[_Whispers._] I'm h-hungry. WOMAN I think he says-- DREISSIGER We'll find out. Don't stop. Let us get him into my room. He can lie on the sofa there, We'll hear what the doctor says. _DREISSIGER, NEUMANN, and the woman lead the boy into the office. The weavers begin to behave like school-children when their master has left the classroom. They stretch themselves, whisper, move from one foot to the other, and in the course of a few moments are conversing loudly._ OLD BAUMERT I believe as how Becker was right. CHORUS OF WEAVERS AND WOMEN "He did say something like that."--"It's nothin' new here to fall down from hunger."--"God knows what's to come of 'em in winter if this cuttin' down o' wages goes on."--"An' this year the potatoes aren't no good at all."--"Things'll get worse and worse till we're all done for together." OLD BAUMERT The best thing a man could do would be to put a rope round his neck and hang hisself on his own loom, like weaver Nentwich. [_To another old weaver._] Here, take a pinch. I was at Neurode yesterday. My brother-in-law, he works in the snuff factory there, and he give me a grain or two. Have you anything good in your kerchief? OLD WEAVER Only a little pearl barley. I was coming along behind Ulbrich the miller's cart, and there was a slit in one of the sacks. I can tell you we'll be glad of it. OLD BAUMERT There's twenty-two mills in Peterswaldau, but of all they grind, there's never nothin' comes our way. OLD WEAVER We must keep up heart. There's always somethin' comes to help us on again. HEIBER Yes, when we're hungry, we can pray to all the saints to help us, and if that don't fill our bellies we can put a pebble in our mouths and suck it. Eh, Baumert? _Re-enter DREISSIGER, PFEIFER, AND NEUMANN._ DREISSIGER