The Poor Plutocrats

lecture in silence, but now he arose and said

orld don't go exactly according to their liking! Have you never regarded the affair from its practical side? Did you imagine that the girl's relations would support you? And wou

re at these words, but the ol

ld where there is room enough for every one. The lass, too, is used to deprivation, and you are also. She will be content with little. She can sew, she will do your cooking for you, and, if need be, your washing likewise! She can make one penny go as far as two. When there is a lot to do she will sing to make the work lighter, and when your supper is slender, her good humour and her loving embraces will make it more. But my dear boy! how are you going to make a poor housewife out of a girl who has been rich? How can she ever feel at home in

rom my salary and commissions enough to enable us to live comfortably for at least a twelvemonth. For a whole year I have li

a whole year on two pence a day in order to scrape together a small capital for one's bel

if the girl's parents had proceeded against you on a charge of murder, for you were an accomplice in this poisoning business; but I am pretty s

straight in the face on the wedding day and says to him: 'I cannot love you because I love another and alway

y gives him her hand in order to save you fro

t, because she is not free to speak; she may speak because she is commanded to speak; yet, for all that, this religiously guarded word tells me what she really feels-and what no other human intelligence can understand. If you like, my dear guardian, you may betray this confession of mine to Henrietta's relatives and they will torment the girl till they get her to pronounce the mysterious word which once pronounced will burst the bonds that unite us. She will b

oung lady's family, and, in that capacity, I considered it my duty to protest very energetically against the match in question. But when they placed those precious papers in my hands, I said at once that they must marry her to this man in any case. Otherwise they would have fancied I was advocating your crazy hopes, that I was an interes

of this drama was proceeding in the

sent word to her that he would like to see her in his room. He had taken the precaution

e snuff-box, "pray do not be angry with me for putting you to inconvenience. Bear with me for the little time I have still to live. But if you find l

to these choleric outbursts

w. You will find a packet of papers t

ndle of manuscripts which she recognized at the first glance. The apprehended papers, which during her illness had prevented her from sleeping, which had made it impossible for her to get well, were now

ial which goes by the name of snuff, "don't be angry with me for directing your attention to this scribble

ndfather's blood-shot eyes; it seemed to her as if th

even know why he was put into the world, and when your family steps in to prevent it, you would violently put yourself to death in order to die with him, to our eternal s

tation and sat down, otherw

, a veritable old tiger, in fact, as I have no doubt you fancy I am, he would make no bones

threat as that sounded

d in the seduction of his own sister, would have sent him, I say, to a reformatory. I may tell you there are several such institutions, celeb

little sister. They were ten

suicide project of yours. For death, my dear, is no plaything and jests with poison are strictly forbidden. He wo

er voice in tears. She fell down on her knees before him and shed innocent

eeply what you ought to do! In two hours' time I shall send for you again, and in the meantime make up your mind about it. You have the choice between accepting as your husband an honourable gentleman of becoming rank and at the same time renouncing and forgetting a fellow who will never be able to raise himself to your level, or of taking the veil and bidding good-bye to this world. In the latter case, however, your brother will be sent to a reformatory and an action will be commenced ag

enrietta and Szilard met for the first time, he had given her a bouquet, among the flowers of which was one of these green-gold leaves, and when she got home she had planted it in a jar and it had taken root, spread its shoots abroad and grown larger and larger every year. And Henrietta had called it Szilard and watched over its growth and cared for it as if it had been a living human creature. For a long time she stood before this flowering plant as if she would have spoken to it and taken counsel of it. At last she turned away and with her hands behind her head, she walked slowly up and down the room, and as often as she paused before the vase, she behaved like one whose heart is breaking. But tim

ther again in grandpapa's room. Mr. Sipos was als

us, motioning Henrietta to take her place at the t

hav

myrtle

l be m

he ba

ely calm and courageous tone, "but

s hear

brother Koloman will not be persecuted. I

thing cannot

me other town. You are always talking of your ran

by ten years, she now spoke to the other me

s. "Besides it will be much

rniture I have been used to and my flowers a

less feminine ca

papers grandfather knows of to be gi

ould form part of your marriage portion. Mr. Sipos, would you be so

omised to carry out th

e baron has already signed it and awaits your decision in

such pretty little delicately rounded letters that it lo

be so good as to write down on the cover of the returned documents a particular word, that particular word, I mean, which

t last she gently stooped over the bundle of papers and pressing down the pen with unusual firmness she wrote that barbarously sounding name of a beaut

n and the necessary pre-nuptial le

e went straight up to the

none the worse on that account. As I said beforehand, the young lady reconsidered her position, chose the better way and consen

returned Sz

was amazed at the composure with which she addressed her family, she was like the capitulating commandant of a for

as lots of

am glad these mischievous exercises are safely in our hands again. Don't bother your head about them any

smiled f

nds us together or tear

a long time when I asked for it and I told her I wanted the real, the

round, and cast one look at the word written there and then fell at full length on t

He did not call for assistance (why should the whole world be taken into his confidence?), but when the youth came to again, he soothed and consoled him with l

at pomp and befitting splendour. The bride bore herself bravely throughout the ceremony, and t