[_With malicious hostility._] You take care, August! Watch out! BERND Peace! Don't be quarrelsome! In God's name! STRECKMANN The dam' carrion always spits at me! AUGUST Carrion is a dead beast ...! STRECKMANN August, let's be at peace. Father Bernd is right; people ought to like each other! An' it isn't Christian the way you act sour like! Come on now! Have a drink! You're not good-lookin', your worst enemy'd have to admit that, but you're fine when it comes to readin' an' writin' an' you've got your affairs pretty well arranged! Well, then, here's to your weddin'--an early one an' a merry one! _BERND takes the bottle and drinks since AUGUST remains quite unresponsive._ STRECKMANN I take that real kind o' you, father Bernd. BERND When it comes to drinkin' to a happy weddin', I makes an exception! STRECKMANN Exactly! That's proper! That's right!--It isn't as if I was a horse-boy to-day as in the old times on the estate when you had the whip hand o' me. I've gotten to be a reputable kind o' feller. Anybody that's got a head on his shoulders makes his way. BERND God bestows his favours on them he wants to.--[_To AUGUST._] Drink to a happy weddin'. AUGUST [_Takes the bottle._] May God grant it! We don't have to drink to it. STRECKMANN [_Slapping his thigh._] An' may he give plenty o' little Augusts, so that the grandfather can be glad. An' the oldest of 'em all must grow up to be a squire!--But now you ought to let Rosie have a drink too. BERND You're weepin', Rosie. What's troublin' you? MARTHEL The tears keep runnin' out o' her eyes all the time. AUGUST [_To ROSE._] Drink a drop, so's to let him have his will. _ROSE takes the bottle, overcoming her repugnance by a violent effort._ STRECKMANN Right down with it now! Let's be jolly! _ROSE drinks trembling and hands back the bottle to AUGUST with undisguised disgust._ BERND [_Softly in his paternal pride to STRECKMANN._] There's a girl for you! He'd better keep a good hold o' her. THE CURTAIN FALLS. THE SECOND ACT