The Poor Plutocrats

n the very day after the wedding the young bride set out on her journey. She had only stipulated that they should set off very early before anyone was up and stirring. They travelled in t

the baron wanted. He was a scholar who could be converted into a domestic buffoon whenever one was required. Now-a-days it is difficult to catch such specimens, all our servants have become so stuck-up. Henrietta did n

oaching his wife's, spoke to her through the window: "We shall rest in an hour," said he. "We shall put up for the nig

arf firs that looked more like shrubs than trees. Not a village, not a hut was anywhere to be seen. From the roadside sedges, flocks of noisy wild-geese, from time to time, flew across the sky which the setting sun coloured yellow. At last a great clattering and rattling gave those sitting in the carriag

and h

as a lounge both for the gentlemen guests and their heydukes whenever they wanted to take their ease,-though, of course, the gentlemen occupied one end of it and the heydukes the other. A couple of favourite dogs were a

moustache. An eye was missing on the same side, and half his face was tattooed with little black points as if from an exploded musket. His nose was bent sideways and quite flattened at the top, doubtless owing to a heavy fall. He had only three whole fingers on the right hand, the other two were fearfully mutilated. As for the left arm it was horribly distorted from its natu

professed himself delighted at his good fortune; pressed his friend's hand with his third remaining finger a

house laughed alou

ssed his joy at the sight of Henrietta by jumping on her shoulder.) "I rejoice that I have the felicity to welcome your ladyship. I have

o ride," replied th

ot a good nag who is as gentle as a lamb. We won

were presented in turn to Henrietta who forgot all their names the moment after they were intro

midst of a vast hall; there were more wine bottles than dishes; the handles of the knives and forks were made from the horns o

t of larg

a to the table, at which she and Clementina were the only ladies present. "Unfortunately this

you marry?" ba

se parts. I was out of bed in a twinkling, plunged into the nice dress boots, snatched my gun from the wall and was off into the thicket. I soon found the trail and after that lynx I went. The dogs led me further and further into the depths of the forest and the further I went the more fiery grew the pursuit. Once or twice I had a sort of feeling that I had forgotten something at home, and I felt myself all over, but no, powder horn, pipe case, tobacco pouch, flint, steel-everything was there. So on I went further and further. Again I felt bothered, but by this time the lynx quite carried me away with him and kept appearing and disappearing a

nor did they wait to be asked twice to fill their glasses. Henrietta, naturally, did not touch anything. Even a

ittle that if I were a day labourer I

is. The idea of a day labourer

f. "And now," concluded he, "I will tell your ladyship how I came by this scar on my forehead. A few years ago I was visiting o

enquired the asto

encamped in the open round our watch-fire snugly wrapped up in our bundas[6]. Splendid fun I can tell y

heeps

e badly

a bear are great delicacies, only

ou not ret

well!' I said, 'What do you bet that he is not quite near and we shall come upon him to-morrow?' Leonard replied he would bet me two to one we shouldn't. 'All right!' said I. 'I'll pay you a hundred ducats if we don't find Bruin to-morrow.' 'And I'll pay you a thousand if we do,' said he. So the bet was clinched. Next morning in a thick mist we sent out the beaters while we ourselves stood on our guard. Leonard and I took up our post near a ravine waiting impatiently for the mist to disperse. Towards mid-day it began to clear. No end of stags and foxes ambled slowly past us, but we did not even aim at them; the bear was our watchword. The beaters had pretty nearly finished their work. We were standing only fifty paces or so apart, so we began to chat together. 'I begin to be sorry for your hundred ducats,' said Leonard. 'I am still sorrier for the lost bear's skin,' said I. 'It is in Wallachia by this time!' he replied. Behind my back, some ten yards off, was the opening of a narrow hole; there were hundreds such in the rocks all about. 'Come, now!' I cried, 'suppose my bear has stowed himself away in this hollow!'-and there and then, like a mischievous little boy, I poked the barrel of my gun into the hollow and fired off a couple of shots in quick succession. A frightful roar came from the depths of the cavern. The wild beast during all this noise, clamour and beating about the bush was actuall

tleman!" they all cried.

