Let her be! Let her be! Don't talk no more. Maybe he was a bit rough with her for all she brought money to him. She had to sew an' sew an' earn money.... No wonder she can't find no rest. LEONTINE Why did she have to go an' marry Langheinrich? MRS. FIELITZ Let them old stories be! I don't like to hear about 'em. My head's full enough o' trouble without 'em. I don't know what's wrong with me anyhow. A body sees ghosts enough now an' then without thinkin' o' the past. LEONTINE I must say, though, that if he's unfaithful to me that way.... MRS. FIELITZ Langheinrich? Let him go an' be. When it comes to that, there ain't no man that's any good. If there was to be a single one whom you could go an' depend on when it comes to that--it'd be somethin' new to me.--Main thing is to be at your post. The man ain't bad. He means reel well. Be savin'. You know how careful he is! An' take care o' his bit o' clothes an' be good to his little girl. He don't object to your boy. [_FIELITZ re-enters clad in his long, black Sunday coat._] You can't go to that dinner lookin' like that. Come here an' I'll sew on that there button. FIELITZ 'Tain't possible you'll do that much! Don't go an' hurt yourself now. MRS. FIELITZ [_Holds his garment with her left hand and sews, still seated._] It ain't nobody's fault if a body can't get around so quick no more. You gets well enough taken care of. FIELITZ Aw, them times is past! You needn't lie atop of it all! I'm like a old bootjack--kicked in a corner.--Has anybody been shovin' my clock? LEONTINE It's likely. He's got a screw loose. [_Exit._ FIELITZ You just wait! MRS. FIELITZ Langheinrich was just jokin'? FIELITZ I'll show the whole crowd o' you somethin' now that I got on top. I c'n go an' stand up to any man yet! MRS. FIELITZ Well, o' course. There ain't nobody doubts that. FIELITZ I just want you to wait two years an' see who it'll be that has made the most money: Schmarowski, Langheinrich or me! MRS. FIELITZ I don't see what grudge you got against Langheinrich? He went an' took us into his house.... FIELITZ He did that 'cause he's got his reason an' 'cause he wants a high rent. MRS. FIELITZ You better be glad he is the way he is. FIELITZ On account o' that bit o' business with the fuse? You go right ahead an' let him trample on you. MRS. FIELITZ What was that there about a fuse? FIELITZ That business? What d'you s'ppose? Dr. Boxer talked about it too. MRS. FIELITZ I don't know nothin' about them affairs o' yours. FIELITZ Mother, I got a good conscience. MRS. FIELITZ You c'n go an' put it in a glass case. FIELITZ Mother, I ain't sayin' nothin' else right now ... MRS. FIELITZ That's all foolishness! FIELITZ All right. MRS. FIELITZ Schmarowski was here. How's that now with, the mortgage? FIELITZ You mean that my mortgage is now the fourth? MRS. FIELITZ Anybody knows that a buildin' like that costs money. FIELITZ