ed to be. What
was her mistress doing, wandering about the house like that during the
hours of the night? The country girl's hearing was as sharp as that of
any denizen of the woods, and she could hear her going softly up and
down the stairs and wandering restlessly through the rooms. Why wasn't
the Pani asleep? And why had she come to their room? She must be up to
something.

As soon as the child was fast asleep Marianna sat up in bed and placed
her hand behind her ear. Now her mistress was in the kitchen. _Psia
krew!_ what was she rattling the coffee-mill for? Or was it the tin in
which the sugar was kept?

"All good spirits!" The girl made the sign of the cross. Was the woman
in league with the devil? The master had brought poison from Gnesen,
poison for the rats. The servant's observant eyes had noticed the box
on the table, the white box from the chemist's, with the black death's
head on it. If now that woman downstairs were to put some of it in
master's coffee or among the sifted sugar, of which he loved to pour
half a basinful into his cup? Holy Mother!

The maid crouched down in her bed and drew the feather bed over her
ears. She would neither see nor hear anything. What business was it of
hers? The master was a kind man, but the mistress was really very kind
too, and it was a difficult matter for such a poor servant-girl, who
had already got two children [Pg 46] on her hands, to side with either
party. It would be much better to have nothing to do with the whole
affair.

But in spite of putting both fingers in her ears, for the thick feather
bed was not enough, she still heard her mistress wandering restlessly
backwards and forwards. And that went on till dawn, and prevented her
falling asleep. She generally snored the whole night through, but
to-day she heard the cock crowing on the dunghill and the dull lowing
of the cows before she closed her eyes.

She overslept herself. When she at last awoke from her uneasy slumbers
she found Rosa standing before the little bit of looking-glass plaiting
her hair, and from the yard came the clatter of wooden shoes and the
rattle of the chain in the well as Jendrek drew up the bucket.

"Holy Mary!" cried Marianna, as she jumped out of bed. "Why didn't you
wake me, you wretch?" she said to the child furiously.

"I was just--just going to do it," answered Rosa in a tone of excuse.
As she stood there in her short petticoats and bare shoulders she
looked very small and