Part 49 (1/2)

”As I left them I thought to myself that with Mara's temperament, to say nothing of the 'hundreds of children' she promised him, Gavrilo's married life would not prove monotonous, whatever else it might be.

When, in the course of the subsequent fall and winter, I saw them again, they seemed as happy as a pair of wild birds.

”Once, in the spring, when I was with them, the _comitajia_ chanced in some way to be mentioned, whereupon Mara at once darkened, saying to me:

”'That is my one sorrow.'

”'But why should it be?' Gavrilo asked her. 'Have I not plighted you my word that I shall not take part in any-well, in any indiscretions that may be proposed?'

”'Yes, I have not forgotten. You said that as long as I loved you you would be my good Gavrilo.'

”'So,' he returned gaily, 'all you need do is to continue to adore me as I deserve.'

”'But you meet with them at the _kafana_,' she said, uneasily.

”'They are my friends,' he answered. 'Naturally, then, I meet with them.

All men meet at the _kafana_. It is the way of men. A little wine or coffee or prune brandy and a little talk-that is all. I go also to church, but that does not make me a priest. And besides, dearest Maro, if I were not sometimes with the _momchidia_, how would I know the joy of returning to you?'

”'If the devil had your tongue,' laughed Mara, 'he could talk all the saints out of heaven!'

”So it always was with Mara. Her ideas came and went-as Gavrilo once put it to me-like humming birds flitting in and out amongst the flowers.

Never have I seen a human being turn from gay to grave, and back again, as rapidly as she.

”Arriving at the little hotel in the early part of June, 1914, I found them all full of plans for a great fete to be celebrated on Vidov-dan-Kossovo Day-June 28. This day might be called the Serbian Fourth of July, but it partakes also of the character of our Memorial Day, for it is the anniversary of that tragic event in Serbian history, the Battle of Kossovo, in which the Turks defeated the Serbs in 1389, leaving the entire Serbian n.o.bility dead upon the field. That is one reason why Serbia has no n.o.bles to-day. 'Kossovo' means 'the field of the black bird,' the _kos_ being a black songbird resembling the starling. But this was to be no ordinary celebration of the holiday, for in the Balkan War of the two preceding years Serbia had consummated her independence and humbled the Turks, and a part of the Serbian racial dream was thereby realized. Mara, Gavrilo, and their parents united in urging me to return for the festival, and before departing I agreed to do so.

”True to my word, I arrived several days ahead of time. Gavrilo had not returned from the academy when I reached the hotel, but Michael and Stana gave me a warm welcome and produced the costumes they were intending to wear, and I remember that Stana said I ought to have a costume too-that even though I had not been so fortunate as to be born a Serb, they proposed to adopt me.

”'But you should see Mara's costume!' she exclaimed, when I admired hers. 'It is a true Serbian dress, very old, which came to her from her great-grandmother. Such beautiful embroidery you never saw.'

”That made a good excuse for me to go and see Mara, whom I found sewing in the little garden behind the house. The costume, which she showed me, was indeed beautiful, and I admired it in terms which were, I hope, sufficiently extravagant to please even a girl as exacting as she.

”While talking with her I observed a bird cage hanging on a hook by the window and, never having noticed it before, asked if she had a new bird.

”In reply she merely nodded, without looking up from her work.

”I strolled over and looked at the bird.

”'Why,' I said, 'this bird appears to be a _kos_, Maro.' Probably there was a note of surprise in my voice, for the _kos_ is not supposed to live in captivity.

”Mara looked up sharply.

”'Are you visiting blame upon me, then?' she asked.

”'Not at all,' I answered, mystified at her tone. 'I did not know that the _kos_ could be tamed; that is all.'

”'Did Gavrilo tell you to speak to me about this?' she demanded.

”'Certainly not,' I answered. 'I have not seen Gavrilo yet.' Then, crossing to where she sat, and looking down at her, I asked: 'What is the matter, Maro? How have I offended you?'

”Her eyes filled with tears as she looked up at me.