“In this or any other, according as it struck him: ’tis the _Dziads’_ wont.” They peered into every hole and corner, even looking behind the holy images; while Yuzka followed their movements with eyes full of dread, trembling all over. One of them having approached her, she cried out wildly: “Oh, have I hidden him under me? Seek him then here, do!” When they had done, Antek went over to their officer, and said very humbly, with a deep bow: “Has Roch stolen aught, I should like to know?” The other, putting his face close to Antek’s, replied with a stare, and laying stress on each word: “Be it but found that you have concealed him, and ye shall go on a journey together, both of you!—Do you hear?” “I hear indeed, but cannot think what all this means.” And he scratched his head, as if much perplexed. The officer shot an angry look at him, and left the cabin. They went round to many another, looking here and there, asking questions of many a one, until sundown; when, the roads filling with home-driven cattle, they went back empty-handed. Now the village breathed freely, and people began telling of the searches—at the Klembas’—at Gregory’s—at Matthew’s—and how each had seen things better than anybody else, and had not been frightened in the least, but had annoyed and bantered the gendarmes to the utmost! But Antek, once alone with Hanka, said to her, dropping his voice: “This is a wretched business, I see: there will be no keeping him in our cabin any longer.” “What, turn him out? So holy a man? One that does so much good?” “A curse on it all! I am sick of it!” he cried, unable to find any way out of the quandary. But Gregory came presently, along with Matthew, and they held a consultation, locked up together in the barn: the cabin, continually full of callers for news, was no fit place. When they came out, it was quite dark. Hanka had milked the cows, and Pete was back from the forest. Antek got the britzka and directly, while Gregory and Matthew went out, ostensibly to look everywhere for Roch, in reality to mislead the people of the village. They were indeed all surprised at the quest, having made sure that Roch lay somewhere concealed on Boryna’s premises. But the two friends gave out that he had left Boryna’s directly after dinner and had not been heard of since. “Lucky for him, or he would be journeying in chains ere now!” So it became generally known (as they had planned) that Roch had not been seen in Lipka since noon. People were glad, and said amongst themselves: “He guessed what was awaiting him, and is off ‘to the land where pepper grows.’” “Let him not come back, I say; we do not want him,” old Ploshka growled. Matthew snarled back at him: “Is he in your way? Has he wronged you in aught?” “He disturbed the peace and troubled Lipka not a little. We all may yet suffer on his account.” “Then why not seize on him, you, and give him up?” “Long ago we should have done so, had we any understanding!”