Page:Three stories by Vítězslav Hálek (1886).pdf/204

 mother might see with her own eyes how far he had progressed. Here Poldik laughed heartily at his “Whoah ups” and whip-cracking and looked the picture of contentment. There was only one fault to find in Francis, and that was that he was still diffident of swearing before his mother. This slight shortcoming which marred the perfect whole, Poldik could not pass over in silence, and therefore said, “Ah! Malka, he is learning very fast, but he still wants the least little bit of courage.” And that meant more particularly, “If only he would swear all would be well.”

At last Francis was well nigh grown to man’s estate, and then Poldik entirely confided to him the charge of the horses and vehicle. He himself carted sand no longer, but devoted himself solely to the management of horses. He was already old, he could not any longer walk so well as he was wont, beside the cart, “hee” and “heesta” no longer issued bravely from his lips, and the horses obeyed them better when they heard them from the lips of Francis. “Come, then, Francis, manage everyth for me,” said Poldik, and thus he quitted forever his previous occupation.

When Poldik grew enfeebled by age Malka shifted to his lodging and tended him as though he had been her father, and when he expired no son and daughter could have grieved more heartily for a father than did Malka and Francis. And it would