Page:Halek's Stories and Evensongs.pdf/369

 And Bartos himself called Staza. “You have led one another by the hand”, he said; “lead one another by the hand for all your life.” And this strong man who had not his equal, at these words wellnigh gave way.

After this he said, “I found thee, dear Staza, long have I had thee with me, and now Frank has claimed thee. What have we to do? He has a greater right to thee than I have. He is young and loves thee.”

At these words Staza threw herself on Bartos’s breast, and there sobbed out her great happiness, wept there also her thanks to him for being a father to her and her sorrow at leaving him.

“One thing more, oh! Bartos”, said Frank.

“What, pray?”

“You know that my parents dwell in the farmhouse and will dwell there with me for many a long year, let us hope; the pension house is therefore empty; will you not settle there and be our neighbour—mine and Stazas?”

At these words Bartos again measured Frank from head to heels and said: “I pensioned off! No, dear boy. Here I am lord and master, and am little skilled in accepting pensions or returning thanks for them. It is possible that you would like to have me there. But we cannot tell, and I should never manage to pry into your eyes every day to see whether you still liked to have me there. Do you think I shall be low-spirited here alone? I have a large family, as yet I have never felt oppressed or low-spirited among them. Who knows? Perhaps, I shall be needed here. The next time some father flies from his son’s harsh bounty and knoweth not whither to turn, he will come to Bartos. And what would he do if he did not find me here?”

Frank was silent. It was evident he deemed that Bartos judged him harshly.

“Do not be angry, boy”, said Bartos. “Possibly I shall come and visit you from time to time, to see how you treat your father. Do your best to show yourself at once a good hospodar and a good son—of that I must be first assured. Promise nothing. Even your brother promised and would have deprived your father of reason. I do not trust you little sons, because your fathers make themselves dependent upon you. But promise me one thing, invite me to your wedding.”

All was so unanswerably true which Bartos had said, that Frank did not utter a word in reply.