"THE BURNING SOIL" "THE DRAMA OF AN AMBITIOUS PERSON IN SIX ACTS" "FIRST ACT" "God protect us!" "On a night like this, the old man of the field could easily return!" "May he rest in peace." "Don't tell those stories in this house." "But, day and night, he could not free his spirit from this place." "He seemed to be Satan's toy." "He ordered his peasants and his servants to work hard digging a well, because... the old man Rog is suffering." "Shall I visit him?" "I don't want you to go out on a night like this..." "Hasn't Johannes arrived yet?" "Gerda, for 2 months, I have no news." "I'm dying from anguish and impatience." "Johannes is going to see his dying father." "I'll accompany Llewellyn to see for myself." "Don't you want to go with me to the spinners?" "To hear the story of Devil's Field for the umpteenth time?" "Johannes has not arrived yet." "Do you want to go to look for the parish priest, Maria?" "Soon it will be the end..." "Why the hell don't you take the direct route?" "By night, ten horses wouldn't make me go by the damned chapel." "We must go by the direct route, as my father is dying...!" "No, I will not say anything." "The count has forbidden it." "Tell them, Maria!" "I adore those old stories!" "There, where you find today the expiatory chapel of Satan in person." "He ordered his servants and his peasants to dig a deep well because he was convinced that there was buried treasure, and he could not rest until he found it." "Don't push your luck." "If the land does not bear fruit, it is because it is damned." "They managed to put out the flames, and, in expiation, built a chapel." "But ever since, no grass, no tree has grown on the Devil's Field." "And whatever happens there, you must make the sign of the cross." "As to Johannes, he is too ambitious to be a peasant." "He should stay on the farm and marry Maria." "Too late..." "The parish priest left." "Father has died." "Johannes has arrived too late." "Why do the village dogs howl so?" "It's death they sense." "...to find the secret treasure, my descendants must excavate the ground without ceasing until they find the treasure of Devil's Field, and then take advantage of its riches." "Not always..." "END OF THE FIRST ACT" "SECOND ACT" "Forgive me for coming so soon." "I have just arrived in the city..." "Gerda's last letter upset me so." "Have you sent for me, dad?" "Llewellyn has died." "How much more time will you waste with your whims?" "I cannot tolerate this any longer." "You will have to make a decision if you want marry or not..." "Forgive me, my horse awaits me." "For a peasant, bread is sacred." "Johannes, don't play with your bread." "Another thing, Johannes." "You don't come on time to work or to meals." "You were born on this land, but you care less than a foreigner about it." "... at the least, do you envy me the farm?" "I don't want anything to do with that farm." "Aren't you ashamed to trick her out of the land where she was born?" "I have breathed the beau monde's air." "I cannot live like a peasant in those places where I would drown, where men are beasts." "Do I harness the red horse or the bay?" "You will have to be content with my company, Ludwig." "Gerda has gone out." "If you want to remain on the farm, go see my father." "You always got along well with him." "Will you tell us about your walk?" "My new secretary." "I cannot live in uncertainty, Gerda." "When will you become my wife?" "I don't know!" "END OF THE SECOND ACT" "THIRD ACT" "Are you going to ride with Johannes every day?" "Is that inconvenient?" "Does he really know what to do?" "There they are, riding side by side!" "Jealous, my little one?" "I wanted to ask you, Peter, if you could use me as a housemaid on the farm." "That way, I can await the day Johannes returns." "If you have a moment, Gerda, I want to talk with you." "Are you convinced that the Devil's Field contains oil?" "Unless all our calculations and investigations are mistaken ... yes!" "Don't you think, Gerda, that your bridegroom will resent your daily rides with Johannes?" "I should write up my last will and testament, Johannes." "Every minute counts!" "I won't quit until I succeed, and if Ludwig agrees..." "I, Josef Emanuel, Count Von Rudenberg, declare myself to be in possession of all my mental faculties." "Upon my death, my daughter Gerda, being born of my first marriage with Clarisse Rudenberg, Countess Calas, will inherit all my fortune, that is, all my goods, houses and castles, to dispose of as she sees fit." "My wife Helga will inherit the lot known as the Field of the Devil." "I specify that she may also have Castle Rudenberg." "Josef von Rudenberg" "As your father's wife, I ask you not expose yourself to gossip by being seen so often with Johannes!" "Would the honor of this house concern you so much if Johannes chose to go riding with you?" "It's an idea..." "Even if I loved you more than life, Johannes, and if I were dying of solitude and grief, nothing in the world would make me sacrifice my husband's honor." "Do you love him?" "Yes, I love him!" "And you, Johannes?" "Do you love Helga?" "Since you have written up my will for Helga, this must come from a