Roses: Four One-Act Plays Part 43

But when one comes to a watering-place, one must have money.

Strubel (_slapping himself on the chest_).

Do I look to you as if I drank iron? Thank Heaven, I can't afford such luxuries! No; I'm only a poor fellow who earns his miserable pittance during vacation by acting as a private tutor--that's to say, "miserable" is only a figure of speech, for in the morning I lie abed until nine, at noon I eat five, and at night seven, courses; and as for work, I really haven't a thing to do! My pupil is so anaemic--why, compared to him, _you're_ fit for a circus rider!

The Princess (_laughing unrestrainedly_).

Oh, well, I'm rather glad I'm not one.

Strubel.

Dear me, it's a business like any other.

The Princess.

Like any other? Really, I didn't think that.

Strubel.

And pray, what did you think then?

The Princess.

Oh, I thought that they were--an entirely different sort of people.

Strubel.

My dear young lady, all people are "an entirely different sort." Of course _we_ two aren't. We get along real well together, don't we? As poor as church mice, both of us!

The Princess (_smiling reflectively_).

Who knows? Perhaps that's true.

Strubel (_kindly_).

Do you know what? If you want to stay down there--I'll tell you how one can live cheaply. I have a friend, a student like myself. He's here to mend up as you are. I feed him up at the house where I'm staying.

(_Frightened at a peculiar look of_ The Princess's.) Oh, but you mustn't be-- No, I shouldn't have said it. It wasn't decent of me.

Only, let me tell you, I'm so glad to be able to help the poor fellow out of my unexpected earnings, that I'd like to be shouting it from the housetops all the time! Of course, you understand that, don't you?

The Princess.

You like to help people, then?

Strubel.

Surely--don't you?

The Princess (_reflecting_).

No. There's always so much talk about it, and the whole thing immediately appears in the newspapers.

Strubel.

What? If you help some one, that appears----?

The Princess (_quickly correcting herself_).

I only mean if one takes part in entertainments for charity----

Strubel.

Oh, yes, naturally. In those things they always get some woman of rank to act as patroness, if they can, and she sees to it, you may be sure, that the newspapers make a fuss over it.

The Princess (_demurely_).

Oh, not every----

Strubel.

Just try to teach me something I don't know about these t.i.tled women!

Besides, my dear young lady, where is your home--in one of the large cities, or----?

The Princess.

Oh, no. In quite a small town--really more like the country.

Strubel.

Then, I'm going to show you something that you probably never saw before in all your life.

The Princess.

Oh do! What is it?

Strubel.

A princess! H'm--not a make-believe, but a real, true-blue princess!

The Princess.

Oh, really?

Strubel.

Yes. Our Princess of the Springs.

The Princess.