[Exit quickly through centre door.]

Enter PIEPENBRINK, MRS. PIEPENBRINK, BERTHA escorted by FRITZ KLEINMICHEL, and KLEINMICHEL through centre door.  Quadrille behind the scenes.

PIEPENBRINK.  Thank Heaven, we are out of this crowd!

MRS. PIEPENBRINK.  It is very hot.

KLEINMICHEL.  And the music is too loud.  There are too many trumpets and I hate trumpets.

PIEPENBRINK.  Here’s a quiet spot; we’ll sit down here.

FRITZ.  Bertha would prefer staying in the ball-room.  Might I not go back with her?

PIEPENBRINK.  I have no objection to you young people going back into the ball-room, but I prefer your staying here with us.  I like to keep my whole party together.

MRS. PIEPENBRINK.  Stay with your parents, my child!

PIEPENBRINK.  Sit down! (To his wife.) You sit at the corner, Fritz comes next to me.  You take Bertha between you, neighbors.  Her place will soon be at your table, anyway.

[They seat themselves at the table on the right—­at the left corner MRS. PIEPENBRINK, then he himself, FRITZ, BERTHA, KLEINMICHEL.]

FRITZ.  When will “soon” be, godfather?  You have been saying that this long time, but you put off the wedding day further and further.

PIEPENBRINK.  That is no concern of yours.

FRITZ.  I should think it is, godfather!  Am I not the man that wants to marry Bertha?

PIEPENBRINK.  That’s a fine argument!  Any one can want that.  But it’s I who am to give her to you, which is more to the point, young man; for it is going to be hard enough for me to let the little wag-tail leave my nest.  So you wait.  You shall have her, but wait!

KLEINMICHEL.  He will wait, neighbor.

PIEPENBRINK.  Well, I should strongly advise him to do so.  Hey!  Waiter, waiter!

[Illustration:  Permission F. Bruckman, A.-G.  Munich ON THE TERRACE ADOLF VON MENZEL]

MRS. PIEPENBRINK.  What poor service one gets in such places!

PIEPENBRINK.  Waiter!

[Waiter comes.]

My name is Piepenbrink.  I brought along six bottles of my own wine. 
The restaurant-keeper has them.  I should like them here.

[While the waiter is bringing the bottles and glasses BOLZ and KAeMPE appear.  Waiter from time to time in the background.]

BOLZ (aside to KAeMPE).  Which one is it?

KAeMPE.  The one with his back to us, the broad-shouldered one.

BOLZ.  And what kind of a business does he carry on?

KAeMPE.  Chiefly red wines.

BOLZ.  Good! (Aloud.) Waiter, a table and two chairs here!  A bottle of red wine!

[Waiter brings what has been ordered to the front, on the left.]

MRS. PIEPENBRINK.  What are those people doing here?

PIEPENBRINK.  That is the trouble with such promiscuous assemblies, that one never can be alone.