Page:Three stories by Vítězslav Hálek (1886).pdf/116

 where the linden tree burns and its sparks fall upon the girl lying beneath it, only that here an oak tree burnt and under it was Venik.

And just as the people began to throng the hill side the hollow tree collapsed with a horrible crackling and in its embers the song of Venik was silenced. The people saw exactly how it buried him, and a shriek ran along the whole hill side as if from a single throat.

The family of the bats fluttered round. Then all burnt out, all was extinguished, all was silenced, the music of two human lives was hushed and on the face of death the smile was turned to stone.

The hollow tree, Krista’s couch, Venik, the violin—all was one cinder.