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 customed to him. She told her brother, who didn't want to hear of the plan, that such a man would value his wife more than could some young fop, and that he would carry out every wish of Elška’s who would be a lady, well provided for and, should he die, there would be no worries about the future.

“And if my brother should die,” she reasoned in her mind further, “I’ll have a place to go.”

In short, Miss Pepinka knew how to manage cleverly so that the steward visited the parish often, and finally even the priest made no further objection. The good pastor got accustomed to him and missed the steward when he did not come for supper and he had only Miss Pepinka and the sexton or the schoolmaster to play cards with. Elška at first had no idea of Pepinka’s plan, and listened to praises of his goodness and wealth with about as much concern as she paid to his awkward enough courting. But the steward became more insistent, and her aunt more open in her designs until Elška comprehended fully. It amused her, but when her aunt made it clear that the matter was serious, reprimanding her severely, and when the priest counselled her to accept the steward, she began to be gloomy, to avoid the steward and to hasten with her burdens to Bára.

Bára learned Miss Pepinka’s plan from the lady herself, for Pepinka wished her to aid in persuading Elška. But she struck the wrong note there, for even if Bára had not known of Elška’s love she would not