She can lift a sack o' wheat and drag it to the very top o' the barn. This very mornin' I saw her with a great heavy chest o' drawers on a wheelbarrow, trundlin' it over to the new house. That there girl has got sap an' strength. She'll take care o' her household. HAHN If I could get along in the world like August in other respecks, my faith, I wouldn't a bit mind tryin'; I'd see what bein' pious can do for a man. GOLISCH You've got to know how to run after good fortune; then you'll get hold of it. HAHN When you consider how he used to go around from village to village with a sack full o' tracts; an' how, after that, he used to be writin' letters for people ... an' now, to-day, he's got the finest bit o' property an' can marry the handsomest girl in the county. _ROSE BERND approaches. In a basket she is carrying the evening meal for AUGUST and OLD BERND._ ROSE A good afternoon to you. SEVERAL VOICES Good evenin'!--Good evenin'! Many thanks! GOLISCH You're lettin' your sweetheart starve, Rosie. ROSE [_Merrily unpacking the food._] Don't you worry! He don't starve so easy as that. HEINZEL You must be feedin' him well, Rosie, or he'll put on no flesh. GOLISCH That's true. He'll be a sight too lean for you, lass. BERND Where have you been keepin' yourself so long? We've been waitin' this half hour. AUGUST [_In a subdued but annoyed voice._] An' now the whole crowd is here again! An' we might have been through this long time. OLD MRS. GOLISCH Let him scold, lass, an' don't mind it. ROSE Who's scoldin'? There's no one here to scold. August wouldn't do it in a lifetime. OLD MRS. GOLISCH Even so! But that's right: you shouldn't care nothin' about it. HEINZEL 'Cause, if he don't scold now, that'll be comin' later. ROSE I'm not afraid o' that ever comin'. GOLISCH You're mighty friendly, all of a sudden. ROSE We was always agreed with each other, wasn't we, August? What are you laughin' at? [_She kisses him. Laughter is heard among the people._] GOLISCH Well, well, and I thought as I might be climbin' into her window some day. KLEINERT If you did, you'd be carrying home your bones in a handkerchief! THE HEAD MAID SERVANT [_Sarcastically._] O Lordy, Lordy! I'd try it all the same. You can't never tell. BERND [_Sombre but calm._] Take care what you're sayin', woman. KLEINERT Hear what he says, I tell you! Be careful of what you're sayin'. Old Bernd, he don't take no jokes. ROSE She's not sayin' anythin' special. Let her be. KLEINERT [_Lighting his pipe._] He may be lookin' real mild now, but when he lets go, you won't hardly believe it. I know how it used to be when he was manager of the estate; the women folks didn't have much cause for laughin' then. He got the upper hand o' ten like you; there wasn't no gaddin 'about with fellers for them! HEAD MAID SERVANT Who's gaddin' about with fellers, I'd like to know! KLEINERT You'd better be askin' the machinist, Streckmann, HEAD MAID SERVANT