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FRÁŇA ŠRÁMEK
MRS. LEDYNSKA (smiling in a kindly manner): Like a little bird. It chirps and chirps . . without knowing why. It only just chirps. (After a pause.) And I'm just reading something that really is so touching. Our countrymen have been in France again, and they were received there like brothers. The President himself made them sit down next to him, and spoke such nice words about us Czechs. And in the street, too,—Frenchman upon Frenchman, all calling out: "Long live the Czechs!" Like a tree shaking blossoms upon our deputies. . . . (nodding her head).
Like a poor relation paying a visit to a rich man, and the rich man giving him the place of honour and greeting him in front of all the rest. . . Ah, the French. . . the French. . . One can't help liking them (folding up the newspaper). Remind me, Lidka,—I must read that to Jenik. . .
LIDKA: No, mother . . . Jenik had better not read it.
MRS. LEDYNSKA: What. . . why shouldn't he read it?
LIDKA: Why. . . well. You know he laughs at things like that.
MRS. LEDYNSEA (somewhat offended):. . .he laughs, he . . .
LIDKA (suppressing a smile): It always strikes me like a peasant walking on a carpet. You
