Page:The grandmother; a story of country life in Bohemia.pdf/127

Rh young girl, whose head was adorned with long blonde braids.

"May I come in?" she asked.

"Certainly, you will find pleasant company," replied the Princess.

Into the cabinet stepped Countess Hortense, the ward of the Princess, as was said. Her figure was slender and undeveloped; she wore a simple white dress, her round straw hat hung over her arm, and in her hand she held a bunch of roses. "Oh what charming little children!" she exclaimed. "Surely they are Proshek's children, who sent me those delicious strawberries yesterday?"

The Princess nodded. The Countess bent down to give each child a rose; then she gave one to Grandmother, one to the Princess, and the last she placed behind her belt.

"This bud is as fresh as yourself, gracious Countess," remarked Grandmother smelling the rose, "may God protect and keep her for you," she added turning to the Princess.

"That is my earnest prayer," replied the Princess as she kissed the forehead of her ward. "May I take the children away for a while?" asked the Countess looking both at the Princess and Grandmother. The former nodded, but Grandmother said they would be a great trouble, for those boys were like hounds and John was a regular scapegrace.

But Hortense smiled and offering both her hands asked: "Do you want to go with me?"

"Yes ma'am, yes ma'am!" cried the children in a chorus, taking hold of her hands. She bowed both to the Princess and her company and disap-