Page:Selected Czech tales - 1925.djvu/37

 sake he had often raised the youth of the village in the night-time against the old man, to help throw large stones on his roof and disturb his sleep, for he could not forgive him for guarding his beautiful daughter with Argus eyes. How could he quarrel with Vendulka, who had never been absent from his mind for a moment while he was married to another; who had refused every suitor for his sake, although neither he nor she could have known that fate would still bring them together?

Well, old Paloucky did not bear his nickname in vain, it fitted him exactly. Who would have thought that even the present occasion would give him cause for moping?

The groomsman who was shaking with laughter, as well as every one else, went off to fetch the bride.

When Vendulka had seen the bridegroom entering the house, she had hidden herself, as a good old custom demanded of a well-brought-up girl, and had waited in her bedroom till the groomsman should call for her, to tell her the result of the preliminaries, and to lead her to the bridegroom, who would then repeat his suit to her.

Vendulka came into the room with the