Volume 9 / Act 5 — SCENE VI
Reading edition
ANDREW, still without. STEIN, FORESTER, PASTOR.
ANDREW (outside, in a low voice).
Father—
PASTOR.
Who calls?
STEIN.
Is not that Andrew's voice?
FORESTER (continuing).
Here it is written: "Ye shall have one manner of law." And the law has judged you. "And he that killeth any man he—"
ANDREW.
Father!
FORESTER (trembling, staring at the door, with smothered voice, mechanically).
"He—he—shall—surely—be—put to death"—
Enter ANDREW.
STEIN (going toward him).
God be thanked! Andrew, you live!
FORESTER (makes a great effort).
It is not true. He is dead. He must be dead.
ANDREW.
Father!
FORESTER (stretching out his hand, as if warding him off).
Who are you?
ANDREW (more and more alarmed).
Do you not know your Andrew any more?
FORESTER.
My Andrew is dead. If you lie slain in the Dell—then you shall be my Andrew—then everything is well—then we will rejoice—then we will sing: Lord God, we praise Thee!
PASTOR.
He is demented!
STEIN.
Andrew, my Robert—
ANDREW.
You have my muffler which Lindenschmied stole from me before he killed Godfrey?
STEIN.
Lindenschmied killed Godfrey? And my Robert—
ANDREW.
Robert was pursuing him. He compelled Robert to shoot him.
FORESTER.
He? He had your gun?
ANDREW.
Stolen it with my muffler.
FORESTER.
And Robert did—
ANDREW.
Lindenschmied was not mortally wounded. I had his wound dressed in the mill, and had him removed before the magistrate—
FORESTER (gradually collapsing).
I am in the wrong!
[Sinks down upon a chair.]
ANDREW.
That is the reason why I am so late.
FORESTER (rises; goes to STEIN with his gun in his hand).
Stein, do to me according to my desert.
STEIN.
What do you mean?
FORESTER.
"Eye for eye, tooth for tooth"—
STEIN (looking at the PASTOR).
What does he mean by that again?
FORESTER.
Weiler thought that Lindenschmied with the gun was my Andrew. Your Robert wounded Lindenschmied, and I—killed your Robert for this!
PASTOR.
Almighty God!
ANDREW (at the same time).
Robert!
FORESTER (almost simultaneously).
Shoot me!
STEIN (has seized the gun).
You murderer!
[The PASTOR arrests his arm.]
ANDREW.
You shot Robert, father? Robert lives!
STEIN.
He lives?
PASTOR.
He lives?
FORESTER.
He lives?
ANDREW.
He lives, as surely as I live!
FORESTER.
It was only a dream? Can it be that I am not a murderer? That I am an honorable man?
PASTOR.
That you are, Ulrich. Drive away that unfortunate delusion.
STEIN.
Man alive, to what might you have provoked me!
[Puts away the gun.]
FORESTER.
You saw him? When did you see him, Andrew? Now, Andrew? Just now, Andrew?
ANDREW.
Just now, as I was coming home, I met two men from the mill with a stretcher. Robert had just called them out of their beds; they were going to the Dell; Robert had gone ahead of them.
FORESTER.
To the Dell?
PASTOR.
With a stretcher?
STEIN.
What can be behind all this?
FORESTER (has gone to the door of MARY'S room; releases the latch).
Thanks be to God!
[Listening.]
I hear her breathing. Oh, she sleeps a peaceful sleep. I am oppressed with a world of cares, and she takes them from my heart with her breath. Do you hear, Pastor, do you hear?
STEIN.
The unfortunate man! His delusion is returning.
PASTOR (after an anxious pause, during which the FORESTER has not taken his eyes from the PASTOR'S face).
I hear nothing. That is your own heavy breathing that you hear.
FORESTER (begins to collapse again).
My own heavy breathing that I hear—
[Summons up courage, opens the door.]
My eyes deceive me? Where she is not, there I see her; and where she is, there I do not see her. Pastor, for God's sake, tell me: "There lives Mary."
[He has convulsively clutched the PASTOR'S arm.]
PASTOR.
I do not see her. The bed there is untouched, the windows open—your wife—
FORESTER (rushes into the room).
Woman! Woman! Poor, poor woman!