Don’t you know, Alice, mammy always goes out for an hour in the evening, to see her neighbour, Dame Wrigrim; now, if you [_To_ KNICKERBOCKER.] come at eight o’clock, and throw some gravel at the window, there’s no knowing but you might see Alice. KNICKERBOCKER. That’s an uncommon clever girl; but, Alice, I’m determined to turn over a new leaf with Dame Van Winkle; the next time I see her, I’ll pluck up [my] courage and say to her— DAME. [_Without._] Alice! Alice! odds bodikins and pins, but I’ll give it you when I catch you. _The_ VILLAGERS _exit._ KNICKERBOCKER. Run, Alice, run! [ALICE, LORRENNA _and_ KNICKERBOCKER _run to right._ DAME. [_Without._] Alice! [ALICE, LORENNA _and_ KNICKERBOCKER _exeunt hastily_. RORY. Egad! the dame’s tongue is a perfect scarecrow! VEDDER. The sound of her voice sets them running just as if she were one of the mountain spirits, of whom we hear so much talk. [But where the deuce can Rip be all this while? [RIP _sings without._] But talk of the devil and his imps appear.](2) _Enter_ RIP VAN WINKLE, _with gun, game-bag, &c._ RIP. Rip, Rip, wass is dis for a business. You are a mix nootze unt dat is a fact. Now, I started for de mountains dis mornin’, determined to fill my bag mit game, but I met Von Brunt, de one-eyed sergeant—[comma see hah, unt brandy-wine hapben my neiber friend];(3) well, I couldn’t refuse to take a glass mit him, unt den I tooks anoder glass, unt den I took so much as a dozen, [do](4) I drink no more as a bottle; he drink no more as I—he got so top heavy, I rolled him in de hedge to sleep a leetle, for his one eye got so crooked, he never could have seed his way straight; den I goes to de mountain, [do](5) I see double, [d——d](6) a bird could I shooted. But I stops now, I drinks no more; if anybody ask me to drink, I’ll say to dem—[VEDDER _comes down, and offers cup to him._]—here is your [go-to-hell],(7) and your family’s [go-to-hell], and may you all live long and [prosper].(8) [_Drinks._ VEDDER. Why, neighbour Rip, where have you been all day? We feared some of the [Elfin](9) goblins of the Catskill had caught you. RIP. Ha, ha! I never see no ghosts, though I’ve fought mit _spirits_ in my time, ha, ha! VEDDER. And they always throw you, eh? ha, ha! RIP. Dat’s a fact! Ha, ha, ha! VEDDER. But, Rip, where have you been? RIP. Oh, very hard at work(10)—very busy; dere is nothing slipped [fun my fingers as was come at abe.](11) RORY. They appear to have slipped through your game bag though, for it’s full of emptiness.—Ha, ha, ha! RIP. Ho, ho, ho! cut no jokes at my _bag_ or I’ll gib you de sack. VEDDER. Come, Rip, sit down, take a pipe and a glass and make yourself comfortable. RIP. [Nine, nine—ech con neiched—](12) it behoves a man to look after his interest unt not drink all de while, I shall den be able to manage— VEDDER.