What is that on your
clothes?

FORESTER (_turns away involuntarily_).

What is it?

SOPHY.

A spot--

FORESTER.

What you see--

SOPHY.

Why will you not let me see it?

FORESTER.

It is nothing.

[_Turns to the table at the right, takes down his gun_.]

Is the soup warm? My tongue is glued to the roof of my mouth.

SOPHY (_takes a plate and spoon from the closet, goes to the stove where
she pours out the soup_).

If he should look into the room! What I ask, I ask only in anxiety to
have him forget about Mary.

[_She puts the soup before the_ FORESTER _on the table to the right;
listens_.]

Isn't there a noise in the room?

[_Walks about the_ FORESTER'S _chair, so as to distract him_.]

Ulrich, don't you think that Robert could still restore the old friendly
relations?

[FORESTER _makes a movement_.]

SOPHY.

Why do you start so?

FORESTER.

Don't wake up Mary! Wasn't there some one at the window?

SOPHY.

That is the old rose-bush outside, which is always nodding so anxiously
and knocking at the window, as if it had to prevent a catastrophe,