Dr. Dumany's Wife

and but very few persons, mostly travelling foreigners and labourers, are seen on the streets. Since it has become the fashion to use the moving tr

ich I had saved, but which contained nothing to interest the custom-house officers, and so, taking my little charge in hand, I stepped out into the hall. I had har

ould hardly have been more than four-and-twenty, so young and girlish did she look. The husband was a large-made, well-shaped, and distinguished-looking gentleman. His bronze complexion had a healthy flush, and he wore side whiskers, but no moustache. His head was covered with

eet him, caught the boy up in his arms, and covered the little face, hands, eyes, and hair with a shower of kisses. The father sobbed in his joy, while the child laughed, caress

ess had vanished. He looked around, and then clung tightly to his father, as if in dread of something, and I saw his lips move in appeal. The father

gone from her mute and comes back to her speaking, I say we should think it natural in such a mother to seize this child, and, in the ecstasy of her love and joy, half suffocate it with her kisses and caresses. Not so here. I could see no glad tear in the lady's eye, no smile of welcome on her face. Her hands were snugly stowed away in a co

some honest cockney's son from a like danger, I should not have avoided him, but, with a friendly pressure of the hand, expressed my pleasure at having been able to be of service to him

stocrats like these. They have their ch

my astonishment, I found that it was Mr. Dumany. He still held the child on his arm, and, c

t, pray, how is it that you know my

However, I beg you to revoke that 'I must,' for indeed I cannot allow you to depart. To the great favour you have done me, you must add the additional favour of being my guest for the time of your

He introduced me to her by my proper name and title, naming even the district which I represented in the Hungarian Parliament; and all these he pronounced perfectly and correctly, as I

nowledgment of a duty, and if I had saved her little pet monkey or dog, instead of her child, she might well have afforded me a warmer recognition. Indeed, I had seen women go into raptures on account of such animals before this, but never before had I seen a mother value the life of

just as dull and inanimate as when I had seen him first on the railway. Was it because he could only speak Hungarian? But then, how could he speak to his father? Who

rotested and tried to escape. I like hospitality at home; but when I come into a foreign country, I prefer the simplest inn or the obscurest hotel to the most

h we also have an abundance. Every word you speak will by each reporter be turned into a different meaning, and by to-morrow the papers will be full of your intimations, although you do not say anything at all. And then the photographers: how will you escape them? Don't you know that every penny paper will appear with your picture in front to-morrow, and, wherever you go, it

in Hortobágy? How could he know that it was my favourite spot? And how he pronounced that Hortobágy! Just as I myself! He smiled at my a

the other Mr. Dumany and myself. But the child obstinately refused to leave his father's arms, and clung

desert me before the marble and gold luxury of a modern palace, and its gorgeous splendour has no charm for me. The interest I felt was due to the man himself, and, most of all, to the connection existing between him and my own home. How came this American Croesus to be acquainted with the nomenclature, customs, and topography of my own country and language? How came the latter upon the lips of his five-year-old boy? In my child

ved at six, and I was entirely at liberty to put in my appearance or stay away. They would not wait for me, but my place at the table would be kept reserved; and if I was late, I should be served afresh. Th

ble to eat, drink, and sleep at will; was never fatigued, and would with

ise. She has been up all night from excitement, and now I have told her to lie down and rest a few hours. After that she usually spends some time in the nursery, superintend

not your only child?

re boys and two beautiful li

o be the mother of so many children. L

twenty-four. We have been married six years, so

te different from this Croesus; and, regarding the lady, I was altogether at a loss, as all my conjectures were entirely at fault. She was not without feeling;

ar duty. A valet de chambre showed me into a very splendid and comfortable suite of rooms, consisting of a reception-room, sitting-room, work-room, bed-, dressing-, and bathroom, all furnished i

e a beautiful escritoire in the work-room, with everything ready for writing purposes, and told me that, in the reading-room attached, I should find an assortment o

ound quite a number of them-French, English, Italian, and one German; but still I was a

only a small and select number. Here also was no Hungarian author to be found; not even the translation of a Hungarian book

aying the French school of art in the delicate colours, and in the Norman, Basque, Breton, and Kabyle scenes and types rep

pt Hungary; and yet, if that man had ever been in my country, he would certainly have brought some token of

ittle, semi-circular, ship-cabin-like apartment, with small, round windows, between which, in beautifully

, observing my interest in the pictures, informed me that these two were there only temporarily, pending their shipment

as we were held to be, had also some painters worthy

nd Munkácsy genres, Zichy aquarelles, a Benczur, and some other equally fine H

annot omit Liszt (for the name of the great musician is also the Hungarian word for flour); and Mr. Dumany remarked that Americans travelling abroad have learn

four per cent. bonds, and from this topic we diverged to politics. He was a very fair politician, and I was pleasantly impressed by the apparent interest which he took in Hungary. He admired Andrássy, and spoke well of his Bosnian policy. Of Tisza he entertained great hopes, and he felt sorry for Apponyi, because he had allied his great talents with the Opposition. He spoke of Kossuth, and said it was a pity to see the grand old man's name misused by the extreme faction. I tri

er two letters. "Will you give me leave to read them at once?" he asked, turning to me. "Th

answered; "pray

alver upon which the servant had brought them, he ordered him to hand the

had left, Mr. Du

the other an old Catholic priest, the parson of St. Germain l'Auxerrois. It is very nice and pleasant that both of th

stened to say; "I shall be

urned, and, deferential

hat she would be grateful if monsieur would b