Now, Joachim in love with his pipe was celebrating his honey-moon. In the
daytime he conscientiously fulfilled his duties as a stable-boy,—watered
the horses, harnessed them, and drove with the Pani or with Maxim.
Sometimes, when he looked over toward the neighboring village where the
cruel Màrya lived, his heart was conscious of a pang. But as evening
drew on, all his woes were forgotten; even the image of the dark-browed
maiden lost distinctness, as it stood before him enveloped in mist,
faintly outlined against a pale background, serving but to lend a certain
pensive melancholy to his melodious pipe.
As he lay in the stable that evening, Joachim’s musical ecstasy found
vent in tremulous melodies. The musician had not only forgotten the cruel
beauty, but had even lost all consciousness of his own existence, when
suddenly he started and sprang up in bed, leaning on his elbow. Just when
his notes were growing most pathetic, he felt a tiny hand pass swiftly
and lightly over his face and hands, and then with equal swiftness over
the pipe. At the same time he heard by his side the rapid panting of one
whose breathing is quickened by agitation. “Begone, away with you!” he
uttered the usual exhortation, and immediately added the question: “Are
you the good or the evil spirit?” that he might know if it were the Evil
with whom he had to deal. But a moonbeam that had just crept into the
stable showed him his mistake. Beside him stood the small Pan, wistfully
stretching forth his little hands.
An hour later, the mother on going to take a look at her sleeping
Petrùsya did not find him in bed. For a moment she was startled, but
the maternal instinct directly told her where to look for the lost boy.
Joachim, pausing for a moment, was quite abashed at the unexpected sight
of the “gracious Pani” standing in the doorway of the stable. It appeared
that she had been there for several moments before he ceased playing,
watching her boy, who sat on the cot wrapped in Joachim’s sheepskin coat,
listening intently for the interrupted melody.