Bellmaus, the friend--
ADELAIDE.
Very well, and he wishes to speak to me?
KORB.
Yes. I myself advised him to come to you; he has something to tell
you.
ADELAIDE.
Bring him in here! [_Exit_ KORB.]
IDA.
Let me go away; my eyes are red with weeping.
ADELAIDE.
Well go, dear. In a few minutes I will rejoin you. (_Exit_ IDA.)
He too! The whole _Union_--one after the other!
_Enter_ BEULMAUS.
BELLMAUS (_shyly, bowing repeatedly_).
You permit me, Miss Runeck!
ADELAIDE (_kindly_).
I am glad to receive your visit, and am curious about the interesting
disclosures you have to make to me.
BELLMAUS.
There is no one to whom I would rather confide what I have heard, Miss
Runeck, than to you. Having learned from Mr. Korb that you are a
subscriber to our newspaper I feel sure--
ADELAIDE.
That I deserve, too, to be a friend of the editors. Thank you for the
good opinion.
BELLMAUS.
There is this man Schmock! He is a poor fellow who has been little in
good society and was until now on the staff of the _Coriolanus_.
ADELAIDE. I remember having seen him.
BELLMAUS.
At Bolz's request I gave him a few glasses of punch. He thereupon grew
jolly and told me of a great plot that Senden and the editor of the
_Coriolanus_ have hatched between them. These two gentlemen, so he
assures me, had planned to discredit Professor Oldendorf in the
Colonel's eyes and so drove the Colonel into writing articles for the
_Coriolanus_.
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