Herman Van Slaus, _you_ are bledged to old Nick, and vill never
be redeemed.
HERMAN. Who is this miserable old wretch?
GUSTAVE. I would kill you sooner than you should become the husband
of my heart's adored.
_Enter_ KNICKERBOCKER _and_ ALICE.
KNICKERBOCKER. So, there you are, Master Herman, sticking to your
rascally work like a crab to its shell, as fishmongers
have it.
ALICE. I should like to throw him into a saucepan of boiling water
till he was done to rags.
RIP. [_Aside._] Dat is my sister Alice--and dat is Knickerbocker--how
fat they both is got since last night! What great big
suppers they must have eat!
_Enter_ NICHOLAS VEDDER _and_ DAME VEDDER.
DAME. Oh, do try if you cannot save my poor girl!
RIP. [_Aside._] Tonner unt blitzen! dat is mein frau!
[_Retreating._] No, no! I forget--she not is mine frau
now! [_Chuckles._
DAME. Let him take half the fortune and--
VEDDER. What is that you observe?
DAME. Nothing--nothing!
VEDDER. Then don't observe it any more.
DAME. I--I only--
VEDDER. [_Shouting._] Silence!
RIP. [_Aside._] Dat is goot! [_Laughing._] Mine frau have caught a
Tartar. De second one make her pay for de virst. Ha, ha,
ha! I'm stewed fun dat is a fact!
HERMAN. Nicholas Von Vedder, say--[_Producing paper._]--is this
contract to be fulfilled?
VEDDER. Certainly. Lowena, the time for trifling is past; you have
delayed until the very last hour, and must now at once
consent to become Herman's wife.
LOWENA. Never! Welcome poverty, if I may be wealthy only with that
man for my husband. Whatever privations I may be made to
endure, I shall not repine; for he whom I love will
share them with me.
RIP. [_Aside._] Dat is mine own girl, I vill swear to dat.
GUSTAVE. I am poor, Lowena, but my love will give me courage to toil
manfully, and heaven will smile upon my efforts and
enable me to replace that fortune which, for my sake,
you so readily sacrifice.
HERMAN. Well, be it as you will. This document giv