Page:Poet Lore, volume 31, 1920.djvu/498

478 Frony.—Well, then they come here to the park. Now don't get angry, but really Mrs. Rettig is a great matchmaker.

Tyny.—That isn't true!

Frony.—And how about Lenka the tax-collector's daughter? She won't go to her any more; she's going to get married.

Tyny.—Impossible!

Frony.—She is engaged, really. I just now heard it. She is going to marry Dr. Plavec. Well, he is a patriot too, and a good friend of Mrs. Rettig and her husband. He visits them.

Tyny.—That is impossible! He is surely a man past sixty, and Lenka is so young that—

Frony (Catches her by the hand, motioning to her).—Softer; look, here they are—there you have them.

, a girl of twenty, more poorly dressed than and , in a light-colored gown, enters with  from the left on the main walk in the foreground.  is a man of sixty, with gray hair; he wears a dark coat, white neckerchief, and beaver hat, and carries a cane in his hand.  and , horrified, watch them curiously.

Plavec (Good naturedly).—My dear Miss Lenka, you are in a great hurry. Uf! I have delayed you; mass has already begun.

Lenka (Slackens her pace and speaks quietly).—We shall probably get there before it is over.

Plavec.—Today everything went wrong. Even on Sunday there is no peace. Ančka kept announcing people. So many patients from the villages!

Lenka.—You should not have hurried so on my account, doctor.

Plavec (Goodnaturedly, cheerfully).—There, there, not at all! That would be a sad state of affairs. I was glad to hurry, though I myself am somewhat of a patient, it is true. But no more of this "doctoring" me, my dear Lenka, no more of that. (They go out on the right.)