Page:Henryk Sienkiewicz - On the bright shore.djvu/112

 the question is changed, especially as you are a Pole."

Tears began to flow over her cheeks again; but she looked at him through her blue eyes with gratitude; he found a bottle of wine, poured out half a glass, and, giving it to her, said,—

"Drink this. I have biscuits here somewhere, but deuce knows where they are. I ask you to drink. There, it is all right. Your hand trembles; but there is no danger here—I beg you to be calm."

And saying this, he looked at her with the sympathy of his honest eyes, and said after a while,—

"Poor child!"

Then he stepped aside, and put the easel in its old place, saying while he did so,—

"There is no posing to-day. You are too much excited. To-morrow we will begin work early; to-day we will talk a little. Who could guess that Maria Cervi was a Pole! Your grandfather is a Pole, then, is he not? Is he alive?"