Page:Poet Lore, volume 31, 1920.djvu/501

Rh Gülich.—Now there will be a chase after the young forester.

Roubal.—What sort of chase?

Gülich.—Of his bride to be.

Roubal (Annoyed).—Huh! (Advances.)

Gülich.—I wonder if the count knows already what happened today. We had quite a laugh over it, didn't we?

Roubal.—I? Laugh? I was enraged, I should like you to know. On account of the colt. You know that brown mare's colt; you know it.

Gülich (Laughs ironically).—How could I help but know!

Roubal.—Such a creature, such a little darling! (Growing heated.) With legs like a doe's—

Gülich.—Has something happened?

Roubal (Explodes).—It is bewitched—

Gülich (Suppressing a smile).—That can hardly be.

Roubal.—Why not! The boy led it out this morning, here (points behind him), a little way into the yard. He was leading it about and it was jumping so that it made you happy to watch it, when the devil brought—

Gülich.—An old woman.

Roubal.—Of the devil's own breed (with ironic respect) Mrs. Rettig, the magistrate's wife. She was on her way to the park, and immediately (mimics her voice): "Ah, what a most exquisite colt!" Wissen sie, wie sie spricht? (Repeats maliciously.) "Ex-qui-site colt." May the devil—Who asked her to? "Ex-qui-site"—

Gülich.—Das ist hochböhmisch, das treffen Sie nicht.

Roubal.—But why this hochböhmisch! The colt all of a sudden began to shake and sweat (with emphasis).—And then you say: "That can hardly be". You will find out when they write to the papers about it; they will write it up fine. It's the truth.

Gülich.—I would rather write up what they did to her today.

Roubal.—To the Rettig woman? (Annoyed). What then?

Gülich.—Sie möchte halt alles böhmisch haben, the whole city, even the shop signs, you know—

Roubal.—Ach, was unheard of!

Gülich.—And, you know, she has already won over the shoemaker Chadima, that reader of books. He had one painted: "Frantisek Chadima, shoemaker," (sneeringly) o-buv-ník in