Milena

“ She hastened her steps; still, the person who followed her walked on quicker.
"What a hurry you are in, Milena," said Vranic, coming up to her.
"Oh! is it you?" she replied, with feigned surprise; then she shuddered, thinking that she had not her amulet, and was at the mercy of this artful man. "You frightened me."
"Dear me, I'm afraid I'm always frightening you! Still, believe me, I'd give my soul to the devil for one of your smiles, for a good word from you, Milena."
She shrugged her shoulders.
"Children are deceived with cakes, women with sweet words, they say." ”

“ The door being slightly ajar, he thought Milena must be at home. He glided in on tiptoe, his opanke hardly making the slightest noise on the stone floor. There was no fire on the hearth, no light to be seen anywhere. Milena was not in the front room, nor in any of the others. Where could she have gone, and left the front door open? Surely she would be back in a few moments? He crouched in a corner and waited, but Milena did not make her appearance.
As it was quite dark, he groped to the cupboard, found the loaf, cut himself a slice, then managed to lay his hand on the cheese. ”

“ Milena, after that, had gone to spend some weeks with her parents in Montenegro. On her return, she kept a good deal at home, for after the fright she had had on that eventful night when she had seen Milenko all covered with blood, she had made up her mind to give up flirting, either with Uros or with any other young man, and, for a short time, she kept her resolution. Moreover, she felt that she cared for the young man far more than she liked to confess to herself, and that she thought oftener of him than she ought to have done, and much more than was good for the peace of her mind. ”

“ Milena hesitated; had she been spoken to in a rough, disagreeable manner, she would, doubtless, have been daunted by the thought that she was putting her soul in jeopardy by having recourse to the witch; but the woman's voice was so soft and soothing, her words so encouraging, her ways so motherly, that, getting over her nervousness, she went in at once, and, almost without knowing it, she found herself induced to relate all her troubles to this utter stranger.
"First, if you want me to help you," said the old woman, "you must try and help yourself." ”

“ Mara then left her to return to the Convent of St. George to see if Uros were still alive and how he was getting on. Milenko's mother went with her. They had not been away long when Milena, shuddering, uttered a loud cry of terror, sat up in her bed and looked straight in front of her.
"What is the matter?" said the midwife, running up to the bedside.
"Don't you see him standing there?" cried the awe-stricken woman.
"There is nobody, my dear; nobody at all."
"Yes! Radonic, my husband, all covered with wounds! He is dying—he is dead!" and Milena, appalled, stared wildly at the foot of the bed. ”

“ Milena, astonished, stared at the poor woman. She asked herself whether grief had not muddled the widow's brain. No, she did not look insane.
"Who told you such foolish things, my poor Stosija?" said she, enquiringly, after a while; "for you know very well that you are speaking nonsense."
"It is no nonsense, for the pop himself told me."
Milena's bewilderment increased.
"Moreover, the priest added that insurances are one of the many sacrilegious inventions which lead men to perdition." Then, lowering her voice to a whisper: "They have a pact with Satan." ”

“ He finished and listened, then he heard a slight noise overhead; the window was quietly opened, and Milena's face was seen peeping between the cranny as she held the shutters ajar, for her beautiful, lustrous eyes sparkled in the darkness.
"Uros!" she whispered, "how can you be so very foolish as to come and sing under my windows! What will the people say, if they should happen to see you?"
"Who can hear me in this lonely spot? Everybody is asleep, not a mouse is stirring abroad."
"Someone or other seems always to hang about, spying all I do. ”

“ Presently the doctor came in to see how she was getting on.
"Is Uros dead?" was Milena's first question.
"No, he is still alive; a message came from the convent this morning."
"But is there any hope of recovery?"
"If he has lasted on till to-day he may yet pull through; he is young and healthy."
"Can I get up to-day?" asked Milena, wistfully.
"Get up?" asked the doctor, astonished.
"Yes."
"Did you hear her?" said the physician, turning towards the midwife. "She asks if she can get up. Yes, you can get up if you wish to kill yourself." ”

