Page:Our Grandfather by Vítězslav Hálek (1887).pdf/29

 marry, for certainly her husband could not give them his blessing so long as his heart was so overflowing with hatred.

But in all this grandmother showed that she did not know grandfather well. Nothing in the world would induce him to give up an idea which he had once taken into his head and set his heart on.

So also he at once gave notice to Uncle John not to venture a single step in the direction of Kubista’s, and gradually to wean himself from all thoughts of a marriage with Betuska.

Such commands, however, are more easy to speak than to execute. While things went well Uncle John and Betuska met openly, and when this was no more possible their meetings were clandestine. Grandfather was not so inventive in his hatred as these young people were in their mutual passion. And had he been a hundred times more watchful his vigilance would have been in vain. Here was it once more demonstrated that nothing can strengthen true passion more than the stimulus of opposition, and if Uncle John and Betuska met often before, they now met oftener than ever. He could not wait for morning to see at least the village in which she dwelt, and when he was a-field he could have dragged evening down to earth that he might meet Betuska at the boundary of their field.

It must be confessed, however, that their passion manifested itself in a somewhat changed form. What before flowed on in calm delight like a peaceful streamlet, now dashed along like the same streamlet after rain. Heretofore they kissed like turtle doves; now they wept their fill; now they stifled kisses in sobs, and soothed their sobs with kisses. And all the time they protested that