Page:Three stories by Vítězslav Hálek (1886).pdf/325

 “And, prythee, how may that be I should like to know, thou sapient Solomon?” asked Loyka.

“As thus. If you have not in your written agreement reserved to yourself the right of walking across your son’s courtyard, who knows whether he will permit it. You will have to creep along the roof like grimalkin when she goes to the witches frolic,” and Vena laughed.

“It is not necessary to put such things into a written agreement,” said Loyka, with a kind of angry fervour.

“Oh! of course not, of course not, seeing that what stands in the written agreement is never carried out, the less there the better. Your own father never dared to draw water from your well, and I think his right to do so was reserved in the written agreement.”

“It wasn’t,” cut in Loyka.

“Oh! it wasn’t; then see here. No doubt of it you have it in your agreement that you may draw water, but have forgot in the same agreement to reserve to yourself the right of walking across the courtyard to fetch the water. But do you know what, pantata, if it comes to that, I will carry you across the courtyard on my back, for then no one will be able to prove that you walked across the courtyard, and as for me I have still the right to carry on my back what I please.”