“ Milena, is it you?" said Mara, her motherly eyes twinkling with a bright smile of welcome; "though, to tell you the real truth, I almost expected you."
"Why?"
"Because a big fly has been buzzing round me, telling me that some person who is fond of me would come and see me. Oracles are always true; besides," added she, with a smile and a sly look, "just guess of what I've been dreaming?"
"Of black grapes, that bring good luck, I suppose."
"No, of doves; so I'll surely get a letter from Uros to-morrow or the day after."
Milena looked down demurely; she blushed ”

“ Uros, who was thinking of his mother and especially of Milena, had quite forgotten his bosom friend. Seeing him so unexpectedly, his heart expanded with a sudden movement of joy, and he felt at that moment as if they had met after having been parted for ages.
"Well?" asked Milenko, as they walked along. "Do you remember when we first started from Budua, we thought that we'd have reached the height of happiness the day we'd sail on our own ship?"
"I remember."
"The ship is almost our own, and happiness is farther off than ever." ”

“ Mara and Milenko were whispering together in subdued tones; the pobratim's fathers stood outside.
After a little while Uros began to be delirious, and to speak about
Radonic and Vranic, who were going to kill Milena.
"There, you see, she is dying; let me go to her. Why do you hold me here? Unhand me; you see she is alone—no one to attend upon her." ”

“ Her limbs sank every now and then beneath her weight; still, her love and her courage kept her up, and she trudged along without uttering a word of complaint. At last they reached the convent. Then her strength gave way. Anxiety, pain and shame overpowered her, and she fell fainting on the threshold. Frana summoned help; but, before the monks came, Milena had recovered, and was sitting down on a bench to rest.
In the meanwhile Uros was lingering on—a kind of death in life; the vital flame was flickering, but not entirely extinguished; the ties that fastened the soul to life were still strong. ”

“ Milena stood pale, awe-stricken, twisting the fringe of her apron round her fingers, looking at him with amazement. It was certainly not the first time in her life that she had seen a drunken man; still, she had never known anyone so fiendish when tipsy.
"A nice kind of woman for a fellow to marry," he went on, "a thing that stands twisting her fingers from morning to night, but who cannot find time to prepare a little supper for a hungry man, in the evening." Then, with a grunt: "What have you been doing the whole of the live-long day?" ”

“ Soon she began to surmise that Uros was in love with her; then she thought herself foolish to believe such a thing, and she rated herself for being vain. And then, again, she thought: "If he cares for me more than he ought, it is but a foolish infatuation, of which he will soon get rid when he goes again to sea." Thereupon she heaved a deep sigh, and a heaviness came over her heart, at which she almost confessed to herself that she did love that boy.
Milena, after the conversation Uros had had with his friend, seeing herself shunned, felt nettled and sorry. ”

“ Now, if you had put me a riddle, and I could not have answered, you surely would have asked"—here there was a catch in her voice—"a kiss from me."
Uros blushed as red as a damask-rose; he tried to speak, but did not know what to say.
"Oh! don't say no; you men are all alike."
The young man looked up at her with an entreating look, then down again; still he did not speak. Milena remained silent, as if waiting for an answer; she fidgeted and twisted the fringe of her apron round her fingers, then she heaved a deep sigh. ”

“ When, at last, he was about to go off, Milena appeared on the threshold. With a beating heart the youth turned round on his heels and went up to her. With much trepidation he looked up into her face.
"Does she, or does she not, know?" he kept asking himself; "and if she does, am I to ask her for a kiss?" At that moment he almost wished she had guessed the riddle, for he remembered his friend's words: "It was a crime to make love to a married woman."
"Oh, Uros, I'm like you! ”

“ Then after a pause: "Anyhow, my present life is such that, rather than bear it any longer, I'll go and drown myself some day or other."
"You'd never do that, Milena."
"Why not? Therefore, if you care for me ever so little, use your influence over Radonic, undo your work, get him to be a little less of a brute than he has been of late."
"And then you'll laugh at me?"
"Who does good can expect better," and she tried to look at him less harshly than she was wont to do, and did not turn her eyes away from him.
"No, Milena, first——"
"What! first the pay, then the work? ”

