Page:Maria Felicia.pdf/249

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A STORY OF BOHEMIAN LOVE
245

garb of slavery. It was a long while before he could distinguish on an elevated place, under the torch, the same old man that he had seen under the larch tree, reading an old book, when with his harp he made his first pilgrimage to Hlohov. The old man evidently was presiding over the meeting, and had just finished speaking when the young men entered, for they overheard the assemblage discussing his words. Suddenly the discussion was stopped, and they all turned their attention to the harper, for Andrew had stepped to the old man and, turning to the meeting, said:

“I am bringing you a new son, father, and to the rest of you a Brother. For his faithfulness I pledge my life.”

“Andrew’s pledge is your most brilliant praise, young man,” the president said to the harper. “He, although one of the youngest of the members, surpasses the oldest among us in enthusiastic devotion to his duties as a member of the Brotherhood. May he be a model to you in everything. But what attracts