marry due to their families' dislike of each other. Wacław proposes that they run away together, but Klara refuses. In order to be close to her, Wacław presents himself as an employee of the Regent and gives himself up as a hostage to Papkin, supposedly caught up in the struggle over the wall. Act II Wacław makes an unsuccessful attempt to convince Cześnik to reconcile with his father. Cześnik declares that it would sooner come about that the sun would stop in place and the water dry out of the seas than he and Rejent would have peace. Wacław bribes Papkin to let him stay and agrees with Klara to convince Podstolina, just that day engaged to Cześnik, to intervene on their behalf. When Wacław meets with Podstolina, it turns out that she is a former lover of Wacław, to whom he had presented himself untruthfully as a prince. Despite this, Podstolina decides that she prefers Wacław to Cześnik. Papkin declares his love for Klara. Klara, who does not love him, demands impossible things of him as 'proof' of his sentiments - to spend half a year in silence, to survive on bread and water for just over a year, and to bring her a crocodile. Cześnik wants to duel with Rejent and sends Papkin over to arrange this. Act III Rejent Milczek prepares to raise a legal action against Cześnik. He convinces the bricklayers that the very minor scratches that they suffered count as wounds and that they have been deprived of work (because he himself will not pay them). Wacław comes to ask him to allow him to marry Klara. Instead, Rejent announces that he must marry Podstolina, providing an agreement that whichever one of them breaks it off will have to pay the other 100 thousand. Papkin arrives with a letter from Cześnik inviting Rejent for a duel. Papkin drinks some wine he criticises. Although he starts off bragging, deceived by Rejent's unassuming manner, he begins to be greatly afraid and can barely issue the challenge, after being threatened with being thrown out of the window and the placement of four servants outside the door. Podstolina comes in with the agreement of marriage to Wacław, which she has signed. Papkin finds out that she has jilted Cześnik. Papkin gets thrown down the stairs. Act IV Papkin comes back from Rejent and brags about his courage. Cześnik suggests