ghtened. How could anybody eat
mushrooms? Ugh! She again felt the horrible, choking sensation which
had oppressed her heart and numbed her limbs the time she was so ill.
She could not fight against it. She crouched near the fire and folded
her hands, she was so terribly frightened. But one thing she did know,
and that was as soon as she could she would go to the priest--no,
rather to the gendarme. But then she rejected the idea of the gendarme,
for would he believe her? But if she could swear to it by all the
saints? But she could not swear to it, not exactly swear to it.
However, she would tell the priest about it. What a house this was! How
dreadful it was for a poor servant girl like her to have to serve in
such a place. She wept bitterly.

However, when Jendrek knocked at the kitchen door a moment later for
her to come out, she ran behind the stable to him and forgot her master
and the mushrooms.

Mrs. Tiralla noted with horror with what relish her husband was eating
the mushrooms. She felt quite numbed, she could not move. But when Rosa
asked for some, too--they smelt so good, she had taken a fancy to
them--she screamed, "They're too indigestible for you. I shall not eat
any either. We can't touch them."

So Mr. Tiralla finished them all. "I've not tasted anything I liked do
well for a long time," he said with a fat smile as he stroked his
paunch. "That's because my little daughter has gathered them for me and
my [Pg 149] dear wife has cooked them. Thanks, both of you." He nodded
to his daughter and took hold of his wife's hand and kissed it.

He was remarkably gentle, so strangely tender. His wife felt startled,
his voice already sounded quite different. She watched him with anxious
eyes--he had asked for a glass of gin after the rich food--did he feel
ill already? She could scarcely keep her feet quiet under the table.
Away, away, oh, how she would have liked to run away; she did not want
to look on any longer.

"Give me a kiss, Sophia darling," begged her husband.

She humoured him. It would be the last, why should she refuse him the
last kiss?

He drew her on his knee. Then he sent Rosa out of the room; she was to
go to bed so that she could get up next morning and fetch lots of
mushrooms. "Go, go, I say," he urged, as she clung to him tenderly.
However much he loved her, he had only thoughts for his Sophia at
present. She was so good, so affectionate to-day; oh, God, were the
good times returning?