"You annoy me!" exclaimed the young lady.
And spitting like a cat at him, she turned, and then vanished. But that same day the pith of small loaves of bread and some salt disappeared from the dishes, and Lukash the next day beheld something curious. At the well in the courtyard the sorrel horse had his nose in the white hands of the lady, and when he was led later on to the stable he looked back at her time after time expressing with short neighs his yearning. Lukash could not learn at the time the cause of this "confidence," for he was intent on loading a wagon, so it was some time after midday that he approached the young lady, and said, with eyes glowing from emotion,--
"Have you noticed one thing?"
"What?" inquired Panna Anulka.
"That even a beast knows a real dainty."
She forgot that he had seen her in the morning, and noting that look in his eyes raised her beautiful brows with astonishment.
"What have you in mind?" asked she.
"What?" repeated Lukash, "Yatsek's horse!"
"Oh, a horse!"
Then she burst into laughter and ran from the porch to her chamber.