My wife who's in her grave demands that of me! An' my honour demands it ... the honour o' my house and o' my lass. An' yours, too, if you come to think. AUGUST Father Bernd, father Bernd, how am I to speak to you if you're so set on not makin' peace? You've spoke o' so many kinds of honour. But we're not to seek our honour or glory in this world, but God's only an' no other! BERND 'Tis otherwise in this matter. Here woman's honour is God's too! Or have you any complaint to make against Rose? AUGUST I've said to you: I make no complaint! BERND Or is your own conscience troublin' you on her account? AUGUST You know me in that respeck, father Bernd. Before I'd depart from the straight an' narrow way ... BERND Well, then. I know that! I always knew that! An' so justice can take its course. AUGUST [_Wiping the sweat from his forehead._] If only we knew where Rose is! BERND Maybe she isn't back from the court at Striegau yet! AUGUST An examination like that don't take very long. She meant to be home by five o'clock. BERND Maybe she went to buy some things on the way. Wasn't she to get several things yet? I thought you were wantin' one thing or another. AUGUST But she didn't take along any money. An' the things we was needin' for the shop--curtains for the windows an' the door--we intended to buy those together. BERND I was thinkin' that she'd come with you! AUGUST I went to meet her on the road--more'n a mile, but I heard an' saw nothin' of her. Instead o' that, I met Streckmann. BERND I calls that meetin' the devil! AUGUST Ah, father, that man has a wife an' children too! His sins are no fault o' theirs! What good does it do me that he's got to go to gaol? If a man repents ... that's all I asks! BERND That bad man don't know repentance! AUGUST It looked very much as if he did. BERND Did you speak to him? AUGUST He gave me no peace. He ran along next to me an' talked an' talked. There wasn't a soul to be seen far an' wide! In the end I felt sorry for him; I couldn't help it. BERND You answered him! What did he say? AUGUST He said you should withdraw your suit. BERND