The Poor Plutocrats

in tormenting the whole family. Then Madame Langai went to the theatre and Henrietta and the governess had to sit down at the piano in the large drawing-room till it

ge had to sit at Mr. Lapussa's bed from nine o'clock at night till early the following morning and read aloud to him all sorts of things the whole time. Old Demetrius was a very bad sleeper. The whole night long he scarcely slept more than an hour at a time.

y into every conceivable business and profession without ever succeeding till, at last, when he was well over fifty, he was fortunate enough to fall in with an editor who happened to know that Demetrius Lapussa wanted a reader, and recommended t

's circulating library without understanding a single word of them. Mr. Demetrius had, naturally, no library of his own, for reading to him, in his condition, was pretty much the same as me

er it was due to the old man's nervousness about the terrible things John was likely to do, but the fact remains that poor Margari on this occasion got no respite from his labours. At other times Margari did manage to get a little relief. Whenever he observed that Mr

rs to inquire whether Mr. John had also returned home. No, was the answer. At eleven o'clock Mr. John had still not returned. Meanwhile Monte Cristo's neighbour

onour's pardon, but

ell, pr

ter, who appeared in the door of the saloon with a surlier expression and his hair more and more ruffled on each occasion, inwardly cursing the fool of a s

argari went

ad himself sewn up in a sack an

e that done to you, Margari?

like me is only too glad to live at any price," replied Margari, whose answer n

fellow, Margari;

ught him in time that his coat had already burst beneath his armpits, and he had no wish

man's attention, and for the time he forgot all about John's duel-for example, when Monte Cristo discovered the enormous treasure on the island-and he would then rouse up Margari and make him go and find a map and point out the exact position of Monte Cristo's island. Margari searched every corner of the sea for it, and at la

are," said the old m

er, while he was still reading, the clock did strike six. Margari instantly stood up in the middle of a sentence, marked the passa

f it?" enquired Mr. Deme

were both staying at the Queen of England inn, were going to fight a duel, which should be prevented at all hazards. A police constable, at this announcement, flung himself into a hackney-coach and set off at full speed to make enquiries. Half an hour later a heyduke was sent back to the porter to tell him that either the whole affair must be a hoax, as nothing was known of a duel, or else that the two combatants must already be dead and buried, as not a word could be heard of either of them. Luckily, towards the afternoon, Mr. John himself arrived in a somewhat dazed condition, like one who has been up drinking all nig

man, what has happened?

with monstrously dilated eyes. "Wha

the old man; "retire, go into the next room. These a

n questioned his son: "Now then, what about this affair, this re

hat he is a splendid fellow, a gallant, charming gentleman. He has really noble qualities. I am going to bring him here this afternoon. You shall all see him. Even you will

al. Nobody made any observation. Mr. John was allowed to go to bed according to his desire. A little

rebus which has just a

t what John has just

my head about it on

s afternoon in order to keep him waiting in the ante-chamber, and then send him word that he can't see hi

skin, and, drawing the governess into the conversation, enquired how Henrietta was getting on with her studies, whether she had still much to learn in English and French, and whether she was not, by this time, quite a virtuoso at the piano. He

he added suddenly, "hav

lush at this question, she only glanced at him

r grandpapa, when he sees him, will snatch up his crutches in order to go and meet him half-way." Here the old man g

andishments, like one who has to swallow a loathsom

at by announcing that his lordship Baron Hátsz

lacqueys to turn Hátszegi out of the house? or would he send him word to wait in the ante-chamber, as he himself had waited at Háts

terms, bidding him come in without ceremony and not make a stranger of himself. And with that he passed his arm through the arm of his distinguished guest and, radiant with joy

the nearest, only afterward he bethought him of turning towards Matilda to introduce her, whereupon Matilda's face assumed a stony expression

learnt yet that the lady of the house should b

on Hátszegi, who courteously helped him out of his embarrassment by observing: "It is my privilege to be able to greet your lady

seated,