Der Fangschu

Sophie de Reval:
May I come in?

Erich von Lhomond:
Of course. Thank you. It's quite late, Sophie.

Sophie de Reval:
I'll just smoke a pipeful. Why did you come to Kratovice of all places, Erich?

Erich von Lhomond:
Where should I have gone?

Sophie de Reval:
You could have stayed in Paris or Berlin. No one forced you to fight in this war.

Erich von Lhomond:
I'm an officer and useless in Berlin.

Sophie de Reval:
What are you defending here? Your mother lost everything before the war.

Erich von Lhomond:
Perhaps I like lost causes. In any case I've always fought for them.

Sophie de Reval:
At least you've none of Konrad's illusions.

Erich von Lhomond:
Konrad's beliefs are truer than yours, Sophie. His don't come from books, but from life, from your family tradition.

Sophie de Reval:
The new era has no use for our tradition.

Erich von Lhomond:
No one chooses his own story.

Sophie de Reval:
Oh yes.

Erich von Lhomond:
You should go to bed, Sophie.

Sophie de Reval:
Do you have a mistress? Some woman must be waiting for you in Germany or France? Franz tells me women are fond of you.

Erich von Lhomond:
I have no mistress, Sophie.

Sophie de Reval:
You don't want to talk about it.

Erich von Lhomond:
My affairs with women have been short and trivial. There's nothing to say.

Sophie de Reval:
A brief affair can be beautiful.

Erich von Lhomond:
Women want lasting relationships. Friendship means more to me.

Sophie de Reval:
Than love?

Erich von Lhomond:
It's more reliable.

Sophie de Reval:
You've only met the worst sort of women.

Erich von Lhomond:
On the contrary, I thought them the best. In any case, they didn't try to play a part in my life.