The Pobratim Part 62

She looked up into his eyes, and, in that deep and earnest glance of hers, she seemed to give up her soul to him. If months ago she had loved him with all the levity of a reckless child, now she loved him with all the pathos of a woman.

Uros caught her in his arms and pressed her to his heart. She leaned her head on his shoulder, as if unable to keep it upright; an ashy paleness spread itself over all her features, her very lips lost all their colour, her eyelids drooped; she had fainted. Uros, terrified, thought she was dying, nay, dead.

"Milena, my love, my angel, speak to me, for Heaven's sake!" he cried.

After a few moments, however, she slowly began to recover, and then burst into a hysteric fit of sobbing.

When at last she came again to her senses, she begged Uros never to speak to her of love, as that would be her death.

"Besides," added she, "now that I am better, I shall return to my parents, for I can never go back to that dreadful house of mine. I could never cross its threshold again."

Uros was dismayed. He had been looking forward to his return with such joy, and now that he was back, the woman he wors.h.i.+pped was about to flee from him.

"Do not look so gloomy," said she, trying to cheer him; "remember that----"

Her faltering, weak voice died in her throat; she could not bring herself to finish her phrase.

"What?" asked Uros, below his breath.

"That I'm another man's wife."

"Oh, Milena! don't say such horrible things; it's almost like blasphemy."

"And still it's true; besides----"

Her voice, which had become steady, broke down again.

"Besides what?" said Uros, after a moment's pause, leaving her time to breathe.

"You'll be a husband yourself, some day," she added in an undertone.

"Never," burst forth Uros, fiercely, "unless I am your husband."

"Hus.h.!.+" said she, shuddering with fear and crossing herself. "Your father wishes you to marry, and--I wish it too," she added in a whisper.

"No, you don't, Milena; that's a lie," he replied, pa.s.sionately.

"Could you swear it on the holy Cross?"

"Yes, Uros, if it's for your good, I wish it, too. You know that I----"

Her pale face grew of deep red hue; even her hands flushed as the blood rushed impetuously upwards.

"Well?" asked Uros, anxiously.

"That I love you far more than I do myself."

He clasped her in his arms tenderly, and kissed her shoulders, not daring to kiss her lips.

"Would it be right for me to marry a young girl whom I do not love, when all my soul is yours?"

"Still," said she, shuddering, "our love is a sin before G.o.d and man."

"Why did you not tell me so when I first knew you? Then, perhaps, I might not have loved you."

Milena's head sank down on her bosom, her eyes filled with tears, there was a low sound in her throat. Then, in a voice choking with sobs, she said:

"You are right, Uros; I was to blame, very much to blame. I was as thoughtless as a child; in fact, I was a child, and I only wanted to be amused. But since then I have grown so old. Lying ill in bed, almost dying, I was obliged to think of all the foolish things I said and did, so----"

"So you do not love me any more," he said, abruptly; but seeing the look of sorrow which shadowed Milena's face, he added: "My heart, forgive me; it is only my love for you that makes me so peevish. When you ask me to forget you----"

"And still you must try and do so. The young girl your father has chosen for you----"

"Loves some one else," interrupted Uros.

Milena looked up with an expression of joy she vainly tried to control. The young man thereupon told her the mistake which had taken place, and all that had happened the last time he and his friend had been at Zara.

"Giulianic has taken a solemn oath that I shall never marry his daughter, and as Milenko is in love with her, I hope my father will release his friend from the promise----"

Just then the door opened, and Mara came in.

"Well, mother," said Uros, "what news do you bring to us?"

"Your father is safe, my boy. He left this morning for Montenegro; by this time he must have crossed the border. On the whole, the police tried to look for him where they knew they could not find him. He left word that he wishes to see you very much, and begs you to go up to Cettinje as soon as you can."

"I'll go and see Milenko, so that he may take sole charge of the s.h.i.+p, and then I'll start this very evening."

"No, child, there is no such hurry! Rest to-night; you can leave to-morrow, or the day after."

Having seen Milenko, and entrusted the s.h.i.+p for a few days entirely to him, Uros started early on the next morning for the black mountains.

Mara could hardly tear herself away from him. She had been waiting so eagerly for his arrival, and now, when he had come home, she was obliged to part from him.

"Do not stay there too long, for then you will only return to start, and I'll have scarcely seen you."

"No, I'll only stay there one or two days, no more."

"And then I hope you'll not mix up in any quarrel. I'm so sorry you've come back just now."

"Come, mother," said Uros, smiling pleasantly as he stood on the doorstep before starting, "what harm can befall me? I haven't mixed up in any of the _karvarina_ business, nor am I running away as an outlaw; if we have some enemies they are all here, not there. I suppose I'll find father at Zwillievic's or some other friend's house. Your fears are quite unfounded, are they not?"

All Uros said was quite true, but still his mother refused to be comforted. As he bade Milena good-bye, "Remember!" she whispered to him, and she slipped back into her room.

Did she wish him to remember that she was Radonic's wife?

Uros thereupon started with a heavy heart; everybody seemed to have changed since he had left Budua.

The early morning was grey and cloudy, and although Uros was very fond of his father, and anxious to see him, still he was loth to leave his home.