What great harm, she wondered, could come from the burning of an old beech-tree?
Toward evening the travellers found themselves on a height commanding a wide view of the surrounding country.

To the north rose the cliff where they had lunched at noon, and where they could still see black smoke ascending in a column from the smouldering beech as from a factory chimney.

To the southeast another column of smoke was visible, and toward the same quarter Torda Gap opened before them in the distance.
Aaron said they must halt here and rest their horses, whereupon all three dismounted and Manasseh spread a sheepskin for Blanka to sit on; but she chose rather to go in quest of wild flowers.
"Your Blanka is a jewel of a woman!" exclaimed Aaron to his brother.
"From early dawn she sits in the saddle, bears all the hardships of the journey, and utters not a sigh of weariness or complaint.

With that filigree body of hers, she endures fatigues that might well make a strong man's bones ache, and keeps up her good cheer through them all.
Nothing daunted by danger ahead, she makes merry over it when it is passed.

Yet once or twice I thought she was going to lose heart, but she looked into your face and immediately regained her courage.