'Then what is the good of buying the land if you will shortly get it for nothing?'
'The truth is, as it's not my money I don't care how I spend it. If I were you I shouldn't be in a hurry to rent from the manor either; there is no harm in waiting. The wise man is never in a hurry.'
'No, the wise man goes slowly,' Slimak deliberated.
The gospodyni appeared at that moment with Maciek. They went into the alcove, drew two chairs and the cherrywood table into the middle of it, covered it with a cloth and placed a petroleum lamp without a chimney on it.
'Come, Soltys,' called the gospodyni,' you will have supper more comfortably in here.'
Maciek, with a broad smile, retired awkwardly behind the stove as the two gospodarze went into the alcove.
'What a beautiful room,' said Grochowski, looking round, 'plenty of holy pictures on the walls, a painted bed, a wooden floor and flowers in the windows. That must be your doing, gospodyni?'
'Why, yes,' said the woman, pleased, 'he is always at the manor or in the town and doesn't care about his home; it was all I could do to make him lay the floor. Be so kind as to sit near the stove, neighbour, I'll get supper.'
She poured out a large bowl of peeled barley soup and put it on the table, and a small one for Maciek.
'Eat in God's name, and if you want anything, say so.'