had nearly reached the street door, when she saw her
daughter making signs to a youth; and the handle of the broom, as the
handiest implement, descended upon the shoulders of Panfila, and
effected the miracle of making her run. Next, Mother Holofernes,
grasping the broom, made for the door; but scarcely had the shadow of
her head appeared, than it produced the customary effect, and the
aspirant disappeared so swiftly that it seemed as if he must have had
wings on his feet.

"Drat that fellow!" shouted the mother; "I should like to break all
the bones in his body."

"What for? Why should I not think of getting married?"

"What are you saying? You get married, you fool! not while I live!"

"Why were you married, madam? and my grandmother? and my great
grandmother?"

"Nicely I have been repaid for it, by you, you sauce-box! And
understand me, that if I chose to get married, and your grandmother
also, and your great grandmother also, I do not intend that you shall
marry; nor my granddaughter, nor my great granddaughter! Do you hear
me?"

In these gentle disputes the mother and daughter passed their lives,
without any other result than that the mother grumbled more and more
every day, and the daughter became daily more and more desirous of
getting a husband.

Upon one occasion, when Mother Holofernes was doing the washing, and
as the lye was on the point of boiling, she had to call her daughter
to help her lift the caldron, in order to pour its contents on to the
tub of clothes. The girl heard her with one ear, but with the other
was listening to a well-known voice which sang in the street:--

"I would like to love thee,
Did thy mother let me woo!
May the demon meddle
In all she tries to do!"

The sound outside being more attractive for Panfila than the caldron
within, she did not hasten to her mother, but went to the window.
Mother Holofernes, meanwhile, seeing that her daughter did not come,
and that time was passing, attempted to lift the caldron by herself,
in order to pour the water upon the linen; and as the good woman was
small, and not very strong, it turned over, and burnt her foot. On
hearing the horrible groans Mother Holofernes made, her daughter went
to her.

"Wretch, wretch!" cried the enraged Mother Holofernes to her daughter,
"may you love Barabbas! And as for marrying--may Heaven grant you may
marry the Evil One himself!"

Sometime after this accident an aspirant presente