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 as if he was standing on burning coals. Neither he nor Janinka had once thought of the name.

Luckily, just at the moment a name came into his head—one something like Jenny’s own.

“Kac̓er—Joseph Kac̓er,” he said nervously.

The warden took cognizance of this announcement in a dignified manner, and then observed—

“Why need we put off till to-morrow what can easily be done to-day? There are Vávra and Macek going to the fields; they are both members of the corporation. Let us wait till they come up.”

When the two men drew near, he asked them to bear witness to the priest’s words, who then made the declaration before them, that the child, Joseph Kačer, should never fall a burden on the parish of Záluz̓í, but that he himself would undertake his support till such time as his father or mother came to take him again.

Thus Pepíc̓ek was, so to speak, officially introduced to Záluz̓í; but the more particular, private introduction was not done so quickly, and could not altogether be managed so simply. Female tongues began to be busy; first at home, then by degrees abroad. Though Father Cvok was generally liked in Záluz̓í, still he was not so much a favourite with the women as with the men. Trying at all times to promote real heartfelt piety among his flock, he at the same time showed himself, from the very beginning, averse to all narrow-minded bigotry and sanctimonious telling of beads. His predecessor had founded in Záluz̓í a sisterhood of the “Sacred Heart,” and held a particular service connected with it twice a week, in the afternoon. And, indeed, it must be said there never was a scarcity of butter, cheese, eggs, and all sorts of fowl in his house. But the new shepherd showed