SCENE 2
[Enter Nille.]
NILLE. I wonder if anything has happened to him? What could it be? Either the devil has taken him, or, what I fear more, he's sitting at an inn drinking up the money. I was a goose to trust the drunkard with twelve pence at once. But what do I see? Isn't that himself lying there in the filth and snoring? Oh, miserable mortal that I am, to have such a beast for a husband! Your back will pay dearly for this! [She steals up to him and gives him a whack on the rump with Master Eric.]
JEPPE. Hey, hey! Help, help! What is that? Where am I? Who am I? Who is beating me? and why? Hey!
NILLE. I'll teach you what it is soon enough. [Beats him and pulls his hair.]
JEPPE. Oh, dear Nille, don't beat me any more; you don't know all that has happened to me.
NILLE. Where have you been all this time, you guzzler? Where is the soap you were to buy?
JEPPE. I couldn't get to town, Nille.
NILLE. Why not?
JEPPE. I was taken up to paradise on the way.
NILLE. To paradise! [Hits him.] To paradise. [Hits him again.] Are you going to make sport of me into the bargain?
JEPPE. O—o—o—! As true as I'm an honest man, it's so!
NILLE. What's so?
JEPPE. That I have been in paradise. [Nille repeats "in paradise," hitting him each time.] Oh, Nille, dear, don't beat me!
NILLE. Quick, confess where you've been, or I'll trounce the life out of you.
JEPPE. Oh, I'll confess, if you won't beat me any more.
NILLE. Go on, confess.
JEPPE. Swear not to beat me?
NILLE. No.
JEPPE. As true as I'm an honest man called Jeppe of the Hill, as sure as that's true, I have been in paradise and have seen things that it will stun you to hear of.
[Nille beats him again and drags him into the house by the hair.]