Gossips

On a park bench one gossip tells another the story of a young man who has just walked by. Years before, his mother Helena had been a beautiful and gifted student of singing. Her platonic lover was Vilém, fellow student and son of a bodice manufacturer and salesman. After a graduation party at the Conservatory Martin frivolously seduced Helena. The next day he went to Paris and left no word of himself at all. The girl was horrified to find out she was pregnant. She therefore welcomed Vilem's gallant proposal of marriage. Eight years passed. Vilém was by then successfully managing his factory, he adored his son Ivan as his own, and Helena loved her husband. But then Martin came back. He yearned for Helena and suspected Ivan was his son. Helena resisted Martin's courtship and Ivan instinctively hated his "uncle". One evening, before Martin was to leave, they had some champagne. When Vilém went to bed, drunken Martin embraced Helena. Ivan happened to see this and told Vilém. The latter generously offered liberty to his wife. Helena refused, because she loved her husband. The gossips are tearful at the touching story. A pensioner on the next bench observes: "Everything passes, only gossips are eternal." (jakelijan virallinen teksti)