Page:The grandmother; a story of country life in Bohemia.pdf/70

64 from me. I wanted the widow to look, too; but she declared it was not proper for an old woman to play with such things.

"'But that is not for play, that is for use,' said the gentleman.

"'Well, perhaps it is, but it is not for me,' and she could not be induced to look through it. Then I thought that I would be so glad to see the Emperor Joseph, and because the gentleman was so kind, I told him whom I'd like to see.

"'What do you care about the Emperor?' he asked, 'Do you like him?'

"'Of course I do; why shouldn't I like him, when everybody speaks well of him and praises his goodness. Every day we ask God to bless him and his wife, and grant them a long reign.'

"He smiled and asked: 'Would you like to speak with him, too?'

"'God forbid! where would I turn my eyes?' I replied.

"'Why, you are not afraid to look at me, and the Emperor is only such a man as I?'

"'O, sir, it is not the same,' spoke up Mrs. Novotny. 'His Lordship the Emperor is after all his Lordship, and that is something to say. I have heard that when a person looks the Emperor in the eye, he is seized with fever and ague. Our alderman spoke with him twice, and he says it is so.'

"'Very likely your alderman has a guilty conscience and cannot look any one in the eye,' he replied and at the same time wrote something upon a slip of paper. He handed it to Mrs. Novotny, telling her to go to the Ples, to the provision house, where she would sell her blankets and get her pay