The Dramatic Works of Gerhart Hauptmann Volume Ii Part 61

matter with me, I can tell ye. [_Bl.u.s.tering:_] I'll let the machine squeeze off one of my arms! Or ye can run the piston through me if ye want to! Kill me, for all I care.

HAHN

Or mebbe you'd like to set a barn afire.

STRECKMANN

By G.o.d! There's fire enough inside of me. August there, he's a happy man ...

AUGUST

Whether I'm happy or whether I'm unhappy, that don't concern no one in this world.

STRECKMANN

What am I doin' to you? Can't you be sociable with a feller?

AUGUST

I'll look for my society elsewhere.

STRECKMANN

[_Looks at him long with smouldering hatred; represses his rage and grasps the whisky bottle which has been handed back to him._] Give it to me! A feller's got to drown his sorrow!--[_To ROSE._] You needn't be lookin' at me; a bargain's a bargain. [_He gets up._] I'm goin'!--I don't want to come between you.

ROSE

You can go or you can stay for all I care.

OLD MRS. GOLISCH

[_Calling STRECKMANN back._] Look here, Streckmann, what was that happened t'other day? About three weeks ago at the thres.h.i.+n' machine?...

[_Men and women burst into laughter._

STRECKMANN

That's all over. I don't know nothin' about that.

OLD MRS. GOLISCH

An' yet, you swore by all that was good and holy....

KLEINERT

You people stop your gossippin'.

OLD MRS. GOLISCH

He needn't be talkin' so big all the time.

STRECKMANN

[_Comes back._] And I tell you what I says, that I puts through. I'll be d.a.m.ned if I don't! Let it go at that. I don't say no more.

[_Exit._

OLD MRS. GOLISCH It's done just as easy without talkin'.

STRECKMANN

[_Comes back, is about to speak out, but restrains himself._] Never mind!

I don't walk into no such trap! But if you want to know exactly what it's all about, ask August there or father Bernd.

BERND

What's all this about? What's this we're supposed to know?

OLD MRS. GOLISCH

'Twas that time you went to the magistrate's, 'twas that time! An' didn't Streckmann pa.s.s you on the road an' didn't he cry out somethin' after ye?

KLEINERT

It's about time for you to be stoppin'.

OLD MRS. GOLISCH

An' why, I'd like to know? That's all nothin' but a joke ... People wonders if that there time you all agreed, or if Rosie wasn't so willin'

to join in!

BERND

G.o.d Almighty forgive you all for your sins! What I wants to ask you is this: Why can't the whole crowd o' you leave us in peace? Or is it that we ever did any harm to any o' ye?

GOLISCH

An' we're not doin' any wrong neither.

ROSE

An' whether I was willin' on that day or not--you needn't give yourself no concern about that! I'm willin' now an' that settles it,

KLEINERT

That's the right way, Rosie!

AUGUST