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 child of Naninka’s niece. That’s only a cover. The child is as near to Heavens himself as a son can be to father!”

Don’t make me angry, Regina! You always find something bad to say about the priest of Záluz̓í, just because I lend him a trifle now and then. He is sure to pay it back. This is all a stupid piece of gossip.”

The housekeeper had a lot of objections and observations to make about this. At last the priest said impatiently, “You have one of your bad days to-day, Regina; you are quite unbearable.”

“Oh yes, I believe you! When a person is getting old, then she is unbearable! Miss Jenny would do better. You never said of her that she was unbearable!”

Ledecký kept silent.

The housekeeper went on: “But I tell you, your reverence, that if Heavens comes here to us, I’ll give him a piece of my mind. I won’t pocket such a scoldnig from you, on his account, all for nothing!”

“You will do no such thing!” said Ledecký, with energetic firmness, measuring her with a stern, angry look.

Spinster Regina knew that look very well. She bit her blue lips, while her whole body trembled with rage. She snapped off a twig from the bush, and breaking it into a hundred bits, went back to the house.

This was the introduction to a visit from Father Cvok, who just at that very time was already on his way to Suchdol.

For even Cvok, who was always as mild, and as free from gall and bitterness, as a very dove, had felt his blood boiling within him that same morning, and his