Page:The grandmother; a story of country life in Bohemia.pdf/312

306 promised to do everything according to Grandmother's advice. Since Mr. Proshek's return Grandmother had asked him several times when the Princess was likely to be at home, and what were her accustomed places of resort, till Mr. Proshek was surprised. "Never before has she been curious to know what was going on in the castle; the castle did not seem to exist for her, but now she asks and asks. What does she want?" But she did not tell them. They did not wish to question her; therefore they learned nothing, and ascribed her queries to inquisitiveness.

In a few days Mr. Proshek took his wife and children to town; he wanted them to have a good time. Vorsa and Betsey went into the fields, while Grandmother watched the house. She took her spindle and went into the yard under the linden as was her custom. Something seemed to weigh upon her mind, for now and then she shook her head, then nodded, and finally, as if she had decided what to do, she said aloud: "That is the way I'll do it." At this moment she saw the Countess coming down the hillside past the oven and over the footbridge. She had on a white dress and a round straw hat; she walked as lightly as a fairy, and her feet, encased in satin gaiters, hardly touched the ground. Grandmother arose quickly and welcomed her with joy; but her heart ached, when she looked into the girl's face, so pale that the skin seemed transparent, and so resigned and full of deep pain that no one could gaze on her without pitying her.

"Alone! and so quiet here," said Hortense, after returning Grandmother's greeting.

"Yes, all the rest have gone to town with their