for long absent from their
lips.

From the top of the street a flock of geese in charge of a diminutive
maiden of ten was slowly waddling down toward the stream, shaking their
grey and white feathers under the hot kiss of the sun, and behind them,
in slow majesty, a herd of cows and oxen--snow-white, with graceful,
tall horns, lyre-shaped and slender--ambled lazily along.

Elsa and Bela had paused outside the house of Hoher Aladar--who was the
village justice of the peace and husband to Ilona, Bela's only sister.

A mightily rich man was Hoher Aladar, and Ilona was noted for being the
most thrifty housewife in a country where most housewives are thrifty,
and for being a model cook in a land where good cooks abound.

Her house was a pattern of orderliness and cleanliness: always
immaculately whitewashed outside and the little shutters painted a vivid
green, it literally shone with dazzling brightness on these hot summer
afternoons. The woodwork of the verandah was elaborately carved, the
pots that hung from the roof had not a chip or crack in them.

No wonder that Eros Bela was proud of these housewifely qualities in his
only sister, and that he loved to make a display of them before his
fiancee whose own mother was so sadly lacking in them.

Now he pushed open the front door and stood aside to allow Elsa to
enter, and as she did so the sweet scent of rosemary and lavender
greeted her nostrils; she looked round her with unfeigned appreciation,
and a little sigh--hardly of envy but wholly wistful--escaped her lips.
The room was small and raftered and low, but little light came through
the two small windows, built one on each side of the front door, but
even in the dim light the furniture shone with polish, and the wooden
floor bore every sign of persistent and vigorous scrubbing. There was a
cloth of coloured linen upon the centre table, beautifully woven in a
chess-board pattern of red and blue by Ilona's deft hands. The pewter
and copper cooking utensils on and about the huge earthenware stove were
resplendently bright, and the carved oak dower-chest--with open
lid--displayed a dazzling wealth of snow-white linen--hand-woven and
hand-embroidered--towels, sheets, pillow-cases, all lying in beautiful
bundles, neatly tied with red ribbons and bows.

Again Elsa sighed--in that quaint, wistful little way of hers. If her
mother had been as thrifty and as orderly as Ilona, then mayhap her own
marriage with Eros Bela ne