As the children were noisy and quarrelsome, she put them out and prepared breakfast, about which Yuzka, popping her head in more than once, had been greedily expectant.
Tears and grief had to be thrust back again; the yoke of daily labour, pressing heavily on her soul, reminded her that her work could not be put off.
She did her best, though her legs shook under her; only from time to time she dropped a tear, and looked wistfully out into a dimly seen world.
“Is that Yagna going to help in potato-planting?” Yuzka cried through the window.
Hanka left the pot of beetroot soup on the hob, and hurried over to the other side of the hut.
The old man lay on his side, seemingly contemplating Yagna, who was combing her long bright hair before a looking-glass, set upon a locker.
“Ye are not at work; is it, then, a saint’s day?”
“I am not going unkempt.”
“Since dawn ye could ten times over have done your hair.”
“I could, but have not.”
“Yagna, I will not be trifled with: beware!”
“Of what?” she snarled back fiercely. “Of being turned out, dismissed from service, eh? I am not here at your good pleasure, nor in your house!”
“And in whose then, pray?”
“In my own, and I’d have you remember it!”
“Should Father die, we’d soon see what right ye have here!”
“But while he lives, I can show you the door.”
“What? What did you say?”
“Ye are beyond bearing! I never say one idle word to you, and ye always quarrelling with me.”
“Thank God, you, that I do no worse!” she said, slouching forward with a threatening mien.
“Try your utmost! I am alone, with none to help me; but we’d see who would have the upper hand.”
She threw her hair back: their eyes, full of rage, struck at each other like knives. And Hanka utterly lost control of herself, and shook her fists and stormed with all her might.
“What! Do you threaten me? … Set to, then, O innocent thing, O most injured one!—Aye, aye, all the parish knows of your doings.—More than once they have seen you in the tavern with the Voyt!—And when the other night I opened the door to you, home from your dirty pleasures, you were drunk—drunk as a pig!—Of a truth, who lives noisily will be whispered about.—Ah! but your power is ending, and neither Voyt nor smith will protect you then—you!—you!”
She spat the words at her with a shriek.
“What I do, I do: let folk leave me alone … or beware!” Yagna vociferated, suddenly throwing back her beautiful flaxen hair over her shoulders.
Exasperated to the utmost, and burning for a fight, she waved her hands nervously about her hips, with a glare of hatred that made Hanka quail; without another word she left the room, slamming the door.
The brawl had overtaxed her strength. She had to sit down by the window with the child, and let Yuzka serve out the breakfast to the workers.
It was only when they had gone that she felt a little stronger, and thought to put her work off, and go to see her father, who had been ailing for some days past. But this also was too much for her, and halfway there she had to return.
After some time, however, a little strength came back to her, and she was able to do some manual work mechanically, while her thoughts were with Antek and far away.
As the weather was improving, they expected the sun to come out about noon; for the swallows now flew high in air, and flocks of gold-fringed clouds were sailing by; and in the orchards, snowy with blossoms, the birds were singing loud.
Lipka began to hum like a hive; its chimneys bore each a plume of smoke: savoury dishes were preparing within doors. Gaiety spread from hut to hut with the babble of women; the girls adorned themselves with ribbons plaited in their tresses. Some hurried away to get vodka; for the Jew, much pleased that the peasants were to come back, was willing now to give anything on trust to whoever asked him. And from time to time, someone went up on the roof with a ladder to inspect all the roads that led from the town.
Few went afield, so busy were they with preparations. They even forgot to drive the geese out, letting them gaggle and scream in the yards; and the children, left to their own devices, went about playing very naughty pranks. The bigger boys, armed with poles, climbed the poplars, and knocked down the crows’ nests; while the parent birds, looking like great smuts in the sky, wheeled about, croaking distressfully. The other youngsters found a mischievous pleasure in chasing the priest’s blind old horse, which had been harnessed to a water-tub on runners, and which they tried to drive into the pond. It managed to resist its tormentors for a while, but at last, taking fright at the smell of fire in its nostrils, bolted into Boryna’s enclosure, knocking down the gate and getting entangled in the bars: of which they took advantage to come to close quarters and beat it.
It might have broken a leg in its plunges to escape; but luckily Yagna came up, drove the urchins away and extricated the poor animal; then, seeing they were still lying in wait for it, she led it back to the priest’s.
This took her down a lane between his garden and the Klembas’, just as the organist’s britzka came up. Yanek was bidding his family goodbye on the doorstep, and his mother had taken her seat already.
“I am bringing back the priest’s horse,” she said demurely; “a lot of urchins were ill-treating it.”
“Father, call Valek to take it,” cried the organist’s wife; then, as Valek appeared, “You lout you! to let that horse go alone! It might have broken its leg!” she added.
Yanek, seeing Yagna, glanced at his parents, and held out his hand to her.
“Yagna! God be with you!”
“Going back to school?”
His mother answered with pride: “I am taking him
