Page:The grandmother; a story of country life in Bohemia.pdf/82

76 Adelka, also came and with her blue eyes looked up lovingly at the child as if she would say "Ah, it is you, who bring me those good morsels. Welcome here!" Adelka must have read this in her eyes, for she quickly put her hand in her pocket and brought out a piece of bread, which the fawn took and followed them to the house.

"What in the deuce is the matter here, you savage brutes!" cried a man's voice from within, and directly after, the gamekeeper, clad in a green jacket and a house cap, made his appearance.

"What welcome guests!" he exclaimed seeing Grandmother and the children. Come in, come in! Hector, Diana, Amina be quiet! One cannot hear his own voice," he said shaking his cane at the dogs.

The company entered the house, over the door of which was fastened a pair of deer's horns. In the hall hung several rifles, but very high so that the children could not reach them. Grandmother was always afraid of fire arms, and when the gamekeeper assured her that they were not loaded, she would still say: "Who can tell what may happen; the devil never sleeps!"

"Very true," replied the gamekeeper, "when God permits, a hoe may go off."

Grandmother was ready to forgive him anything, if only he did not swear; that, she could not stand. She put her hands on her ears, saying: "What is the good of such a foul mouth? one should sprinkle holy water when you leave."

The gamekeeper liked Grandmother, and so in her presence was very careful not to touch on the devil, who he said was always getting mixed up with his words.