Page:Selected Czech tales - 1925.djvu/27

 Sunday clothes on that day, nor parted his long hair carefully and smoothed it down on both sides of his face; nor provided himself with a freshly filled snuffbox. He welcomed the widower and his brother-in-law with beseeming civility, but did not fail to heave a deep sigh. He was perpetually brooding on the sins and follies of this irreligious world, and had become so melancholy about this that he looked quite wan. He offered his guests armchairs, and in a dismal tone asked them to take a rest. But they refused his offer with thanks.

‘There will be time for that when we have learnt how you will receive our request,’ said Lukas’s brother-in-law, ‘no doubt you know without our telling what we have come for.’

Old Paloucky sighed again; he was always most unwilling to take a part in worldly affairs, but he could not help himself on this occasion and had to bite into the sour apple.

He was probably anxious to shorten the disagreeable task that lay before him as much as possible, so he showed at once that he had been instructed in this matter.

‘It would be a lie to say that I was ignorant,’ he said. ‘I suppose Lukas wants to marry our Vendulka?’