Page:Nalkowska - Kobiety (Women).djvu/296

284 tuneless, wordless, and not unlike that broken croaking which frogs utter. And again and again she would say:

"Little son of mine, my only one, my beautiful one!"

And then, sitting down to tea again, she spoke in a most interesting way about one of the books she had recently translated. It was from the English—essays on Economics.

"Joseph encourages me to write something as well; but for that one must have one's mind more at ease."

Then, with a tender look that she cast on her husband:

"I think," she said, "that Joseph will soon be better in our climate; when he was sent away from Poland, he was in perfect health. Do you remember how he looked in those days?"

"Certainly I do; very well indeed."

And I proceeded to tell her of the expeditions we both used to make to Obojanski's.

"But," I observed, "you have worked a miracle; he was always absolutely insensible to the charms of womankind." This I said out of kindness, fearing lest I might otherwise give occasion to thoughts of jealousy and suspicion.