DOBLER. Two years.

BOLLAND. And before that you were in ... eh?

FRAU BOLLAND. You must excuse him Herr Dobler. Why in
Unterschlettenbach, dear ... You know that!

BOLLAND [correcting himself]. Certainly. Bit of literary history.
Mighty interesting place that Unterschlettenbach ... eh?

DOBLER. Hardly, Herr Kommerzienrat. Poor and unsanitary. Most of
its inhabitants are miners.

BOLLAND. Fancy that! And I never knew it. Full of miners! Tell me
though, what do you think of our set here ...? How do you like
this well-to-do circle ... the big city ... wealthy surroundings?

DOBLER [lighting a cigar]. I like it well enough. But I think I
will always feel out of place here.

BOLLAND. Can't get used to it?

DOBLER. Everything is so different. It seems to me at times as
though I had suddenly entered a beautiful house while outdoors my
old comrade was awaiting me patiently--the open road.

FRAU BOLLAND. Isn't that won--derful? So very re-a-lis-tic-ally
put! I can just picture it. Oh Herr Dobler ... I must tell you:
your novel--my husband and I talk about it all day long.