Tartar. De second one make her pay for de virst. Ha, ha, ha! I’m stewed fun dat is a fact! HERMAN. Nicholas Von Vedder, say—[_Producing paper._]—is this contract to be fulfilled? VEDDER. Certainly. Lowena, the time for trifling is past; you have delayed until the very last hour, and must now at once consent to become Herman’s wife. LOWENA. Never! Welcome poverty, if I may be wealthy only with that man for my husband. Whatever privations I may be made to endure, I shall not repine; for he whom I love will share them with me. RIP. [_Aside._] Dat is mine own girl, I vill swear to dat. GUSTAVE. I am poor, Lowena, but my love will give me courage to toil manfully, and heaven will smile upon my efforts and enable me to replace that fortune which, for my sake, you so readily sacrifice. HERMAN. Well, be it as you will. This document gives me a claim which may not be evaded. [_Reads._] “We, Deidrich Van Slous, Burgomaster, and Rip Van Winkle, desirous of providing for the prosperity of our offspring, do hereby mutually agree that Herman Van Slous, and Lowena Van Winkle, shall be united on the demand of either. Whosoever of those contracted fails in fulfilling the agreement shall forfeit their fortune to the party complaining.—Rip Van Winkle—Deidrich Van Slous.” RIP. [_Aside._] Yes, dat is a fact—I remember dat baber, and I’ve got him somevheres. [_Feels in his pockets._ VEDDER. Lowena, I command that you consent to become Herman’s wife—I will not suffer that your fortune be sacrificed to— HERMAN. And here is the now useless codicil. RIP. [_Advancing, paper in hand._] Let me read it. [_All turn amazedly towards him._] “Should the said Rip Van Winkle tink fit to annul dis contract vithin twenty years and a day, he shall be at full liberty to do so.” HERMAN. How came you by that document? RIP. You see I’ve got it, and dat is a fact. HERMAN. Who gave it to you? RIP. Your old blackguard of a fader. DAME. Oh, you are—you are— RIP. Yes, I am—I am Rip Van Winkle! [_All start._—DAME, _with a loud scream, falls into_ Knickerbocker’s _arms._] Dere! for de first time in my life, I have doubled up my old woman! KNICKERBOCKER _carries off_ DAME. LOWENA. Oh, it is my father—my dear, dear father! [_Runs into his arms._ RIP. Yes, and you are mein taughter, my darling dat I always was