Page:Halek's Stories and Evensongs.pdf/314

 And on this he began to explain how Joseph began to take everything upon himself. “And pray what value is set upon you as mistress, I wish to know,” he added. And when he had said all he meant to say, he spat. After this he added, “Thou hast taught thy son these manners, that spoilt pet of thine.”

Loyka’s wife felt the bitterness of his reproach; she was silent and furtively wiped away a tear, and for a long time sought in vain for a reply. “At all events it was not I who taught the young bride, and she has corrupted Joseph”, said Loyka’s wife at last.

“That is as much as to say, ‘It was I who chose the young bride, and therefore I am to blame for it all'", said Loyka in an access of fury.

On this Loyka’s wife was again silent, and secretly wiped away a second salt tear.

Then Loyka paced twice up and down the apartment. His head was bowed, his two eyes measured his steps, his hands were lodged behind his back, and the fingers of one hand tapped on the fingers of the other. Then he halted in front of his wife, drew himself up, and said, “And do you know what is the best of this pretty business? That we both richly deserve to be treated thus. But thou more than I, because I only obeyed thee when thou didst hound me on against my father. But now things are reversed, fate has singled me out for punishment, you are not worthy its attention.”

Here Loyka’s wife no longer stretched out her hand to wipe away a tear, but said to Loyka, flinging her words into his very face, “If thou thinkest that it has come upon us in consequence of our ill-dealing toward thy father-good, let us bear it; for my part I will not say thee nay, and I do not wish to shirk my share of the blame, nor would I ever shuffle it off myself on to thee.”

“Well said, wife”, responded Loyka, paced once to and fro the apartment, and as he did so, muttered, “Let us bear it, let us bear it, if thou so wishest, let us bear it, and let us begin from this very day. I, in sooth, have already borne it for a long time, but since thou so wishest, let us begin from this very day in earnest. But this I say to thee: whatsoever comes to pass, pity me thou must not, neither will I pity thee, that I think thou desirest not at my hands.”

On this he looked out of the window, and seeing Joseph going across the court-yard, summoned him, and forthwith again re-