Whirlpools: A Novel of Modern PolandSienkiewicz, Henryk
General
Whirlpools: A Novel of Modern Poland
Sienkiewicz, Henryk
Poland -- Fiction
"That is a child who could as well fly in the air as walk on earth."
"An aëroplane or what?"
"I warn you that she is the object of my highest adoration."
"So I have heard. It is already known to all men."
"Only they do not know that that adoration is not of a red color, but
heavenly blue."
"I do not understand that very well."
"When you are better acquainted with her you will understand me."
Krzycki, who was more interested in Miss Anney, wanted to turn the
conversation to her, but they passed the gates, before which the horses
waited. The young man proceeded to assist the ladies to their seats, in
which operation he saw directed towards himself for a moment the
soulful eyes of the Englishwoman. Preparatory to her departure, his
mother asked him whether he had finished his duties connected with the
funeral and whether he would return immediately to Jastrzeb.
"No," he answered; "I have made an arrangement with the parish-priest
that he should permit me to invite the priests to the rectory, and I
must entertain them there. But as soon as I greet them and eat
something, I will excuse myself to the guests and return as soon as
possible."
Here he bowed to the ladies, after which he removed his hands from the
carriage, cast a glance at the chestnut thill-horse to see if he did
not overreach, and shouted:
"Go ahead!"
The carriage trundled over the road on which the funeral cortege had
passed. Of the participants who were dressed in surtouts, besides
Ladislaus, only Dolhanski remained. He felt that, as a relative of the
deceased, it was also his duty to entertain the priests who officiated
at the obsequies; and besides, he had other reasons which induced him
to remain in Ladislaus' company.
They had barely settled in the britzska, when he began to look around
among the peasants, who still stood here and there in groups, and then
asked:
"Where is the notary Dzwonkowski?"
Ladislaus smiled and replied:
"He rode ahead with the priests, but to-night you will see him at
Jastrzeb, for he invited himself there."
"So; then I regret that I did not return with the ladies. I wanted to
wring from him some information regarding the will, and I thought that
later that might not be possible."
"Patience. The notary told me that the will is to be opened the day
after to-morrow in his office and that we will have to drive over there
for that purpose."
"But I wished to know to-day whether it will be worth while for me to
wait until to-morrow or the day after. If this precious uncle of ours
has let us drift, as the saying is, upon a swift current of water, then
Pani Wlocka was right in offering us words of consolation. I, at least,
will need them for a long time."
"How can you talk that way?"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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