touched the old dame's
heart. She burst into a torrent of tears, upbraided him with the
magnitude of her misery, said that she would never be able to forgive,
but she saw that the girl had acted without any evil design, that she
was sorry----

Pista, who had been delirious during the night, but was now better, had
hitherto listened quietly and intently. Now he interrupted the flood
of words his mother poured forth amid her sobs, and said softly, yet
firmly:

"Panna is not entirely to blame; I was persistent, I was tipsy, she was
right to defend herself. True, she need not have been so savage, but
how can she help her blood? I ought to have taken care of myself; I
ought to have known whom I was chaffing." Then, turning to the
visitor, he added: "If it will soothe Panna to know that I am not angry
with her, send your daughter here, and I will tell her so myself."

Fifteen minutes later Panna was in the Molnars' hut. She entreated the
old mother to attend to her household affairs and not trouble herself
about the sick man; that should be her care. She arranged the
wretched bed, cleared up the room, brought Pista water to drink when he
felt thirsty, and when everything was done, sat silently beside the
bed. Pista quietly submitted to everything, and only gazed strangely
with his one eye at the beautiful girl.

In the course of the morning the physician came and renewed the
bandages. Panna stood by his side and kept all sorts of things ready,
but she did not have courage to look at the wounds. The doctor thought
it would be beneficial to have ice. But where was ice to be obtained
in a village at this season of the year! The brewery probably had
some, but would not be likely to give any away. Panna said nothing,
but when the bandages had been renewed and the physician had gone, she
hurried directly to the brewery, went to the manager, a good-natured,
beery old fellow, and entreated him, in touching words, for some ice
for a sick person. The manager blinked at her with his little
half-shut eyes, and answered: "You can have it, my child, but not
gratis."

Panna lowered her eyes and murmured mournfully: "I will pay what you
ask, only not now, I haven't any money, surely you will wait a little
while."

"It needn't be cash, one little kiss will do."

Panna flushed crimson, and a flash of anger like the lightning of a
sudden storm blazed over her face; but she controlled herself and held
up her compressed l