Pagina 627 di 788

But on the bench of turf before the house two old men had taken

their seats, each holding on his knees a tankard full of mead.

They gazed into the garden, where amid the buds of

bright-coloured poppy stood an uhlan like a sunflower, wearing a

glittering head-dress adorned with gilded metal and with a cock's

feather; near him a little maid in a garment green as the lowly

rue raised eyes blue as forget-me-nots towards the eyes of the

youth. Farther on girls were plucking flowers among the beds,

purposely turning away their heads from the lovers, in order not

to embarrass their talk together.

But the old men, as they drank their mead and passed from hand to

hand a bark snuffbox, continued their chat.

"Yes, yes, my dear Protazy," said Gerwazy the Warden. "Yes, yes,

my dear Gerwazy," said Protazy the Apparitor. "Yes, yes indeed,"

they repeated in unison over and over again, nodding their heads

in time to the words; finally the Apparitor spoke:-