XXVIII + 

At Seven Cottages + 

And while the world shook with the clash of armies, while the boundaries of States writhed to and fro like earthworms, and the whole earth was crumbling into a field of ruins, old Mrs.¬†Blahous was peeling her potatoes in Seven Cottages, Grandfather Blahous was sitting on the doorstep smoking beech-leaves, and their neighbour, Mrs.¬†Prouzova, was leaning on the fence, repeating meditatively, вАЬYes, yes.вАЭ + 

вАЬAye, yes,вАЭ returned Blahous after a while. + 

вАЬMy word, yes,вАЭ observed Mrs.¬†Blahous. + 

вАЬThatвАЩs how вАЩtis,вАЭ Mrs.¬†Prouzova answered. + 

вАЬOh, whatвАЩs the use?вАЭ said Grandfather Blahous. + 

вАЬYes, thatвАЩs it,вАЭ added Mrs.¬†Blahous, peeling another potato. + 

вАЬThey say the Italians got a good hiding,вАЭ Blahous announced. + 

вАЬWho from?вАЭ + 

вАЬFrom the Turks, I expect.вАЭ + 

вАЬThen I suppose thatвАЩll be the end of the war?вАЭ + 

вАЬWhat dвАЩyou mean? The PrussiansвАЩll start off now.вАЭ + 

вАЬWhat, against us?вАЭ + 

вАЬAgainst the French, they say.вАЭ + 

вАЬGood heavens above, everything will be dear again.вАЭ + 

вАЬYes, yes.вАЭ + 

вАЬAye, yes.вАЭ + 

вАЬWhatвАЩs the use?вАЭ + 

вАЬThey say that the Swiss wrote not long ago that the others might give it up soon.вАЭ + 

вАЬThatвАЩs what I say.вАЭ + 

вАЬYes. Why, the day before yesterday I paid fifteen hundred crowns for a candle. I tell you, Blahous, it was one of those miserable things only fit for the stable.вАЭ + 

вАЬAnd you mean to say it cost you fifteen hundred?вАЭ + 

вАЬNot far off. ThereвАЩs a rise for you, friends!вАЭ + 

вАЬAye, yes.вАЭ + 

вАЬMy word, yes.вАЭ + 

вАЬWhoвАЩd ever have thought it? Fifteen hundred!вАЭ + 

вАЬYou could get a fine candle for two hundred at one time.вАЭ + 

вАЬYes, auntie, but thatвАЩs years ago. Why, even an egg only cost five hundred in those days.вАЭ + 

вАЬAnd you could get a pound of butter for three thousand.вАЭ + 

вАЬAnd lovely butter, too!вАЭ + 

вАЬAnd boots for eight thousand.вАЭ + 

вАЬYes, yes, Mrs.¬†Blahous, things were cheap in those days.вАЭ + 

вАЬBut nowвБ†вАФвАЭ + 

вАЬYes, yes.вАЭ + 

вАЬIf only it was all over and done with!вАЭ + 

There was silence. Old Blahous rose, straightened his back, and went into the yard for a wisp of straw. + 

вАЬOh, whatвАЩs the use?вАЭ he said, unscrewing the head of his pipe in order to pull the straw through. + 

вАЬIt wasnвАЩt half smelling before,вАЭ remarked Mrs.¬†Blahous, full of interest. + 

вАЬSmelling,вАЭ said Blahous, nodding. + 

вАЬHow can it help smelling? ThereвАЩs no tobacco left in the world now. The last packet I had was the one my son the Professor sent meвБ†вАФlet me see, that was in вАЩ49, wasnвАЩt it?вАЭ + 

вАЬThat was just four years ago come Easter.вАЭ + 

вАЬSo вАЩtwas,вАЭ said Grandfather Blahous. вАЬWeвАЩre getting an old man now. Very, very old.вАЭ + 

вАЬAnd what I want to know,вАЭ began Mrs.¬†Prouzova, вАЬis whatвАЩs all this awful to-do about nowadays?вАЭ + 

вАЬWhat to-do?вАЭ + 

вАЬWell, this war, I mean.вАЭ + 

вАЬAye, yes, Heaven knows what itвАЩs about,вАЭ said Blahous, blowing down his pipe until it gurgled. вАЬThatвАЩs what nobody knows, aunt. They say itвАЩs about religionвБ†вАФthatвАЩs what they tell me.вАЭ + 

