AXEL. Jesuits! When you are given a finger, you take the whole arm.

[Abel comes in wearing fur coat and cap.]

BERTHA. Oh, here's Abel! Come on, now, and settle this controversy.

ABEL. Hello, Bertha! Hello, Axel! How are you, Gaga? What's the
matter?

BERTHA. Axel doesn't want to wear his order, because he daren't on
account of his comrades.

ABEL. Comrades come before a wife, of course--that's an unwritten
law. [She sits by table, takes up tobacco and rolls a cigarette.]

BERTHA [Fastens ribbon in Axel's buttonhole and puts the star back
in case] He can help me without hurting any one, but I fear he
would rather hurt me!

AXEL. Bertha, Bertha! But you people will drive me mad! I don't
consider it a crime to wear this ribbon, nor have I taken any oath
that I wouldn't do so, but at our exhibitions it's considered
cowardly not to dare to make one's way without them.

BERTHA. Cowardly, of course! But you're not going to take your own
course this time--but mine!

ABEL. You owe it to the woman who has consecrated her life to you
to be her delegate.