dress, jumped into the river and swam under water a short distance. That’s why no one could see me.”
“You swam under water?” The priest struck his hands together amazedly. “What a girl you are! And at night, too! Who taught you?”
Bára was amazed at the priest’s surprise.
“Why, reverend sir, my father instructed me how I must move when in the water, and the rest I learned myself. That’s no trick. I know every stone in the river. Why should I be afraid?”
The priest gave long-drawn-out admonitions to Bára and then sent her to the servants’ hall to await judgment. He took consultation with the mayor, aldermen and the schoolmaster, and they decided that since Bára had caused such a general scandal and had been so audacious she must be publicly chastised. As a punishment they condemned her to remain shut up for one whole night in the vault at the cemetery. It seemed to all a terrible punishment, but since she had been so bold and unabashed, let her learn, they said, what real terror is by a night spent among dead men’s bones.
Miss Pepinka was not at all pleased with the sentence. Elška was utterly shocked and every woman in the village shuddered with horror over the penalty imposed. Even the sexton’s wife was willing to forgive Bára, and thought she would be sufficiently punished by the simple publication of the fact that judgment had been passed on her.
