Page:Selected Czech tales - 1925.djvu/91

 he had taken a roll of material from under his coat, but as soon as he heard that two persons were approaching, he dropped the roll and put his hand in his breast pocket. Vendulka started and drew back; she saw the mouth of a pistol which was pointed at her head. However, the fright was all that she received. Who knows what might have happened if Martinka had not quickly stepped forward and explained who her companion was? But Vendulka had had a taste of what might happen to her at any moment, and she was trembling in every limb. The old smuggler laughed at her for her fear; a palm hard as bone was held out to her. But she herself did not feel like laughing. She trembled as if she had looked death itself in the face. Timidly she laid her hand in his, and thereby evoked a fresh burst of laughter.

Her aunt, he said, was made of different stuff, but of course such women were not born nowadays.

Meanwhile Martinka had hidden the roll of stuff in her basket, which she dressed again so that no one would have guessed it contained anything else than butter. But she would not allow Vendulka to carry it; she might have done something foolish, seeing that the