that she was making sport of you. She seems to have made a good
beginning."

Jost laughed again immoderately, and Blasi began to waver.

"If I only knew which of you was telling a lie;" he said, and stood still
to think it over. Suddenly he started forward on the full run, for it
occured to him that he could decide by Veronica's air when he met her,
whether she had cheated him or not. Jost saw that Blasi was determined not
to give up his enterprise so he turned about, and disappeared among the
bushes; for he had no desire to have Blasi see how Veronica treated him.

When Blasi met Veronica, her face had so pleasant and bright a look, that
the lad was struck with her beauty. It was not the look of one who was
making a fool of him. Veronica was sincere. She talked kindly with him all
the way home, more kindly than he had ever thought she could talk, and
when they parted, she said persuasively,

"You'll come tomorrow, and every day, won't you Blasi?"

Then she pressed a piece of money into his hand, and thanked him for his
kindness so gratefully, that it seemed as if he had conferred a great
favor on her, instead of having received payment for service rendered.

As the young man turned away, a new set of ideas took possession of his
mind. For the first time in his life, he felt a desire to use the money
that he held in his hand, for something better than drink. He recollected
that he had no necktie on, and he was conscious of looking slovenly and
dirty. That was not the way for a fellow to look who was going to be seen
walking with the pretty Veronica along the high-road. He would buy a