Page:The grandmother; a story of country life in Bohemia.pdf/73

Rh ear; she laughed as she replied: "Unload your wares, sir, unload; we will not buy!" Then she hastened into the dancing hall and with a smiling face put her hand in the large, hard palm of a stalwart youth, who placed his other arm around her waist and led her off to the dance, unmindful of the call, "Christinka, some more beer!"

"That one is dearer to her than the castle with all its lords and treasures," smiled Grandmother, as she bade the miller's wife good night, and then with the children slowly wended her way homeward.

Once in a fortnight, or in three weeks, when the weather was fine, Grandmother would say: "To-day we will go to the gamekeeper's to spin." The children spoke of nothing else until they had started on their journey. Behind the dam the way led on the steep side to the bridge, beyond the bridge clear to Riesenburg; the path was shaded by rows of tall poplars. Grandmother, however, preferred the way along the river to the mill. There was a high hill above the saw-mill, where much mullein grew, which Barunka was fond of gathering for Grandmother. From the saw-mill the valley grew narrower and narrower, until the river was confined in a narrow trough, and flew quickly over the large stones that obstructed its path. The hills here were covered with evergreens, whose dense foliage cast a dark shadow upon the valley below. This was the path Grandmother took with the children, until they reached Riesenburg fortress, whose moss covered ruins projected above the dark wood.

A short distance from the fortress, above an underground passage, through which it was said