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 means, leastways, so much, that even if the old baroness was carried on the men’s shoulders to hear her last Mass, and if the baron did not mind his rank, but asked Jenny to be his wife, it will not be done so very easily. The baron acted shamefully. An honest man in his place would have given Jenny the written contract. Even if he is a baron, what matter? Ulrich was a prince, and took Boz̓ena the peasant girl; and in the Tyrol there was an archduke that married the daughter of a postmaster. And, if it comes to that, Jenny’s father was not born behind a hedge either.”

Heavens scratched his left arm above the elbow. He did not like Naninka’s arguments, and all the less because he could not refute them.

After a while he said, “But think, Naninka, of the riches; think of the high rank! Baroness Poc̓ernická of Poc̓ernic! That is something! Jenny can’t reject that!”

“True, and she would not reject it if the baron had not showed his real colours in a decisive hour. But I don’t want to set up my opinion; it may be that I am mistaken.”

They said good night, and parted for the time being. Friend Cvok could not sleep, thinking of what Naninka had said; a secret voice told him that the old housekeeper saw further in this matter than he did, and cares for Pepíc̓ek’s and Jenny’s future troubled his kind heart. Early in the morning, after Mass, the post-messenger brought him a letter, together with the advice of a money-order for fifty florins to sign. The letter was from Father Neducha; the money evidently came from Jenny. He signed the receipt and sent to the post-office immediately to receive the money, and then opened