Page:Selected Czech tales - 1925.djvu/101

 marrying another? Indeed, when she saw how unrelenting my parents were, she herself urged me to give way, and would not let them curse me on her account. Any other girl would have blamed me for giving ear to them more than to her. From the beginning she has been as good as gold, and cared more for my honour than my love—and this is her reward! I have tortured her for the sake of a mere kiss. It is my fault that every one will laugh at her, my fault that she is shut out from her father and home, and has to go and earn her living among strangers—but no, no, I shall not let things go so far. I shall go to the old man to-morrow and tell him everything. He must find his daughter and let her know that I will give her back her word if she hates me so much that she wishes for it. But it shall be in all honour, and as friends. I should kill any one who dared to jeer at her; I’ll let them know! But where is the old man to look for her?’

Lukas thought about this for a long time, and consulted with the servant, asking her in which direction Vendulka had gone; but they could come to no conclusions. At last it occurred to him that old Martinka would be the most likely person to find her traces.