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"Mad!" exclaimed Schmielke, as he struck his thigh. But they did not laugh after all. "Who can blame her for it?" said Schmielke, in a tone of excuse. "She must be twenty years younger than he, and Mr. Tiralla has never been an Adonis. Between ourselves I can quite understand that a woman like the fair Sophia favours somebody else.
"Do you think I couldn't dance, eh?" said the priest, eyeing his long boots, which resembled those of an officer in a cavalry regiment. "You needn't fear that I should be out of place there. What a pity" he gave a little sigh "but it would never do." "Why not, I should like to know?" asked Schmielke, and laughed. "The youth does not know the reason why."
All the young ladies of Gradewitz, Starawieś, and neighbourhood were in turn reviewed, but the prize was unanimously bestowed on the fair Sophia. "A pretty little woman, to be sure," said the priest. "Have you noticed that as well, sir?" asked Schmielke pertly, with a sly wink. The schoolmaster started angrily, another impertinence from that man.
Schmielke, the tax-collector, who was leaning back in his tilted chair with two fingers thrust into the front of his uniform. "How do?" said the tax-collector. Ziëntek, who was a good Catholic, felt very much annoyed at his heretical friend Schmielke's off-hand behaviour.
You are still very narrow-minded in this part of the world, gentlemen. I'm only sorry that I'm not the favoured one." "An idiot, nothing but a stupid boy," cried Jokisch angrily, full of envy. They were all envious. But Schmielke, the man of the world, consoled himself and the others by saying, "Who knows whose turn it may be next, now that she has begun?" So they all pinned their faith to that.
One man after the other had said good night, first the priest, then the gendarme, then the forester, then Mr. Schmielke. Jokisch, as a good neighbour, had stopped the longest with Mr. Tiralla.
The more court the men paid her that evening the more she abhorred him. There was nobody here who could have charmed her. This Mr. Schmielke at her side, bah! True, all the girls ran after him, and he was constantly whispering some amorous nonsense in her ear and secretly pressing his knee against her dress, and seeking her foot.
Schmielke, with Ziëntek on the other side, and her husband opposite to her. She did not want to eat anything; when she saw how Mr. Tiralla was devouring his food she lost her appetite. All at once she felt she had had enough of it all; the dance nauseated her as well as the food. For to-morrow she would again be alone with her husband at Starydwór.
There were so many visitors the next and following Sunday as Starydwór had not seen within its walls for many a day. Mr. Jokisch and Mr. Schmielke came, as well as the forester and the gendarme and all their friends from Starawieś and Gradewitz. Even the priest was there. The big room was quite full of visitors. Refreshments were brought in, Tokay and beer, and Mrs.
Schmielke, who now hoped to win the prize, bent his knee and said jokingly, "Padam da nog!" and then, stroking his moustache in his usual challenging way, added, "Allow me to see you home," she stared at him for a moment.
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