LEONARD (to himself).

Safe from the very devil, methinks!

ANTONY.

My father, by not allowing himself any rest day or night, worked himself to death in his thirtieth year, and my mother nourished me as well as she could with her spinning.  I grew up without learning anything.  When I became larger and was still unable to earn any money, I would gladly have disaccustomed myself to eating; but when now and then at noon I would pretend to be sick and push back my plate, what did it mean?  It meant that in the evening my stomach would compel me to announce myself well again!  My greatest grief was that I was so unskilled.  I used to blame myself for it, as if it were my own fault, as if in my mother’s womb I had been supplied with nothing but teeth to eat with, as if I had purposely left behind me there all the useful capabilities and assets.  I used to blush with shame when the sun shone on me.  Just after my confirmation the man whom they buried yesterday, Master Gebhard, came into our house.  He scowled and made a wry face, as he always used to frown when he had anything good in mind to do.  Then he said to my mother:  “Did you bring your youngster into the world in order to let him eat the very nose and ears off your head?” I felt ashamed and put the loaf of bread, from which I was just on the point of cutting off a piece, back into the cupboard again.  My mother took offense at his well-meant words; she stopped her wheel and replied vehemently that her son was a fine good fellow.  “Well, we will see about that,” said the Master.  “If he wants to, he can come right now, just as he stands there, into my workshop with me.  I do not ask any money for teaching him; he will get his board, and his clothes I will also supply; and if he wants to get up early and go to bed late, opportunities will not be wanting for him to earn a little money on the side for his old mother.”  My mother began to cry and I to dance.  When we finally came to an agreement, the Master closed up his ears, walked out, and motioned me to follow.  I did not need to put a hat on, for I had none.  Without saying good-by to my mother, I went after him.  And on the following Sunday, when I was allowed to go back to her little room for the first time, he gave me half a ham to take with me.  God’s blessing on the good man’s grave!  I still hear his half-angry:  “Tony, under your coat with it, so my wife won’t see it!”

LEONARD.

You are not crying?

ANTONY (dries his eyes).

Yes, I can never think of that without its starting the tears, no matter how well the source of them may have been stopped up.  Oh well, that’s all right!  If I should ever get the dropsy, I shall at any rate not have to draw off these drops too.

[With a sudden turn.]

What do you think about it?—­Supposing on a Sunday afternoon you went over to smoke a pipe of tobacco with a friend, a friend to whom you owed everything in the world; and supposing you found him greatly confused and perturbed, a knife in his hand—­the same knife you had used a thousand times to cut his evening bread—­and holding it, covered with blood, at his neck, and nervously drawing his handkerchief up to his chin—­