Page:The Best continental short stories of and the yearbook of the continental short story 1926.pdf/214

 lated yourself in this presbytery which must have seemed enormous to you, a child of eighteen? What dreams came to you from the mountain peaks surrounding the little village? Did not a vague desire move you when, wandering through the huge rooms with empty arms, you saw the animals in the courtyard playing with their little ones? Did not sadness tighten your heart when you first felt your youth passing? Oh, mysterious feminine soul! What has life given you that you have remained so contented in your mountain home, in this prison formed by the four walls of the presbytery, held captive by the love of one man?

None of us could fathom this mystery. Perhaps when Dacha grows up she will understand.

We returned to the presbytery to find the pastor awaiting us at the door. What a surprise it was! The expression on his face was the same as that which we had noticed on his wife’s. Their figures were just the same shape except that he was on a larger scale, and they had the same troubled gray eyes.

He led us into the parlor as if we had been old friends, and about the room hung a mingled odor of coffee and smoke. He had just returned from his walk-he loved the birch trees in autumn! He asked us if we liked Czecho-Slovakia and kissed Dacha’s little hand and insisted on our sitting on the sofa because that is the seat of honor.

Conversation began and after a few introductory remarks we found ourselves engaged in more intimate talk. I looked at the pastor’s wife. Instead of the embarrassed and hesitating woman of a few minutes ago she was another creature, full of animation. At last she had found some one to lean on! She placed a little bowl before the pastor and others upon the tray and cut slices of cake.

“Would you like some milk, darling?”

“If you wish me to, dear heart,” said the pastor, caressing his wife’s hand.

Conversation continued. The soft Slovakian tongue seemed like music to us. Moved, I watched the elderly couple, who seemed like two lovers. It was not fifty years but five days that they had been married. The pastor turned towards his wife and