Just below the windows lay a most magnificent garden, with fountains and bordered walks; but they, too, like everything else, lay under their blanket of winter's white. The ponds beyond, which supplied the estate with fresh fish, were frozen solid, and here the children had gone for an hour's skating in the crisp air, while their childish voices carried up to where Mrs. Teczynska lay resting upon her couch. CHAPTER III THE SENDING OF THE OPLATKI AT the luncheon table there was great excitement. Something was astir in the air. "Take your time, children," Mr. Ostrowski said forcibly, as he watched their hurried anxiety. "Brother Paul will be here shortly; but there is p-l-e-n-t-y of time." "We wish he had come before luncheon," spoke up Peter. "It is now almost too late for Cousin Frederic to receive his oplatki before Christmas." "A few hours more or less, my son," Mrs. Ostrowska answered, "will make very little difference. We could not have Brother Paul come sooner because we were waiting for your sister to arrive. We all wanted to be together to receive the good Brother." Turning toward her eldest daughter, Mrs. Lechowicz, she continued: "Brother Paul, as well as the priest, has had his hands full this winter. There has been a great deal of sickness among the poor." "It has been so in our part of the country, too," replied the daughter. "It seems to be a bad year all round." "The crops are poor; but we are thankful to say there will be sufficient for our own people. What the rest of Poland's poor will do, it is difficult to say. I had planned to take the children to Cracow for St. John's Night--" "Oh, mother," interrupted the young Marya, "will you?" "Don't interrupt, Marya; it is very bad manners. I was going to say," Mrs. Ostrowska continued, addressing her children, "I had planned to take you to the feast of St. John's Night in the City if all went well upon the estate. But I know you would not care to go and enjoy yourselves if there were sickness and distress here at home among our people." "But June is so far away," the young girl pleaded, "there is yet lots of time for a good season." "But illness lingers," the mother added. "I will join you, mother," Mrs. Teczynska spoke up. "It will not be a long run up and Jan would love to see the celebration of the Wianki, I am sure." "Let us all plan to go," added the younger married daughter. "It would be great fun." "And will you take us?" added a chorus of young voices from around the great table, while expectant faces beamed. "Yes, all of you," the elders replied in one voice. "What is it all about, mother?" Jan managed to say, after vainly endeavoring for some time to edge in his question.