Page:Halek's Stories and Evensongs.pdf/228

 managed to force himself to say was, “Well then, Malka, when are we two to pair off?”

“That is for you to settle Poldik, dear”, responded Malka. And here Poldik thought that he knew everything, and that he had need of nothing more in the world.

ROM that day Poldik considered himself strictly and formally engaged to marry Malka. All the domestic arrangements which he made had a speedy marriage in view, now he ceased to think of himself that Malka also might not be too much in his thoughts; but, of course, you know how one feels under similar circumstances.

It came to pass once at midday, and yet more frequently later on, that Poldik was obliged to desert the shadows of the lofty wall and drive some hundred paces further to the river-side, to Naplavka. He was delighted to watch Malka with the dinner searching in vain for him in the old place, and Malka, too, was delighted when she found him at last close to the margin of the river.

Here Malka enjoyed herself vastly, and she told Poldik that he was to halt here more frequently in future for the midday meal under the shade of the tall poplar, for it was far pleasanter here than by that old wall yonder.

And it was pleasanter by the shore, boats laden with sand lay to, and smaller skiffs kept circling round them, and in these smaller boats were wherrymen punting about. The distant view upon the water, too, everything was better than yonder by that lofty deserted wall.

On the Quay Malka was considered in the light of Poldik’s future bride, and thus many a joke passed between them and the folk there present when Poldik took his dinner from Malka’s basket.

The next day Malka brought the dinner straight to the shore. And she was still more pleased with the scene than she had been the day before. I know not what called Poldik away for a moment, but in his absence Malka stole down close to the water’s edge, and said half to herself, “How I should like a trip on the water.”