Page:Halek's Stories and Evensongs.pdf/162

 Grandmother was constrained in manner towards her, for a kind of trepidation continually affected her, though she could not hit upon a name for it. Her thoughts always lost themselves whenever she tried to conjecture whether Uncle John was now happy. When she wiped the plate with her apron, she also wiped more than one tear from her eye, and few saw her then balance herself on tiptoe, and dance according to her ancient wont.

Nor was Uncle John by any means an example of how conjugal affection may make of two people one spirit, causing them to feel with one heart and to think with one mind.

Uncle John did not change in anything to speak of after his marriage, except that he became somewhat more indifferent. He seemed as though he had determined, by the punctual fulfilment of his father’s wishes, to show grandfather how those his wishes had brought misfortune not only on his son, but also on the whole household.

He obeyed grandfather most exemplarily, and since grandfather had no other wishes save those that Terinka expressed, he more particularly obeyed his wife in everything.

Grandfather, then, very diligently himself took his daughter-in-law in charge, so that his presence should make up for every deficiency in other quarters. He himself now contrived and did for her everything for which she had the least fancy. Aye, he even looked into her eyes as a star-gazer looks at the heavens in order to conjecture what would please her and what would elicit a smile from her, for that pleased him beyond measure.

The servants whispered that there was a new mistress, and this lady was imperious and proud, and in a louder voice they declared to the other servants that she was hasty and unobliging, and that there was more wanton wastefulness in the household management than had ever been before.

All day long he spoke of nothing but Terinka. He praised her every moment, her every step. Every gesture seemed to him so becoming that more than once he pronounced her to be the most perfect woman in the world.

The household secretly, and indeed openly, laughed at his eulogiums; and grandmother sometimes felt almost vexed. Uncle John assured him that he was right in everything.

Wonderful it was where grandfather found all the expressions for heaping praise after praise upon her.

But even grandfather at last grew tired of calling her the best