Pagina 584 de 788

"I remember that for the first time in my life I shed tears, for

joy and for despair; I forgot myself, I went mad; I was ready

once more to fall at her father's feet, to cling like a serpent

about his knees, to cry out, 'Dear father, take me for your son

or slay me!' Then the Pantler, sullen, cold as a pillar of salt,

polite and indifferent, began a discourse-of what? of what? Of

his daughter's wedding! At that moment? O Gerwazy, dear friend,

consider; you have a human heart!

"The Pantler said: 'Pan Soplica, a wooer has just come to me on

behalf of the Castellan's175 son; you are my friend, what do you

say to that? You know, sir, that I have a daughter, fair and

rich-and the Castellan of Witepsk! That is a low, parvenu seat in

the Senate; what do you advise me, brother?' I have entirely

forgotten what I said in reply to that, probably nothing at all-I

mounted my horse and fled!"

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