Page:The grandmother; a story of country life in Bohemia.pdf/72

66 for then the peasants came in with their grist. The rumbling of the wheels was heard; the foreman went about the mill room, examining all with a practiced eye; the workmen hurried from basket to basket, upstairs and downstairs; while the miller stood at the door welcoming his customers with a pleasant smile, and offering each a pinch of snuff.

In the summer, the miller's wife and Manchinka accompanied Grandmother over to the inn. When there was a dance there, they generally stopped at the gate, where they were joined by several of the women from the village, and all remained for a while to watch the dancers. To enter was impossible on account of the crowd standing at the door; even Christina, when she took beer out to the gentlemen sitting in the orchard, was obliged to hold the glasses high over her head for fear they should be knocked out of her hands.

"Do you see these gentlemen?" said the miller's wife as she made a gesture with her head toward the orchard, where sat several of the men from the castle and tried to detain Christina whenever she brought them beer,—"do you see them! Yes, indeed, that is a lass such as doesn't grow upon every bush. But do not imagine that the Lord had her blossom out for such as you, that you might ruin her beautiful life."

"No danger!" said Grandmother, "Christina is too sharp for them. She knows how to dispose of them at short notice."

Grandmother was right. Just then one of those gentlemen, perfumed so strongly that he could be smelt ten yards off, whispered something in her