Page:Three stories by Vítězslav Hálek (1886).pdf/92

 There was the carriage again ready prepared, but Krista did not step into it, she told the coachman that she would go a-foot, and the coach only drove home her wardrobe. She went a-foot, and she did not go alone. There walked by her side a very stately young man. Krista hung on his arm and they conversed together very amicably. After them at a respectful distance followed more young men, doubtless some of those who the other day had drawn her carriage in place of horses; to-day they only followed as a kind of escort or body guard.

Along with these young fellows followed Venik and learned from their conversation both the name and rank of the person who accompanied Krista: but he did not much care about his name or his rank. Then he learnt that he escorted her almost always; that the barouche in which Krista drove was his and that she drove in this barouche, even in the daytime, whenever and whereever she chose.

Now this was not a matter of indifference to Venik: when he heard it the red blood rushed to his face. But then, yet again, he affected indifference and said, half to himself half to his neighbour, “Ah! well; I knew it from the first.”

His neighbour doubtless paid scant attention to these words or to him who spoke them.

As soon as they had reached the house in which Krista dwelt, her cavalier bade her good night very heartily, kissed her hand, and made many polite