Page:Halek's Stories and Evensongs.pdf/164

 to teach himself new views and new maxims. And so sometimes he reminded Terinka as if involuntarily of his grey hairs. But that scarcely availed him much. Terinka told him flatly that his grey hairs and the grey dog Vorjech were one as dear to her as the other.

Here grandfather no longer smiled; tears trickled down his old face, and though his foot began somewhat to pain him, yet he hobbled out of the living-room, across the threshold, to the farmyard, and there retired under the old lindens, where he sat himself down on a bench. The starlings piped in their nests, and grandfather looked towards his house and reflected on all that he had enjoyed and suffered there.

There was enough to begin to occupy his thoughts. In the meantime Terinka ruled her household like a fine lady—like a very duchess. The servants had very often to harness the horses, and prepare the carriage, and the carriage rolled off to the town, whence she and Uncle John seldom returned before evening. It was not, indeed, possible; before she had completed all her commissions the day had flown like lightning.

But after this our young mistress always appeared in new clothes; aye, sometimes in several dresses the same day, and the servants guessed that in spite of this it was not she who wore all their master bought her.

Verily, with the servants she had a perfect torment, and if Terinka could have learned all they said about her, she would never have recovered from her vexation.

Thus, for example, they said, “Mistress has all her presents and dowry stowed away at a merchant’s in the town, you know; that’s why she drives there so often, you know-to bring it home bit by bit.” For example, she had all her dresses stowed away at his house.

But even at home our young mistress’ dresses outdid all rivalry.

Visits were, indeed, very frequent, not perhaps that grandfather’s own sons and daughters drove over there, but Terinka had uncles enough to fill up the calendar. These did not come all at once, but were good enough to relieve guard, not wishing to be in the way.

On these occasions there were dinners such as only occurred at festivals in grandfather’s time. And every one ate and drank to repletion.

At these feasts grandfather took care still at least to appear to be the host, and gave out that Terinka did it all at his own