Dis is for me, eh? I’ll put him in my breast [pocket](97)—yah, yah. DERRIC. Now, Rip, I must bid you good evening. RIP. Stop! Take some more liquor. Why, de bottle is empty. Here! Alice! Alice! get some more schnapps for de burgomaster. DERRIC. No, not to-night. [_Rising._] But, should you want any you will always find a bottle for you at your old friend Rory’s; so, good-night. RIP. Stop, [Mr.](98) Burgomaster! I will go and get dat bottle now.—[_Rising._]—Alice, Alice! [comma see hah!](99) _Enter_ ALICE. RIP. Alice, give me mine hat. [_Alice gives it._] Now, take care of de house till I comes back: if de old woman comes before I gets home, tell her I am gone out mit de burgomaster on [par—par—tick—partickler](100) business.(101) [_Exit, with_ DERRIC. ALICE _advances, and brings on_ KNICKERBOCKER _from the closet._ ALICE. So, Mr. Knickerbocker, you are still here. KNICKERBOCKER. Yes, all that’s left of me! and, now that the coast is clear, I’ll give them leg bail, as the lawyers have it; and if ever they catch me here again—[_He goes towards the door, and returns in sudden alarm._] Oh dear! oh dear! here’s mother Van Winkle coming back. I shall never get out of this mess. ALICE. It’s all your own fault! Why would you come to-night! KNICKERBOCKER. I shall never be able to come again—the cross vixen will take care of that if she catches me here. ALICE. [There is but one method of avoiding her wrath:](102) slip on the clothes the old pedlar woman brought for sale, and I’ll warrant you’ll soon be tumbled out of the house. KNICKERBOCKER. With a good thrashing to boot, I suppose. [No matter, if I can but slip out of the house, I don’t care what I slip into.](103) [KNICKERBOCKER _sits in arm-chair, and is attired by_ ALICE _in a woman’s dress: on rising, the petticoats but reach his knees._] Confound the lower garments! they’re too short [by half.](104) ALICE. ’Tis your legs are too long [by half!](105); stoop down; [say as little as possible, and you’ll not be discovered.](106) [_He again sits._ DAME _enters._ DAME. [Well, I’ve got back and I see Mr. Van Slaus is gone! but](107) where’s that varlet, Rip; out again? Oh, that Rip! that Rip! I’ll certainly be the death of him; or he will of me, which is most likely. Alice, who have you in the chair? ALICE. The pedlar woman, aunt, who has come for the things she left. DAME. The pedlar woman—hark’ee gossip: bring no more of your rubbish here. Take yourself off, and let me have a clear house. KNICKERBOCKER. [_Aside._] ’Gad, I wish I was safely cleared out of it. [KNICKERBOCKER _rises, hobbles forward; but, forgetting the shortness of the petticoats, in curtseying, is discovered by the_ DAME, _from the exposure of his legs._ DAME.