Page:Selected Czech tales - 1925.djvu/123

 remedy? What could be done? Whose fault was this misfortune? No, not fault, he corrected himself; there was no fault, no failing but the cause, the cause?

That was difficult to say. Sometimes it was the husband, sometimes the wife—a physiological problem, inexplicable. Perhaps incompatibility, two natures which do not meet; there was no explanation, no help.

Then Ivan Hron began to brood. He thought over his past life; he was healthy, without a blemish or taint. He must be unsuitably mated then? Perhaps he had been too hasty about the whole affair.

How many times had he seen his wife before their marriage? Two or three times; first in Dresden on a holiday. He had noticed a gentleman and a charming girl who were talking to each other in Czech. He concluded that they must be his countrymen, probably also on a holiday. He had seen her, heard her talking Czech, and fallen in love with her. He had introduced himself and followed them like a shadow for two days; then they had gone home. Soon afterwards he also left; he took no further pleasure in his surroundings. He had learned that the gentleman was a manufacturer from one of