[_Looks at him long with smouldering hatred; represses his rage and grasps the whisky bottle which has been handed back to him._] Give it to me! A feller's got to drown his sorrow!--[_To ROSE._] You needn't be lookin' at me; a bargain's a bargain. [_He gets up._] I'm goin'!--I don't want to come between you. ROSE You can go or you can stay for all I care. OLD MRS. GOLISCH [_Calling STRECKMANN back._] Look here, Streckmann, what was that happened t'other day? About three weeks ago at the threshin' machine?... [_Men and women burst into laughter._ STRECKMANN That's all over. I don't know nothin' about that. OLD MRS. GOLISCH An' yet, you swore by all that was good and holy.... KLEINERT You people stop your gossippin'. OLD MRS. GOLISCH He needn't be talkin' so big all the time. STRECKMANN [_Comes back._] And I tell you what I says, that I puts through. I'll be damned if I don't! Let it go at that. I don't say no more. [_Exit._ OLD MRS. GOLISCH It's done just as easy without talkin'. STRECKMANN [_Comes back, is about to speak out, but restrains himself._] Never mind! I don't walk into no such trap! But if you want to know exactly what it's all about, ask August there or father Bernd. BERND What's all this about? What's this we're supposed to know? OLD MRS. GOLISCH 'Twas that time you went to the magistrate's, 'twas that time! An' didn't Streckmann pass you on the road an' didn't he cry out somethin' after ye? KLEINERT It's about time for you to be stoppin'. OLD MRS. GOLISCH An' why, I'd like to know? That's all nothin' but a joke ... People wonders if that there time you all agreed, or if Rosie wasn't so willin' to join in! BERND God Almighty forgive you all for your sins! What I wants to ask you is this: Why can't the whole crowd o' you leave us in peace? Or is it that we ever did any harm to any o' ye? GOLISCH An' we're not doin' any wrong neither. ROSE An' whether I was willin' on that day or not--you needn't give yourself no concern about that! I'm willin' now an' that settles it, KLEINERT That's the right way, Rosie! AUGUST [_Who has hitherto been reading, with apparent absorption, in his New Testament, now closes the book and arises._] Come, father, let's go to work. HAHN That takes it out o' you more than pastin' prayer books together or stirrin' the paste in your pot! HEINZEL And how do you think he'll feel after the weddin'? A girl like Rosie--she makes demands! [_Laughter._ STRECKMANN [_Also laughing._] Gee ...! I almost said somethin' I oughtn't to!--[_He steps back among the people._] I'll give you a riddle to guess. Shall I? Still waters run deep! 'Tis bad. You mustn't taste blood--no, no! The thirst only gets worse an' worse--that's all. OLD MRS. GOLISCH What's that? Where did you get the taste o' blood? BERND I suppose he means the taste for whisky! STRECKMANN