Have I not the right to end my miserable existence if it becomes too heavy a burden to be borne?
Having temporarily assumed the identity of the tutor Pigglewitch, Egon still lives a life he believes to be without love and without meaning. His sojourn at Osternau is intended to be a brief period of entertainment before he follows through with his original plan of ending his life. Egon, who has become a very cynical and self-absorbed person, truly believes that his actions have no effect on others. He believes it is right and appropriate for him to commit suicide in a way that is most hurtful to his father and the other people in Berlin society who seek only to use him for his money. This cynical point of view has a basis in fact, so Egon rejects other people before they reject him. Yet not all the people Egon meets are trying to use him, and he is unaware how offensive his cynicism and morbidity has become. Elise reproaches him for his flippant and irreverent speech, and again for his shocking behavior in being willing to take risks by riding a temperamental horse.
Hitherto Egon had been disposed to regard any favour shown him as due to his wealth and position. Storting's disinterestedness therefore made the greatest impression upon him, and weakened the morbid suspicion with which he had come to look upon all friendly advances made to him.
Herr Storting, who is not a wealthy man, has just co-signed a loan for the purchase of clothing for "Pigglewitch". Egon is astounded that a man he barely knows is willing to risk what for him is a substantial amount of money. Clearly Storting is not influenced by Egon's rank or wealth, because he knows Egon only as the poor and ungainly tutor Pigglewitch. Egon therefore begins to suspect that there are good people in the world.
Any one who is amiable only when she chooses is not amiable at all.
Emma is unimpressed by manipulative, conniving people and she doesn't want them around her children because she believes they may begin to imitate bad examples. Every person who comes into contact with her children, be they tutors, servants, or guests, is evaluated by Emma as to whether their influence will be beneficial. Emma has heard on good authority that her distant relative Bertha von Massenburg was willing to marry Egon von Ernau, who would be a bad match for her, simply so that she can have access to money that would relieve her father's financial distress. Although the engagement is not official and has not been published -- in fact the couple has never actually met-- Egon's sudden disappearance from the capital has led to vile rumors about whether Bertha was the reason for his disappearance. To escape the scandal, the Baron decides to invite Bertha to Osternau. Emma believes that Bertha's veniality, greed, and duplicity would be a bad influence on Elise and Fritz, but she is overruled by her husband.
What I find hardest to bear is that among those whom I have trusted there is a scoundrel, a thief. I do not wish to know him, to bring him to punishment. I can do without the money. I would rather lose it than have Castle Osternau made the subject all over the country of the talk which I hate. Therefore, I beg you to say not one word to any one about the robbery. You hear, Albrecht? You understand?
A large bank-roll of notes has been stolen from the Baron's private desk, and the Baron is fully aware that his cousin Albrecht stole it to cover his gambling debts. The Baron and Elise each have excellent reasons not to believe that "Pigglewitch" took the money. But since Albrecht is attempting to pin the blame on "Pigglewitch", the Baron is stating in the clearest possible terms that he will overlook the theft provided Albrecht and everyone else shuts up about it.
Go back to Herr von Osternau, Herr Storting, and tell him what you have heard; tell him the mere thought of him inspires me with aversion, and that I would rather die in misery than sell myself to him. You have carried his message faithfully, do the same by mine.
Elise, having been warned by her dying father, is fully aware that Albrecht set the fire that killed him. Albrecht is trying to regain legitimacy in the eyes of the world, and a marriage to Elise would compensate for the circumstances under which he came to his title. Although Emma believes that Albrecht may have been misjudged and should deserve a chance, Elise is revolted by the notion of marrying him. Elise prefers a life of poverty and hard work to marrying for money.