вАЬWhat sort of religion?вАЭ + 

вАЬOh, ours or the SwissвБ†вАФnobody knows which. ItвАЩs so as thereвАЩll be only one religion, they say.вАЭ + 

вАЬWell, we used to have only one religion before.вАЭ + 

вАЬBut other places had a different one, aunt. They say there was orders from above that there must be only one.вАЭ + 

вАЬWhat sort of orders? Where from?вАЭ + 

вАЬNobody knows. They say there were once machines that had religion inside them. It was hidden in a sort of long boiler.вАЭ + 

вАЬAnd what were the boilers for?вАЭ + 

вАЬNobody knows. Just a sort of boilers. And they say that God appeared to people to make them believe. There was a lot in those days, aunt, that didnвАЩt believe. One has to believe in something; whatвАЩs the use? If people had only believed, God wouldnвАЩt have appeared to them. So it was only their godlessness that made Him come into the world, see, aunt?вАЭ + 

вАЬWell, yes, but what did this awful war begin for?вАЭ + 

вАЬNobody knows. People say that the Chinese or the Turks began it. They say that they brought their own God with them in those boilers. TheyвАЩre supposed to be terrible religious, the Turks and the Chinese. And so they wanted us to believe the way they did.вАЭ + 

вАЬBut why should we?вАЭ + 

вАЬThatвАЩs it, nobody knows. If you ask me, the Prussians started it. And the Swedes, too.вАЭ + 

вАЬLord, Lord!вАЭ lamented Mrs.¬†Prouzova. вАЬAnd the prices things are now! Fifteen hundred for a candle!вАЭ + 

вАЬAnd what I say,вАЭ maintained old Blahous, вАЬis the Jews started the war so as to make money out of it. ThatвАЩs what I say.вАЭ + 

вАЬWe could do with some rain,вАЭ observed Mrs.¬†Blahous. вАЬThe potatoes are far too small. Like nuts.вАЭ + 

вАЬItвАЩs my belief,вАЭ Blahous went on, вАЬthat people just invented that about the Lord God, so as to have someone to blame things on. That was all made up. They wanted a war and they wanted an excuse. It was all a put-up job.вАЭ + 

вАЬWho did it, then?вАЭ + 

вАЬNobody knows. What I say is, it was all fixed up with the Pope and the Jews and the whole lot of them. ThoseвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ thoseвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶ Kalburators!вАЭ shouted Grandfather Blahous, in great excitement. вАЬIвАЩd like to say it to their faces! Why, did anybody need a new Lord God? The old one was good enough for us country people. There was just enough of Him, and He was good, and honest and upright. He didnвАЩt show himself to anybody, but we had peace insteadвБ†вАКвБ†вА¶вАЭ + 

вАЬWhat are you asking for your eggs, Prouzova?вАЭ + 

вАЬIвАЩm getting two thousand each at present.вАЭ + 

вАЬThey say theyвАЩre asking three in Trutnov.вАЭ + 

вАЬAnd I tell you,вАЭ declared old Blahous vehemently, вАЬit was bound to come. People were cross with each other even then. Why, your husband thatвАЩs dead now, Prouzova, God rest his soul, was a spiritualist or medium or something in those days. And one time I said to him just in fun, вАШI say, Prouza, you might call back that evil spirit thatвАЩs just escaped from me.вАЩ And he lost his temper, and from that day to the day of his death he never spoke a word to me again. Yet he was my neighbour, mind you, aunt. And look at Tony Vlcek. He always swore by those foxfates that you fertilize with, and if anyone didnвАЩt believe in them, heвАЩd keep on going for him like mad. And my son, the Professor, tells me itвАЩs the same wherever you go. If anyone sets his mind on anything, he must have everybody else believe in it. And he wonвАЩt let anyone alone. ThatвАЩs how itвАЩs all come about.вАЭ + 

вАЬYes, yes,вАЭ said Aunt Prouzova, yawning. вАЬWhatвАЩs the use of it all?вАЭ + 

вАЬAh, yes,вАЭ sighed Mrs.¬†Blahous. + 

вАЬThatвАЩs the way things are in this world,вАЭ added Mrs.¬†Prouzova. + 

вАЬAnd you women would like to go on cackling all day long,вАЭ Grandfather Blahous concluded peevishly, and tottered off into the house. + 

вА¶ And the earth shook with the clash of armies, and thinkers in every camp confidently asserted that вАЬa brighter day was dawning.вАЭ + 