us, then shall it be,
Rejoice, O Mary--
That we with Jesus heaven shall see."

Marianna joined in, she knew the hymn. The maid's deeper voice mingled
with Rosa's treble; they sang with great fervour:

"Pray to God for us, O Mary."

It sounded beautiful. The tree-tops ceased their rustling, the autumn
wind stopped blowing; the Przykop had grown perfectly calm and was
listening.

Then the two went home hand-in-hand with their aprons full of moss.
They had not spoken much more, for Rosa had grown quiet. When Marianna,
who could not stand the silence any longer, had begun to tell a
gruesome story about a servant girl who had once lived at Starydwor and
had buried her child in the Przykop, Rosa had given her such a look
that the talkative woman had held her tongue as though she had received
a blow on her mouth.

The late afternoon sun was shining on the roofs of the old farm when
they reached home. Marianna had also brought a quantity of mountain ash
with her, and Rosa at once sat down on the doorstep and began to make
the wreath. First a bunch of green moss, then red berries, then green
moss again; it grew rapidly under her practised fingers. Putting her
head on one side and raising the wreath she eyed her handiwork with
complacence.

Just then her mother came past; her dress touched the girl as she sat
on the doorstep.

"Good evening, mummy."

Mrs. Tiralla did not hear; she was like a woman [Pg 168] walking in her
sleep, and had not noticed her child. She was enticing the poultry to
come and eat. "Chuck, chuck, chuck, chuck, chuck."

The birds came running, and in front of them all was a white hen, a
very good layer.

Mrs. Tiralla hesitated for one moment--that was her favourite
hen--should she not shoo it away? But then she decided to scatter the
corn after all. There must be a victim.

And the beautiful white hen flew at the other greedy hens with open
beak, and ate almost all the corn herself. The cock, her lord, was the
only one she did not venture to chase away, so he got a little as well,
and the chickens furtively pecked a few grains too as they stood behind
their mother.

Now all the corn had been devoured. The woman, who had been crouching
on the ground, got up with a sigh; now she would soon see the result.
She went back into the house without noticing Rosa.

But the latter caught hold of her dress, "Mother, do look. To welcome
Mikola