What? 'Tis violence that you did to me! You confused me! You broke me down! You pounced on me like a wild beast! I know! I tried to get out by the door! An' you took hold an' you rent my bodice an' my skirt! I bled! I might ha' gotten out by the door! Then you shot the latch! That's a crime, a crime! An' I'll denounce.... _BERND and AUGUST appear on the scene. After them KLEINERT and GOLISCH and the other field hands._ BERND [_Close to STRECKMANN._] What's all this? What did you do to my lass? AUGUST [_Pulls BERND back and thrusts himself forward._] 'Tis my place, father. What did you do to Rosie? STRECKMANN Nothin'! BERND [_Coming forward again._] What did you do to the lass? STRECKMANN Nothin'! AUGUST [_Approaching STRECKMANN once more._] You'll tell us now what you did to her! STRECKMANN Nothin'! The devil! I say nothin'! AUGUST You'll either be tellin' us now what you did to her--or ... STRECKMANN Or? Well, what? What about "or"?--Hands off!... Take your hands from my throat!! KLEINERT [_Trying to separate them._] Hold on, now. STRECKMANN Hands off, I tell you! BERND You'll have to take the consequences now! Either ... AUGUST What did you do to the girl? STRECKMANN [_Backing, in sudden fright, toward the pear tree, cries out:_] Help! AUGUST What did you do to the girl? Answer me that! I got to know that! [_He has freed himself and faces STRECKMANN._ STRECKMANN [_Lifts his arm and strikes AUGUST full in the face._] There's my answer! That's what I did! KLEINERT Streckmann! OLD MRS. GOLISCH Catch hold o' August! He's fallin'! HEAD MAID [_Supports the falling man._] August! BERND [_Paying no attention to AUGUST, but addressing STRECKMANN:_] You'll have to account for this! It'll be brought home to you! STRECKMANN What? On account o' that there wench that's common to anybody as wants her.... [_Withdraws._ BERND What was that he said ...? KLEINERT [_Who is helping the MAID, HAHN, GOLISCH and MRS. GOLISCH support AUGUST._] His eye is out! OLD MRS. GOLISCH Father Bernd, August didn't fare so very well this time.... KLEINERT 'Tis an evil wooin' that he has! BERND What? How? Christ In Heaven! [_He goes to him._] August! AUGUST My left eye hurts that bad! BERND Rose, bring some water! OLD MRS. GOLISCH 'Tis a misfortune. BERND Rose, fetch some water! D'you hear me? GOLISCH That'll mean a good year o' prison! ROSE [_Suddenly awakening from a dazed condition._] He says ... he says ... What's the meanin' o' ... Didn't I get a doll o' Christmas.... THE MAID [_To ROSE._] Are you asleep? ROSE ... There's no tellin' what ... No, lass: it can't be done! Such things don't come to good! ... Mebbe a girl can't do without a mother. THE CURTAIN FALLS THE FOURTH ACT