The adjournment over and sentence given, Boryna’s case came on. Eva stood up in court, dandling her baby. With floods of tears, she related how she had come to serve at his house and worked herself off her legs, and never got a kind word, nor a corner to sleep in, no, nor enough to eat, so that she had to beg food from the neighbours, and he had not paid her, but driven her away, and his own child too, on to the high roads.—Here she burst into bitter tears, and fell at the feet of the magistrates, screaming. “Such, most honourable court, is the wrong done me: and this is his child!” Boryna muttered indignantly: “She lies, like the wretch that she is.” “Lie? Why, the whole village of Lipka knows....” “That you are a wanton and a drab!” “O most honourable court! and he used to call me Yevka and names more tender still; and would bring me beads, and often and often rolls, when he came from town; and would say: ‘Here you are, Yevka, here you are, my dearest!’ And now.... O Jesus! O Jesus!” At that, she bellowed aloud. “You gipsy trull! Why not say I brought you a feather-bed too, and cried: ‘Sleep under it, Yevka, sleep!’” There was a roar of laughter. “What, did you not? Was there anything you did not promise me?” “Good God!” exclaimed Boryna, in fierce bewilderment. “It’s monstrous! And yet the lightning has not struck her!” “Honourable court, it is known to the world that this thing has been: all Lipka can testify that I speak the truth. Let the witnesses speak and bear testimony!” she cried out, with a tempest of tears and ejaculations. As a matter of fact, however, all they had to say amounted only to bits of gossip and malicious talk: so she set herself again to bring forward what proofs she had. As a last resource, she displayed her baby and exposed it to the eyes of the judges, while it kicked up its naked legs and roared lustily. “The honourable court,” she cried out, “will see with their own eyes whose it is: whose is this potato nose, whose are these grey-brown blear eyes? Boryna and he are as like as two drops of water.” But this was too much for the court’s gravity; and the audience was also convulsed with uproarious merriment, when they compared the child with Boryna. Witticisms came forth in plenty. “There’s a handsome lass for you. For all the world like a skinned dog!” “Let the widower Boryna marry her: the boy will do for a swineherd.” “Why, she is getting as bald as a cow in spring.” “A comely girl she is! Put her as a scarecrow in a millet-field; all the birds will take fright.” “Her face is smeared all over with grease and grime.” “Because she’s a thrifty soul: washes once a year to save soap!” “No wonder; she is so busy, having to light the Jews’ stoves.”[11] ----- Footnote 11: Orthodox Jews are forbidden to light fires on the Sabbath, even in winter. They therefore engage some poor woman to go round and light their stoves for them on that day.—_Translator’s Note._