sincere heart." "The doctor has only given me a few weeks to live." "Your patience will not be put to the test." "After that, you may marry when and with whom you wish." "I don't care." "END OF THE THIRD ACT" "FOURTH ACT" "THE SECOND WEDDING" "If this requirement is met within 24 hours, we would be ready to negotiate with you." "At last!" "The Devil's Field..." "I should go to the city... and the formidable treasure that sleeps under the Devil's Field only needs to be dug up!" "Days and nights follow one after the other." "Must I sacrifice my life because of this inheritance?" "Can I be useful to you, Countess?" "Peter, please address me as Helga." "After all, you are my brother-in-law." "Peter, you are the wisest village peasant." "All come to see you with their worries and desires." "Do you know somebody in the region who will buy the Devil's Field?" "In this area, nobody will buy the Devil's Field." "It would be unlucky." "And what would a farmer do with it?" "Our society offers you the sum of twenty million in exchange for rights to the Devil's Field." "Then I will search for a buyer in town." "How much would the lot cost?" "Twelve thousand marks?" "That's a lot of money for unproductive land." "Would you accept 25 million marks?" "As for me, I hadn't planned to sell the Devil's Field." "This cannot only be about exploiting the oil." "But I will accept twelve thousand marks...this will prevent it from falling into someone else's hands." "We're going to close the deal in writing...for better or for worse!" "I bear witness of having sold my lot called the Devil's Field to Peter Rog for the sum of twelve thousand marks." "Helga Rog, widow, Countess Rudenberg." "I have the honor of telling you that the Commerce Minister would be pleased to receive you this afternoon." "The government expresses its gratitude and recognition." "By opening up these riches, you are rendering a great service to the whole country." "END OF THE FOURTH ACT" "FIFTH ACT" "On the following day, Johannes returns to Castle Rudenberg." "He thinks only about having everything that he ever dreamed of: being powerful and rich." "Where did this money come from?" "It is what I got for the Devil's Field ..." "I sold the Devil's Field for twelve thousand marks to Peter!" "Do you know what you have done?" "You have sold a piece of land worth millions for a small sum!" "There is an oil field underneath that ground!" "Then, did you know that I would inherit a lot worth millions?" "So, then, you never loved me!" "You should annul that sale as quickly as you can!" "Maria, do you want to be my wife?" "I'm a housemaid on this farm while Johannes has prospered." "Forget your question, Peter, as I will forget." "If not, I will have to leave this house." "It is just to suffer for your cause." "But I can never suffer for you, Peter, because I don't love you." "I beg you, Peter, for God's sake, take the money and return the contract to me." "Otherwise, Peter, I will despair!" "I must speak with you, Peter!" "The tureen is not empty." "Take a seat and eat!" "We'll talk later." "My wife has made a contract for the sale with you." "It's necessary to annul it." "As far as I know, your wife is of age, and she may do with her inheritance as she pleases!" "But she didn't know what she was selling when she sold the Devil's Field." "How could she have known that the Devil's Field had an oil field underneath it?" "Has anyone in your town disappeared?" "OK, I'll give her back her lot!" "I'll never deal with you again!" "Get out, everyone!" "This man must look to his conscience." "END OF THE FIFTH ACT" "SIXTH ACT" "The general manager, Rog, has a business meeting." "I have orders to keep all visitors out." "Is it true, Johannes, that Helga killed herself because you didn't love her?" "Realize, Johannes...you didn't love Helga, only her money!" "I love you, Johannes!" "Tell me that you didn't ever love her..." "I didn't love you or her!" "It was only pure ambition..." "Take this message quickly to Castle Llewellyn." "The drilling tests surpassed all our expectations." "It's possible to begin drilling immediately." "Forgive me, Ludwig!" "I refused you." "But now, my love has also been refused." "You are good and will forgive me." "But I cannot!" "I want to get revenge...and to atone at the same time, Gerda." "Our Father who art in Heaven." "Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven." "And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those that trespass against us." "The Devil's Field is in flames!" "Never again...never again will hellfire be extinguished in me!" "Good news, sir!" "Everybody is helping." "The fire is under control!" "The people are assembled." "I'm going to speak them." "Brother, I am not worthy of the hand that you offer me." "Forgive me, Peter, I've offended you." "I have offended you and the country where I was born." "Forgive me, Maria!" "I have offended you, and I despised your love." "Forgive me my sins!" "I have offended you because I wanted to be superior to you!" "Did you know that I would return to the house today?" "We have waited for you every day." "Your room has always been prepared." "THE END"