“What is his name?” asked the lady, startled.

“De Gemer.  The sheepfolds belong to his father.  The doctor sent Ondrejko to Bacha Filina because he was weak.  Here he thrives well.  From the time that he has lived as we live and not like a gentleman, he has been getting well and strong.  And how about your lady; could she sleep last night?”

“Oh, my poor lady!” sobbed the elderly woman.  “If she only knew.  I don’t know whether she slept in the night, but now she sleeps as she has not slept for a long time.  Come, Palko, enter softly.”

It was good that there was a hall between the bedroom and the kitchen, for thus the sleeper was not disturbed.  Palko proved to be a very good helper.  From the kitchen which looked like a county fair, they carried away trunks, bags, coverings, raincoats, and towels, into the clean storage room, which the lady had not yet discovered.  Some things they laid on the shelves which Lesina had already put up, and others were hung on nails on the wall.  One of the trunks, the lady emptied.  In it were the china and all the kitchen utensils.  These Palko carried at once to the new kitchen cupboard.  Some things he hung up near the stove.  One of the table-cloths he spread over the table.  After he had found the broom which his father had made from the branches that he had cut and brought, he swept the kitchen, for with the carrying in of so many things, much dirt had accumulated.  He ran with the pitcher for water, and placing one of the bouquets in it, set it on the covered table.  Just as he had finished, his comrades came running, hot and perspiring.  Ondrejko carried the crock with a narrow neck, completely covered with braided straw, and the covered can of milk.  Petrik carried quite a heavy bundle on his back.

When the nurse returned from the storeroom she could hardly believe her eyes.  On the table on a wooden plate lay the black-bread, salt was in a new wooden bowl, cheese in a dish, on a plate there was fresh golden butter, and in a can, milk.  The fire that had gone out in the kitchen stove, was burning brightly now.  The boys sat on the bench by the window, Palko standing in front of them.

“Are you already here, my children?” asked the nurse; “and what have you brought?”

“Bread and salt, as you have asked.  The whey is in the crock.  The milk we brought for you, because you are not sick,” explained Petrik.

Ondrejko added, “It may be that your lady will not want to drink the whey today, and that you will make coffee instead, for yourself.”

“For you,” Petrik added, “there is also butter and cheese.  Palko is able to do this because some day all this around here will be his.”

The boys were surprised when the eyes of the nurse suddenly filled with tears.  She wiped them off and kissed the small messengers.

“You are right, Ondrejko, today I will fix coffee, and you all will take breakfast with me.  In the meantime perhaps my lady will be up.”