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