The German Classics of the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries Volume Ix Part 97

Father, Andrew is outside, and refuses to come in. I told him that you had called him.

SOPHY.

Come, William, let us go out to Andrew.

FORESTER.

Keep quiet, woman. Are you going to make him completely crazy with your lamentations? Either you keep quiet, or you go in there, and I shall lock you in.

 

[_Goes solemnly to the rear door_.]

Andrew! Come in at once! Do you hear?

SCENE X

_The same. Enter_ ANDREW. ANDREW _at the door; when he sees the people he is going to withdraw_.

FORESTER.

Andrew, you come in. Before your superior!

[_Seats himself as if preparing for trial_.]

_The_ FORESTER, SOPHY, WEILER, WILLIAM _on the left. The_ PASTOR, WILKENS _on the right_. ANDREW, _who dares not look any one in the face, in the centre_.

FORESTER.

Come here, forester's a.s.sistant Andrew Ulrich. Where do you come from?

ANDREW. From the nursery, father.

FORESTER.

Where is your rifle, Andrew Ulrich?

[ANDREW _is silent_.]

FORESTER.

Who has it?

ANDREW (_in a hollow voice_).

G.o.dfrey.

[FORESTER _rises involuntarily_.]

SOPHY (_in great alarm_).

Ulrich!

FORESTER (_sits down again_).

Here no one has anything to say, except the forester's a.s.sistant Ulrich and his superior. Andrew--

ANDREW.

Father--

FORESTER.

Why do you not look at me?

ANDREW.

I no longer can look any one in the face. I want to go to America as cabin-boy. Let me go, father.

FORESTER.

Boy, it is your duty to answer when your superior asks. What is it that G.o.dfrey has? Out with it!

ANDREW.

I was just at my task of taking out the maple trees in the nursery--

FORESTER.

As I had ordered you.

ANDREW.

Then came--

FORESTER.

G.o.dfrey? Go on, Andrew Ulrich.

ANDREW.

With six woodcutters from the Brandsberg--

FORESTER.

From--go on, Andrew Ulrich.