More carefully, more carefully, Taleyta! The sister off the road the dryish low voice was distributed from the house.
Ilina was carefully released from embraces of average height of the thin girl with long black as a resin, the hair braided to the thick spit. Having departed on couple of steps, she from legs to the head inspected the sister and again rushed to it, strong embracing. Girls loudly laughed loudly, being turned on the place and pulling each other clothes. At last, having got over that Ilina again of house, both slowly dispersed in the parties. Ilina took a step to darkness of the house and is constrained bowed. The gray-haired woman in a heavy bluish dress stood, having put hands on a breast and smiling.
Hello, grandmother, Ilina told, entering the house.
How are you? How did reach? Lost weight the old woman whispered, You sold? Was enough
I sold everything that was, Ilina told, having smiled, and having bent, got a small rag purse from a bag and stretched it to the old woman.
The woman opened a purse and counted money. Taleyta curiously listened attentively to a conversation, blinking big brown eyes.
But here
Yes, it is more, than had to be, Ilina confirmed.
From where? the old woman asked.
I bypassed the mountain strongly washed out the road, and there was not to pass and came across the swamp. And there on each hummock of a cranberry multitudes! Ilina began to tell, drawing in air the swamp and hummocks with a cranberry, Yes such berries large about nut the size!
Taleyta loudly grinned, and the old woman only slightly smiled to such story by the granddaughter. But Ilina still remembered the huge red berries sourish on taste which she ate throughout all road to the city, and then sold the remains on a market
All right, change clothes also for dinner, the grandmother ordered.
Did you pin up a ram? asked Ilin, What for?
On it the old woman only turned back and darted a meaningful glance at the girl. Ilina understood that money which she brought from the city last time already ended, and the old woman had to borrow from Grigor again
Ilina, having frowned, climbed a shaky ladder on the second floor and, having thrown off from itself the dress covered with a layer of the dried-up clay, put it near a shawl on a bed then she changed clothes and went down.
Taleyta already sat at a small wooden table in a small room where the food was cooked, and giggled. Red-haired Ilina joyfully sighed, having inspected a kitchenette. At once to the left of the entrance aperture drawn by the curtain which became thinner from time there was a rectangular table with five chairs which are moved up closely to it three for owners and two for guests, bouquets of dried herbs from which made tea, all also hung over a table, extending sweetish and spicy aroma, on the right the brownish furnace put from clay bricks. Having looked at the furnace, Ilina sighed again the bricks crumbling places would need to be replaced long ago, but whether it is worth thinking of it when money is hardly enough for food.
Ilina removed one of chairs and sat down directly opposite to a small window from which to the room dim light flew. The old woman lit a splinter and put it on a table in a small clay pot. Ilina looked at the oranzhevaty circle of light rejected on a ceiling by the burning splinter.
You are welcome to all we have, the old woman told, putting before granddaughters on a table two bowls with mutton soup, there is no bread yet
How many did you borrow, the grandmother? suddenly Ilina asked.
It does not matter, the woman responded.
Has! the girl exclaimed, having sharply jumped because of a table, I need to know as far as we can postpone a wedding
And it here at what? Taleyta asked, and her cheeks slightly reddened.
I do not wish that my sister Ilina choking with nervousness, I I will not give her to this old man!
The darling, calm down, the old woman told, putting hands on shoulders to the girl and trying to seat her back at the table, We will have enough money for a month or even more.
Having frowned even stronger, Ilina put elbows on a table and thoughtfully stared at the shivering splinter fire. The flame played reflections on golden and red hair of the girl. Coming back home after a week of wanderings, she did not expect to learn that all is bad. The marriage of younger sister rose before the girl as terrible punishment for their family again.
You eat the grandmothers voice was distributed nearby.
Ilina unwillingly took a spoon and started a meal. The stomach pined with hunger, but the girl already got used to this feeling for long time of their disasters and almost did not notice it. Suddenly she found a big piece of meat in the bowl. The organism exhausted during long transition demanded some food therefore, without remembering itself, the girl greedy stuck teeth into meat, trying to bite off and chew rigid fibers.
Shandor came. Asked you, the old woman told for some reason half-whisper, frowningly looking at the red-haired granddaughter.
