Page:The grandmother; a story of country life in Bohemia.pdf/101

Rh the visitors, saying that she herself would watch by Victorka, and soon everything would be all right.

"Tell me, my child, how was it? You seem to be greatly disturbed. And who was it that bound up your foot in that fine, white handkerchief? I hid it quickly so that those gossips should not notice it," said the careful woman, placing Victorka's foot in a more comfortable position.

"Where did you put it?" quickly asked the girl.

"You have it under your pillow."

Victorka reached for the handkerchief, examined the bloody stains, the embroidered name, which she did not know, and the color of her face changed from white to crimson.

"My child, my child, I do not like your looks. What am I to think of you?"

"Think that God has forsaken me, that nothing can help me, that I am forever and ever lost."

"She has a fever and is raving," thought the good woman, laying her hand on Victorka's cheeks; but they were cold, and her hands were cold, too, and only her eyes seemed to burn, as she fixed them upon the handkerchief which she held with both hands before her.

"Listen to me," began Victorka quietly, "but do not say anything to any one. I will tell you everything. Those two days I did not see him,—of course you know whom I mean,—but to-day, this morning it kept sounding in my ears: 'Go to the clover field, go to the clover field,' as if some one were whispering to me. I knew it was some temptation, because he is often there sitting under a tree on the hill; but somehow I had no rest until