nd then she made an idiotic motion with her head; her
petticoat and apron were composed of bright-coloured rags sewed
together; in one hand she carried a large bunch of wild-flowers and
weeds, and in the other two billets of wood.

On seeing a stranger, she endeavoured, with an odd and embarrassed
_naivete_, to conceal her face behind her large nosegay; and,
shuffling up to Mistress Kata, who had just placed her last loaf on
the baking-shovel, she tapped her on the shoulder with the flowers,
exclaiming, with a weird laugh, "Huehue! Mistress Aunt, here I am, you
see!"

"That's right, Marcsa," said Mistress Kata; "I was just expecting
you,--don't you see?"

"Huehue!--I have brought you some beautiful flowers to plant; then I
heard you were baking, and I have brought wood," and she placed the
billets in Mistress Kate's arms.

"Now, you see, if you had not brought me this, we could not have kept
up the fire. Well, will you have a bannock?"

"Huehue! that I will," said the old woman, stretching out her shrivelled
arms.

"There, now--eat it," said Mistress Kata, handing her a large cake.
"But you must eat it before me."

"Huehue! I will take it to Joska bacsi!"

"Joska bacsi doesn't want it. Joska bacsi has sent to say that you are
to eat it yourself."

"Really! did he say that?" asked the old woman; and then, with a deep
sigh, she began to swallow the bannock. She did not bite it, not
having wherewithal, but pushed the pieces into her mouth and swallowed
them, heaving a deep sigh at every mouthful; and, when she thought
nobody was observing her, she hastily concealed the remainder in her
apron, and looked round in great glee at having succeeded so cleverly.

"What will she do with the piece she has hidden?" I asked Mistress
Kata.

"She keeps it, poor fool, for Joska bacsi!"

On hearing Joska bacsi mentioned, the old woman looked eagerly up, and
asked, "What does Joska bacsi say?"

"He says you must count how many poppy-seeds[32] there are in that
plate," said one of the maids, laughing.

[Footnote 32: Poppy-seeds are much used in Hungary, in bread,
puddings, cakes, &c.,--a favourite ingredient worked up into crust for
different pastries.]

The old woman rose without a word, and, approaching the plate, began
eagerly counting the seeds grain by grain.

"Why do you trifle with her?" said I, pitying the poor, witless
creature; while Mistress Kata came forward and took hold of her arm.

"Leave it alone, go