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 la.s.s?

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 la.s.s?

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