but he, as if in defiance of the Almighty, exposed it before everybody, and, to crown all, screened himself with the lie that the child belonged to the relations of a pious old housekeeper.
“Václav, my unfortunate friend,” cried Father Neducha in his letter, “is it indeed you yourself, or are you some reckless plaything in the hands of the devil? For the sake of our Lord’s bitter death, I beseech you to awake and remember that your last hour will surely come some day, and you will have to give an account of yourself before the Eternal Judge! The crown of all evil has become your portion; the grace of the Lord has forsaken you; and if you do not endeavour with all your might, labouring day and night, to have it return into your heart and soul, what will become of you?”
Such words—and, above all, from Neducha—were to poor Cvok like a fiery sword that cut his heart in two. He was free from the greater sin Neducha had charged him with—but still in one thing his good, faithful friend is right; he had forsaken the way of truth and screened himself with a lie; he had turned away from his God! He fell into a painful reverie.
Miss Naninka entered the parlour just at that moment, and seeing the reverend father to be evidently troubled, went out again without having been noticed by him. After a while she came back with Pepíc̓ek in her arms, if with the intention of comforting him. The baby throve visibly, and his proud foster-mother declared he is beginning to take notice already.
The child smiled at Cvok as if he knew his benefactor, and stretched out his arms to him. Our friend’s eyes grew brighter and his heart felt some relief. He involuntarily took the baby’s little hand and kissed it, but he
