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 not yield, but he did not speak a single word to her any more while she was there.

Matýsek, however, was not in the least astonished at the turn affairs had taken. Why, had not Barka long promised these things? They had been awaiting it, talking of it, finally it was actually here, so what was there strange or unusual about it? Indeed, he wondered why it hadn’t come to them long ago. It never once occurred to him that perhaps now he might not be desirable to Barka. People here and there hinted it to him in envy, but he laughed in their faces. He not to be desirable to Barka! For her there was no one else on earth so well suited.

Barka stood staring at him when he announced that he was going to the parsonage to order their banns. She could not comprehend where he had suddenly accumulated so much boldness. As soon as she told him to go if he thought best, he adjusted himself deliberately and then strode through the village to the priest so energetically that the latter thought it was some fine gentleman coming to him. From the time he heard his banns proclaimed in the church, Matýsek never got out of people’s way, but, on the contrary, others stepped aside for him. God alone can judge where by a hand's turn he acquired the ability to act the part of a great man. Those who had not seen him for a long time and now met him did not know in what manner to address him. In a word, he was totally changed from his former self.