Page:Three stories by Vítězslav Hálek (1886).pdf/384

 object of ridicule, and that was a thing he dreaded very much indeed.

But yet he did not despair.

And now as soon as ever his pair of heels had crossed his own doorstep, the children on the village green began to play at being messengers and kalounkari (tape pedlars); when people met each other their discourse was of messengers and kalounkari. He even heard it amongst his servants. Even when he stood up in chapel, all at once a bee seemed to buzz past his ear and he heard a whisper about the kalounkar (tape pedlar) and messenger. He heard it even when no one was saying anything about it, but that was seldom. When he went into the alehouse he imagined people there had just ceased to speak about kalounkari, and when he desired to return home he hesitated, because he felt sure that as soon as his back was turned they would begin to talk at once (though they had ceased in his presence) about the kalounkar.

Bartos’ witticism flew from Frishetts all over the neighbourhood. Joseph heard it a-field from the labourers, he heard it on the highroad, from the road mender, who all of a sudden exclaimed with a sigh, “Ah! heavens, when will the kalounkar (tape pedlar) come this way again; I should like to buy of him a bit of ribbon, mine is quite worn out.” And the road mender, at these words, laid down his hammer and ceased to break stones and looked at