Page:Halek's Stories and Evensongs.pdf/226

 happened Malka replied with a laugh—indeed, a very boisterous laugh, and Poldik’s blood boiled and he never answered a word, but stood agape as though he had done something amiss.

It is possible that some sprightly young lady-reader has already condemned his faint-heartedness, and given it its proper appellation. I, however, have no objection to it, and have merely to add that it never occurred to me to exhibit his character in a more favourable light than that, in which it exhibited itself.

But the truth is, that though he stood agape and blushed at the question, still the question itself ran in his head. “When are you two going to pair off”, continually buzzed in his mind, and every “hee,” every “heesta” was the outward expression of that inquiry, every oath was a sort of a rejection of all possible obstacles, every smack of the whip was an asseveration that pair off they must. Ay, yet more. From that moment every time Poldik looked at Malka, he always saw in her that smile which had been called into existence by the original inquiry, “When are you two going to pair off.” Thus things evolve themselves from one another.

At that time he used to stop less frequently at the ale-house and the fruit stall. He had indeed saved and put by sundry groschen at home, but still it appeared to him that he ought to add every penny he could to what he had already scraped together, in order to have enough capital to begin housekeeping. And he saved and added and reckoned in his mind when the marriage could come off. Malka pleased him, about that there was no longer any doubt.

One Sunday she brought his dinner into the stable where his horses were stalled, and here for the first time Poldik said, “And perhaps, Malka, on Sunday we might dine together in your lodging.” He thought that in saying this he had said a great deal, and that it was a consequence of that much revolved sentence, “When are you two going to pair off.” But any one at all versed in the expression of ideas will agree with me that it really said very little.

Such apparently was Malka’s opinion. And she replied laughingly, “What an idea, Poldik, when we are—as we are! What would people say?”

Malka said much more that Poldik had done previously, indeed she led him a good piece of the way to the goal he had in view, perhaps even farther than was becoming in so young a girl. But Poldik being, properly speaking, slow, vacillating, and indecisive