Beermann.  Please drop that Tacitus.  It’s your chance to lead. ...

Wasner.  I pass. ...

Holland.  So do I.

Bolland [loudly and enthusiastically].  That’s the way to get at them!  Trumps!  And trumps again.

Wasner [murmuring].  “Paucissima adulteria in tam numerosa gente. ...” [Gradually lapses into silence and then continues to play with energy.]

Frau Lund [with a glance towards the card table].  Why do we take our principles so seriously. ...  It’s really ridiculous how our every opinion soon turns into religious beliefs.

Wasner.  The matter is dead serious.

Frau Lund.  Who will think of it to-morrow?

Hauser [nodding towards card table].  Not they, of course.  But there are cleverer people.  The so-called thinking public in Germany must have some national problem to solve.  It finds some such, readily enough in order to play with it.  Meanwhile they take no notice that the party in power [Footnote:  Men with the brass buttons.] are lining their pockets.

Frau Lund.  Haven’t they always been doing that?

Hauser.  Yes, but not with such. ease.  Here and there they were rapped over the knuckles.  But nowadays they could cart away the entire capitol.

Frau Lund.  There’s not so much left to-day.

Hauser.  A couple of pieces anyhow to take along as keepsakes.

Frau Lund.  In my days I saw one reform after another on the bargain counter; but we women remain mere spectators while ideals come and go; we can not realize how much they mean to men.

Hauser.  My dear Frau Lund, if a real reform should effectively rise among us some day, then you women will have to lend a helping hand.  With those [nodding towards card-table] kindergarten heroes nothing can be accomplished.

Frau Beermann.  What influence can we exert so long as men organize their societies for the protection of women’s virtue!

Hauser.  These henpecked gentlemen always nominate themselves chastity’s guardians.

Frau Beermann.  They are of importance only when they can get some one to listen.  I’d like to go to their meetings and tell them that.

Hauser.  Their meetings—­bosh!  Their sort only couple their nonsense with a few self-evident generalities which no one would really oppose.  No, first of all they must be educated and that you women alone can accomplish.

Frau Lund.  You say that as if we had any influence on public opinion.

Hauser.  You do all the applauding.  The whole game is played for you.  If you withdraw your applause not a single one of the peacocks of virtue will open up his gospel feathers for exhibition.  It is indeed of great importance to you that they do not banish all refinement from our social life.