Ilina sharply swallowed, and the piece of meat got stuck at her in a throat. The girl has convulsively a fit of coughing. Taleyta jumped from the place, scooped a water ladle from the small keg standing under a window and stretched to the sister. The girl dropped lips to edge of a ladle and began to drink greedy. At last, she felt that the piece squeezing a throat from within went down, to a stomach.
What it was necessary to it? the girl asked gruffishly on what the old woman only shrugged shoulders.
It is better for you most to ask, she answered.
Well is not present, Ilina muttered.
Taleyta grinned again.
Thanks, everything was very tasty, Ilina told, removing a bowl with soup and rising because of a table.
Well, where you?. it is almost upset the old woman threw into emptiness, Doamna Bogna asked Taleyta to knit stockings. Could you carry?
Ilina sharply stopped a back to the grandmother, then was slowly developed. At all love for the family, the girl could not overcome the disgust for Shandor, his father and mother whom Taleyta and Creans grandmother considered the benefactor.
Yes, the grandmother, I will carry, is squeezed the girl nodded, having turned back.
The old woman stood up from a chair and walked by the granddaughter to the neighboring room. Having rummaged in a huge, heavy dresser, it exposed the long snow-white stockings knit from soft sheep wool. Ilina has a look at accurate eyelets over which her sister tried the whole week. They lay equal ranks, to one another, doing woolen stockings impenetrable for cold. As it was a pity for the girl because that these stockings in which so much love and efforts is enclosed will be tense on sore, curve legs of the hated beldame soon.
Superfluous do not take, the old woman told, stretching to the granddaughter who immediately was going to go, a shawl, and then, having kept silent, added, Shandor on the general mow the roof fell off and Grigor ordered to build up in a new way till the cold weather The benefit though killed nobody Talk to it
The old woman whispered the last words already to herself under a nose, but Ilina all the same caught.
Having tidied up the hair scattered on shoulders under an easy scarf, Ilina muffled in a shawl and hurried to go outside, pressing work of the sister to a breast. Tomasz with joyful bark got out and hurried for the hostess.
Having tidied up the hair scattered on shoulders under an easy scarf, Ilina muffled in a shawl and hurried to go outside, pressing work of the sister to a breast. Tomasz with joyful bark got out and hurried for the hostess.
Missed, the old cheat, the girl smiled and, having sat down, frayed a dog behind an ear.
The house of family Viera was located on the outskirts of the village. As the richest and esteemed, it was surrounded with a high wattled fence and a garden in the shadow of which hundreds of small footpaths ran up
Winding on the narrow streets of the village lying between houses, sheds, sheds, Ilina convulsively looked around as if being afraid of a meeting with someone. Faithful Tomasz followed it, keeping to the left.
The huge shed in which residents of the village stored the hay mown for the cattle for the winter was under protection of family of rich men and therefore it was brought on the fenced territory. Ilina slowly pulled on herself the gate conducting in a domonical garden, trying to make so that that did not creak. Suddenly Tomasz darted off and with loud modulating bark rushed forth, having slipped in a narrow crack between a fence and the opening gate.
Tomasz! Tomasz! To me! the voice was heard suddenly.
Ilina slipped in a gate after a dog and hid behind the next tree. Having recovered the breath to calm without restraint the heart clogged into breasts, the girl slowly turned back and looked out of the shelter.
Tomasz, joyfully wagging a tail stump, a trot hurried to the shed. Ilina blinked the eyes. Indeed, from darkness of the shed the high, strong figure slowly separated and went forward, cutting off the course to a dog.
The young man, years twenty five, wide movement threw the taken-off shirt through a shoulder. In lines of his face there was nothing remarkable, but nevertheless he was extraordinary beautiful. Soft fair-haired, slightly longish hair fell down locks on a high forehead. The gray irises of eyes outlined at the edges by a bright green border always shone cheerfulness and some person, sharp attentiveness. Over dense black eyebrows the superficial wrinkle becoming more noticeable when the man became angry lay or deliberated over something. On the big shoulders golden-black from suntan, strips of powerful muscles clearly acted. All its figure, appear, represented thinly calculated texture of incredible force and health, but at the same time and majestic grace which was inherent in each movement of the man.
