[_After a silence._] August he's such a peevish kind....

ROSE

I don't want to hear nothing. Leave me alone! Your quarrels don't concern me! One o' you is no better'n another.

STRECKMANN

Well, in some things--when it comes to bein' bold.

ROSE

Oh, heavens! That boldness o' yours. We knows that. Go about an' asks the women folks a bit. No, August isn't that kind.

STRECKMANN

[_Laughs with lascivious boastfulness._] I'm not denyin' that.

ROSE

An' you couldn't.

STRECKMANN

[_Looking at her sharply through half-closed lids._] It's not comfortable to make a fool o' me. What I wants of a woman--I gets.

ROSE

[_Jeeringly._] Oho!

STRECKMANN

Yes, oho! What would you wager, Rosie! You been makin' eyes at me many a time.

[_He has approached and offered to put his arms around her._

ROSE

Don't be foolish, Streckmann! Keep your hands off o' me!

STRECKMANN

If it was....

ROSE

[_Thrusts him away._] Streckmann! I've been tellin' you! I don't want to have nothin' to do with you men. Go your own way.

STRECKMANN

What am I doin' to you?--[_After a silence with a smile that is half malicious, half embarra.s.sed._] You wait! You'll be comin' to me one o'

these days! I'm tellin' you: you'll be comin' to me yourself some day!

You can act as much like a saint as you wants to.--D'you see that cross?

D'you see that tree? Confound it! There's all kinds o' things! I've been no kind o' a saint myself! But ... right under a cross ... you might be sayin' just that ... I'm not so very partic'lar, but I'd take shame at that. What would your father be sayin' or August? Now, just f'r instance: this pear tree is hollow. Well an' good. There was a rifle in there.

ROSE

[_Has been listening more and more intently in the course of her work.

Deadly pale and quivering she bursts out involuntarily:_] What are you sayin'?

STRECKMANN

Nothin'!--I'm sayin' nothin' more.--But when a feller hasn't no notion of nothin' an' is thinkin' no ill, a wench like you acts as high an' mighty!

ROSE

[_Losing self-control and leaping in front of him in her terror._] What is't you say?

STRECKMANN

[_Calmly returning her terrible gaze._] I said: A wench like you.

ROSE

An' what's the meanin' o' that?

STRECKMANN

That's got no special meanin'.

ROSE

[_Clenches her fists and pierces him with her eyes in an intense pa.s.sion of rage, hate, terror and consternation until in the consciousness of her powerlessness she drops her arms and utters almost whiningly the words:_]

I'll know how to get my good right about this!

[_Holding her right arm before her weeping eyes and wiping her face with the left, she returns, sobbing brokenly, to her work._

STRECKMANN

[_Looks after her with his old expression of malicious coldness and determination. Gradually he is seized with a desire to laugh and finally bursts out:_] That's the way things go! Don't worry a bit.--What do you take me for anyhow, Rose? What's the row about? This kind o' thing don't do no harm! Why shouldn't a person fool her neighbours? Why not? Who made 'em so stupid? Them as can do it are the finest women in the world! Of course, a man like me knows how things are! You can believe me--I've always known about you.

ROSE

[_Beside herself._] Streckmann! I'll do myself some harm! Do you hear? Or else go away from our bit o' patch! Go ... I ... something awful will happen, I tell you!

STRECKMANN

[_Sits down and claps his flat hands over his knees._] For goodness'

sake! Don't carry on so! D'you think I'll be goin' about everywhere an'

tellin' what I know an' rakin' you over the coals? How does it concern me, I'd like to know, what your goin's on are?