In one old merry
night ... ha, ha!

ANTOINETTE (leans back in her chair). My husband is no longer conscious
of what he is saying!

LASKOWSKI. Me? Not conscious?... Don't I know. Word for word! Shall I
tell you, dearie? What you said and what I said and what Paul said to
you ... Antoinette, how are you?... How are you Antoinette? (Short
laugh.) Well, do I know, dearie? Did I hold on to it?

PAUL. One must excuse you in your condition.

VON TIEDEMANN. Don't worry about _him_, madam. He's one of these
fellows with a big purse. He may chuckle! I can foresee that he will
buy up the whole county some day!

LASKOWSKI. Just what I'll do. What's the price of the world! Five bits
a fling!... We can still raise that much. The more foolish the farmer,
the bigger his spuds!

MERTENS. His sugar-beets!

LASKOWSKI. I say, boys!... Do you know how many tons of sugar-beets I
raised to the acre! Last round?

VON TIEDEMANN. Now, don't Spread it on!

LASKOWSKI (jumps up). Fellows! My word of honor! I'm not lying!
Thirty-five tons an acre! Who can match that? Nobody can! I can! I'm a
devil of a fellow, I've always said so, ain't I, dearie? You know! (He
strikes his chest and sits down.)

VON TIEDEMANN. Thirty-five ton per acre! Ridiculous!

MERTENS. I can honestly swear to the contrary!

LASKOWSKI. And your dad, I tell you he was mad! He just couldn't look
at me! But I don't bear him any grudge! I'm a man of honor! Shake
hands, old chap! You say so, ain't I a man of honor? Put 'er there! Man
of honor face to face with man of honor. But you must look at me, man
alive! Or I won't believe you! (He extends his hand over to PAUL.)

PAUL (negative gesture). Never mind! Just believe me.

LASKOWSKI (looks at ANTOINETTE). Dearie, don't make such a face! Eat!
Eat!... So you can get strong, so you can survive your poor Heliodor!
(All except PAUL and ANTOINETTE laugh.)

DR. BODENSTEIN (to MERTENS). Incipient delirium!

[MRS. VON TIEDEMANN whispers something into MERTENS' ear.]

PAUL (to ANTOINETTE). You really haven't taken a thing, madam!

ANTOINETTE. I am not hungry. But will the ladies and gentlemen not take
something more? A little more of the dessert, perhaps.

VON TIEDEMANN. No, thanks, madam! I can't eat another thing! Not if I
try! Or I'll burst!

MRS. VON TIEDEMANN (reproachfully). Fritz!

DR. BODENSTEIN. Albumen! Fat! Carbo-hydrates! _In hoc signo vinces._

MERTENS. And now a little cup of coffee!

VON TIED