His daughter turned towards him smilingly.

"Isn't it true, father, that three suitors are courting me ?" she asked.

"I was asking Fatia Negra which of the three I should take." Old Onucz scratched his nose pretty hard at this question.

He would have liked to have said: "whichever you like, as long as it is the right one!" but he was afraid of offending Fatia Negra.
"Well, Domnule," said he at last, "truth is truth, after all.

I'm getting an old man now, and what's the good of my scraping together and piling up all these ducats if nothing comes of it all?
I have indeed an only daughter, a pretty girl and a good girl, too, but what's the use of that?
You are not her husband.