pleased, but that he did not know what they ought to do with her, because they had no means of sending her back to her father again.
Guleesh answered that he was uneasy about the same thing, and that he saw nothing to do but to keep quiet until they should find some opportunity of doing something better. They made it up then between themselves that the priest should let on that it was his brother’s daughter he had, who was come on a visit to him from another country, and that he should tell everybody that she was dumb, and do his best to keep every one away from her. They told the young girl what it was they intended to do, and she showed by her eyes that she was obliged to them.
Guleesh went home then, and when his people asked him where he had been he said that he fell asleep at the foot of the ditch and passed the night there.
There was great wonderment on the neighbours at the girl who came so suddenly to the priest’s house without any one knowing where she was from, or what business she had there. And there were some of them who said that Guleesh was not like the same man he had been before, and that It was a thing to wonder at how he was drawing every day to the priest’s house.
That was true for them, indeed, for it was seldom the day went by but Guleesh would go to the priest’s house and have a talk with him, and as often as he would come he used to hope to find the young lady well again, and with leave to speak; but, alas, she remained dumb and silent, without relief or cure. Since she had no other means of talking, she carried on a sort of conversation between herself and Guleesh by moving her hand and fingers, winking her eyes, opening and shutting her mouth, laughing or smiling, and a thousand other signs, so that it was not long until they understood each other very well. Guleesh was always thinking how he should send her back to her father: but
