Not until
his mother and the guest assailed him impatiently with "Well?" and "Is
it all right?" did he summon up his composure and reply:
"Panna is a good girl, and may God bless her. But I, too, am no
scoundrel. Honest folk would spit in my face, if I should accept
Panna's sacrifice. I'd rather live a bachelor forever than let her do
me a favour and poison her own life."
His mother and would-be father-in-law talked in vain, he still
persisted:
"I cannot believe that Panna loves me, and I won't take favours."
The simple, narrow-minded fellow did not know that the sense of justice
and absolute necessity can move a human soul as deeply, urge it as
strongly to resolves, as love itself, so from his standpoint he really
was perfectly right.
To cut the matter short: Pista remained obdurate from Christmas until
New Year, notwithstanding that his mother and Panna's father beset him
early and late. The girl suffered very keenly during this period, and
her eyes were always reddened by tears. But when New Year came, and
still Pista did not bestir himself, the strong, noble girl, after
violent conflicts in her artless mind, formed a great resolution, went
to Pista herself, and said without circumlocution, excitement, or
hesitation:
"I understand your pride and, if I were a man, would behave as you do.
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