“ Uros shook his head doubtfully.
"Darinka, our neighbour Ivo's daughter, is a very nice girl."
"Very."
"Well, don't you think you might fall in love with her?" asked
Milenko, coaxingly.
"No, I don't think I could."
"Then there is Liepa, for instance; she is as lovely as her name; moreover, I think she looks a little like Milena."
"No; no woman has such beautiful eyes. Why, the first time I saw Milena, I felt her glances scorching me; they sank into my flesh," and he heaved a deep sigh. ”

“ Everything being ready, and feeling hungry, he went to the cupboard, cut himself a huge slice of bread and a piece of cheese, which he ate as slowly as if he were keeping watch on board; then he took a long draught of wine, and, as midnight was striking, he left the house.
"I wonder," he thought, "where Milena is; anyhow, it is much better she is away, for, had she been in the house, she might have given me no end of useless trouble. Women are so fussy, so unpractical at times." ”

“ It isn't true, perhaps?"
"Aye, it must be true," sighed Milena, "if the pop says so."
"Once fires and shipwrecks were sent as punishments to the wicked, or as trials to the good; now, with the insurances, God Himself has been deprived of His scourge. The wicked prosper, the rich grow richer, and as for the poor—even the Virgin Mary and all the saints turn a deaf ear to them."
Milena shook her head despondingly.
"For instance," continued Stosija, "would the miser's heart ever have been touched, had his barns been insured."
"What miser?" asked Milena. ”

“ Uros looked up shyly, then he began to scratch his head, and tried to think of something tremendously difficult.
"Well, do you know that one and no other?" she asked, laughing.
All at once Uros' face brightened up.
"What is it that makes men bald?" and he looked up at her enquiringly.
Had he had a little more guile, he might, perhaps, have seen that this riddle of his was likewise not quite unknown to her; but he saw nothing save her pomegranate lips.
"Oh," said Milena, "their naughtiness, I daresay!" ”

“ They told me that the monks had objected to her presence. I was afraid this was an excuse, and, in fact, I soon found out that she had been at the point of death, and, as she was at our house now, my mother was taking care of her. Her illness protracted my own, and my strength seemed once more to pass away. But Milena returned to me, and soon afterwards I was able to leave the convent.
"Can I describe my happiness to you, friend of my heart? You yourself will shortly be married to the girl you are fond of, and then you will know all the bliss of loving and being loved. ”

“ Milena opened her eyes questioningly, and looked at the midwife.
"I care very little whether I am good-looking or not; whom have I to live for now?"
"Come, you must not give up in that way. You are but a child, and have seen but little happiness up to now; you are rich, free, handsome; you'll soon find a husband, only don't talk, take a cup of this good broth, and try to go to sleep."
"Very well, but I know you are busy, so go home and send me your daughter; she can attend upon me; besides, gospa Markovic will soon be here."
The midwife hesitated.
"Go," said Milena ”

“ Now that you have seen him, I hope that you are satisfied and will come out."
"Just let me stay a little longer, till he comes to himself again, only a very few minutes," said Milena, imploringly, and clasping her hands in supplication.
"Please let him stay; Uros 'll be so glad to see him when he opens his eyes. He'll keep very quiet till then."
"Be it so," said the monk; "only the room is getting too crowded. The best cure for a sick man is sympathy and fresh air."
"You are right," said Milenko, "but I give up my place to him; besides, I have some business in town." ”

“ The young girl your father has chosen for you——"
"Loves some one else," interrupted Uros.
Milena looked up with an expression of joy she vainly tried to control. The young man thereupon told her the mistake which had taken place, and all that had happened the last time he and his friend had been at Zara.
"Giulianic has taken a solemn oath that I shall never marry his daughter, and as Milenko is in love with her, I hope my father will release his friend from the promise——"
Just then the door opened, and Mara came in.
"Well, mother," said Uros, "what news do you bring to us?" ”