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 such lukewarmness and indolence regarding the society of the “Sacred Heart,” that the pious sisterhood soon began to decline, till at length it was broken up altogether.

The chief bead-teller of the village, therefore, did not like Father Cvok—reproached him secretly with want of piety, and only waited for an opportunity to find some real fault in him. But they found out, as time went on that the new priest led a pure and saintly life, and his sermons contained so much earnest Christian truth and charity, that even his most prejudiced female listeners became by degrees reconciled to him, though they never forgot that he had allowed the “Sacred Heart” to fall asleep.

Now, from the moment the news got abroad that an unknown woman had brought a baby to the priest’s house, it was as if a swarm of wasps had settled down among the sisterhood. They had no peace, and could neither think nor speak of anything else. At last they agreed in coming to the following verdict:—

“This is no such simple thing as they pretend it to be. There is surely something behind all that; but the truth will come out some day or other. Of course we must not be hasty, or speak at random; but some fine opportunity will be sure to come in time.”

“And sure enough it did come, and they had not very long to wait either.

About a week after Pepíc̓ek’s arrival there was a baptism in the church one afternoon. The midwife, a shrewd, cunning old dame, undertook to sound the mystery of “that brat” at the priest’s house properly. She was well acquainted with Naninka, and went to the kitchen to pay her a visit.