Tomasz! To me! the man repeated, digging in a pocket of wide trousers.
The dog, joyfully ran up to the man, having licked his hands why Shandor modulatingly burst out laughing with the velvety chest voice. The man sat down and stretched to a dog a small piece of air-dried meat which the dog immediately devoured, having with pleasure licked lips.
The hostess returned? the man asked, scratching long harmonious fingers a neck of a dog.
The dog began to wag a tail again.
It is good, the man stretched, erasing the palm back the sweat which was flowing down from a forehead on eyes.
Ilina hemmed and, having sharply darted off, hurried to curtail on the next footpath to get to an entrance to the house, without passing by the shed. Fallen leaves softly rustled underfoot and the dress hem which was easily sliding on the ground. Thick trunks of the century trees growing here probably still long before the house Viera was built, hid the girl from public eyes, and she could go quietly on a footpath, without being afraid to be noticed. Suddenly behind hasty steps were heard. The girls heart was clogged quicker again. She sharply turned back and going to curtail for other footpath as suddenly saw the white dog who is hasty hurrying to return to the hostess.
Old cheat, Ilina muttered, quickening the pace.
One of the side doors conducting to the house was located directly in a garden. The girl perfectly knew that it is an entrance to kitchen. Having carefully knocked, it pulled on itself a door and in a moment it appeared in the building. Here it was dark at all the wealth Viera were avaricious on excess expenditure.
Suddenly from the side door conducting in a closet the very young girl hasty ran out.
Anka, hostess of the house? Ilina asked.
What? the girl asked again, turning around.
Huo began Ilin, but did not manage to finish.
Anka! Where do you dig?! the dissatisfied voice from the wide ladder beginning at once behind a corridor was heard.
Ilina hurried on a voice. Having left a corridor in the spacious outer entrance hall which is at once behind a main entrance, the girl face to face faced the hostess.
Ilina? Bogns doamna was surprised, What you do here?
Taleyta ordered to tell that your stockings are finished, the girl told, having bowed and stretching to the woman a snow-white knitted cloth.
The right, magnificent! the woman gasped, touching soft wool, then got the small rag purse hanging on rather short chain on a neck because of a cape top.
Having stretched to the girl money, Bogna was going to leave
Here superfluous, Ilina told loudly, sipping several coins back to the woman.
Take, it is more necessary to you, the hostess of the house answered.
We do not need money which we did not earn honestly, the girl answered through clenched teeth, but nevertheless trying to give to the tone goodwill and humility.
That Bogna shrugged shoulders, taking away money and putting them back in a purse.
Ilina bowed and going to leave through a side exit as suddenly:
And why through kitchen? Bogna was surprised.
In a week forgot where in your house the main exit, smiled, having bowed Ilin and crossed an outer entrance hall, having approached an exit door.
Hoping that the hostess will leave, the girl hesitated several seconds. But Bogna remained on a ladder and watched closely movements of the guest.
See you soon, Ilina, chilly smiled Bogns doamna.
See you soon, the doamna, bowed in reply the girl.
Having become angry in soul about sticktoitiveness of the hostess, Ilina pulled a door and, having stepped through a threshold, was on street.
Already absolutely darkened. The gloom gently shrouded vicinities, having painted trees and houses in grayish-black paints. In the sky among the dissipating clouds looked through the first evening asterisks. Having deeply inhaled the exciting evening air which burned lungs with the cold, the girl looked back to the village lying clearly in front of the house Viera. From the accurate lodges which were closely reaped to each other in the center of the village, and scattered far apart on the outskirts smoke streams rose up. Soft, yellowish light flew from windows. But the look of the girl slid over straw roofs of houses, it was directed there where on the rocky mountain towering over the settlement the ancient temple attracting mysterious blinking of colored glass in stained-glass windows was located.
What is done by a fine domnishoara here such late hour, the voice behind was distributed, the short pause after which the same voice added hung then, one?
Ilina slowly turned back. In the dim light flowing from windows of rooms of the servants living constantly in the house, the girl clearly distinguished the mens figure which separated from a front stairs, slow steps approaching her.
I just returned from the city and was sent to give the ordered things for your mother, the girl chilly answered.