How much he had prayed already, especially that morning, that she might not be asleep again when he went there, that he also might welcome her to those woods and mountains.  Formerly Ondrejko didn’t think of it, but he did now, when the herdsmen, especially Stephen, again and again reminded him that these sheepfolds were his father’s, and therefore his also, and that he had a rightful claim to everything.  When they gave him cheese and butter for the lady, they gave him plenty, saying, “Just take it; it is yours.”  This thought seemed to appeal to him—­all is ours.  If Palko could say “our cottage,” why could not Ondrejko say, “our sheepfolds, our land, and our woods?  Oh, then she came to us though she lived in the cottage of Palko.  When she gets stronger she will come to us to drink whey from our sheep.”

Lost in his meditation, the boy did not realize that he had come to the parting of the paths, one of which turned above to the “Old Hag’s Rock,” and the other, below to the cottage in the valley.  The weather was again so clear that from the green clearings in the woods you could hear the great bells of the rams and the little ones of the sheep.

“There is the ringing of the bells of our sheep,” smiled the happy Ondrejko.  He ran quickly to the bench, intending to sit upon it and rest, but he did not do so for it was occupied by someone like one of the fairies from the woods of which Stephen often told him, that on St. John’s Night came out of the “Old Hag’s Rock” and danced on the meadows.  None of them could be more beautiful than the lady sitting on the bench, with its firm back covered with a flowery blanket; a similar cushion lay on the arm-rest, and on the cushion rested a white arm.  On the small narrow palm a forehead was resting, and beautiful dark-gray eyes looked far away above the mountains.

The boy set down the crock and folded his arms.

Thus he looked at the lily-white face, and the lips which seemed as if the Lord God had made just for song.  And again his heart felt as if someone carried him far, far away, into the land of remembrances.  It is too bad that the lady, covered with a light yellow Cashmere shawl does not look at the boy.  Is he not also good-looking? and how beautiful!  On Saturday the doctor sent him a new suit, almost the same kind as Palko had, but the shirt was embroidered with flowers, with broad sleeves, narrow pants, decorated sandals, a round hat with bands, and a small embroidered bag.  Petrik also received a new suit, the kind that he used to wear.  Ondrejko was very glad that now he would be altogether like his comrades.  When they were all three in the church yesterday, the people looked around at them.

If the lady would only look this way!  Surely she never saw such a beautiful little Slovak!  But she did not look.  At last, the boy came to himself.  Oh, surely, it must be she!—­surely, herself!  Who else would be sitting on his bench?  And she had that beautiful cat beside her.  Here she was, already up, and he was just bringing her breakfast.  He was late!  Oh, he knew it was necessary for the whey to be warm.  When, then, will she eat her breakfast?