"The moon has gone down, the dogs are all sleeping;
But some one is clapping beyond the pine wood.
Surely, Filon, my darling, is watching,
Awaiting me under the favorite maple."
When we finished, the voices of the old people were heard behind us in
the darkness: "Bravo! bravo! sing something more." I accompanied as best
I could, but I did not sing well; while Hania and Selim had beautiful
voices, especially Selim. Sometimes, when I went too far beyond the
notes, they both laughed at me. Then they hummed some other songs,
during which I thought, "Why does Hania hold the mane of Selim's horse,
and not the mane of mine?" That horse pleased her peculiarly. Sometimes
she nestled up to its neck, or, patting it, repeated, "My steed, mine!"
and the gentle beast snorted and stretched out its open nostrils toward
her hand, as if looking for sugar. All this caused me to grow sad again,
and I looked at nothing save that hand, which continued to rest on the
horse's mane.
Meanwhile we reached the cross at the end of the linden-trees. Selim
bade good-night to all: he kissed the hands of Pani d'Yves and wished to
kiss Hania's; but she would not consent, and looked at me as if afraid.
But as a recompense, when he was on horseback she approached him and
spoke. In the light of the moon, unobstructed in that place, I saw her
eyes raised to Selim's, and the sweet expression of her face.
"Do not forget Pan Henryk. We shall always amuse ourselves and sing
together, and now good-night!" said she, giving him her hand.
Hania and the older people went toward the house, Selim and I toward
the meadows. We rode on some time in silence by an open road without
trees. Round about it was so bright that one might count the needle-like
leaves on the low juniper bushes growing by the road. From time to time
the horses snorted, or a stirrup struck against a stirrup. I looked at
Selim; he was thoughtful and turned his eyes to the depths of night. I
had an overpowering desire to speak of Hania. I felt the need of
confessing to some one the impressions of the day, of telling every word
of hers, but not a movement could I make; I knew not how to begin that
conversation. Selim began it first, for suddenly, neither from one
reason nor another, he bent toward me, and embracing my neck kissed me
on the cheek, and cried,--
"Ah, my Henryk! how beautiful and charming thy Hania is! Let the devil
take Yozia!"
This exclamation chilled me like a sudden breath of wintry wind. I made
no answer, but removed Selim's arm from my neck, and, pushing him away,
rode on in silence. I saw that he was greatly confused, and had grown
silent also; after a while, turning to me, he said,--
"Art thou angry about something?"
"Thou art a child!"
"Perhaps thou art jealous?"
I reined in my horse.
"Good-night to thee, Selim."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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