oice I would much rather have had the bear skin than the thousand ducats, and the exchange would have been much better for me too in the long

lack

enquired Henr

in these mountains whom the

anxious glanc

ife frightened to death by your highwayman yarns," cried he, and changed the conversation. Short

e company had long ago set off fox-hunting, nor did they return till late in the evening, tired out, wet through, and dripping with sweat. Henrietta meanwhile had discovered the remains of a dilapidated libr

st early, as they must be up betimes next morning. And, indeed, next morning they were off so early that, except their old host, not one of the hunting party was there to

hree days' journey before they reached home, and that they would spend the coming night at the castle of Count Kengyelesy. The coachmen had told Margari so, and he passed the news on to Clementina. It also appeared that Count Kengyelesy was a very curious sort of man, who contradicted Bar

he village in the midst of rich tobacco and rapeseed fields, and enclosed on three sides b

ttle puny bit of a man with very light bright hair, white eyelashes, and a pointed chin made still more pointed by a long goatish

the occasion of a bal paré at Vienna had seen, fallen in love with, and carried off, although the girl's father

e was to feel quite at home, dragged her all over the castle, and showed her in rapid succession her rare flowers, her Parisian furniture, her Japanese curiosities; played something

d her into her bed-chamber. On the wall hung a fine large

s it not?" enquired the c

ied Henriet

ure? I mean the hero on horsebac

ms to me that, situated as

aughed loudly

trait in my room, for there everyone would know all about it, so I had a battle-piece painted in all round, and nobody suspects anything. O

o had a portrait written in ineffaceable characters in her heart, yet between him and her stand two infinite obstacl

countess drawing her arm through Henrietta's, led her int

o part with a line of writing. Everything else, she witnesses, treacherous servants, for instance-can always be disowned; but there is no defence against a letter which has fallen into the wrong hands. Oh no! she knew a trick worth two of that. Whenever the Squirrel went to Vienna, she gave him a list of articles required by her from a modiste in the town, on this list are set down hats, head-dresses, muffs, and other similar articles. Squirrel always reads this list over ten times at least, but finds nothing in it to excite his suspicions. But it regularly escapes

used to designate the uncut terated l

Even when she lay in bed she ruminated for a long time how it was possible that certain things which b

ogether in the breakfast-room. Hátszegi and his host were preparing for the journey. The count asked the young wife what s

her dreams; her waking thoughts w

countess to her husband in a banterin

l spend the coming winter in Vienna.

ice dream as that. Will

ill go there together after

sufficient self-control

ing to Henrietta, "how does your la

y we

the c

is nic

honoured husband were my guests, whilst to-day we are your ladyship'

ed the astoni

ver the whole property and everything belonging to it-not you, my dear, of course," th

s to Hidvár for the vintage festiva

the breakfast she timidly expressed the wish that the Kengyel

hastened to reply, "Squirrel will bring me to you

ms so that he could just manage to kiss the tips of her fingers, he said to her in a strange and piteous sort o

nly felt better when she sat in the carriage again. But even there she was haunted by some unendurable, undefinable, torturing

st creature whether the land was good

in one lot, nothing

now that?" as

e agreement and witnessed it,

you mean

ion the count made just now when he asked you to

h nonsense to

lay; for last night my lord baron played cards with my lord co

race of the boa-constrictor and unable to

his hardest to ruin the other-in a friendly way, of course. The chambermaid told Margari, and Margari told me. 'I will not be content, comrade,' my lord baron used to say to my lord count, 'till one of us is redu

e tried to soften the effect of her words by intimating that the count had another property besides, although not such a n

etta. She wished to rid herself of this uncalled-for gabble

er thus in cold blood? How was it possible that a man could enter the house of an affectionate host as a welcome guest in the evening, and by next mor

bringing tempests along with them, and tempests are evil travelling companions on the steppes of the Alf?ld.[9] The towers of the town they were trying to reach were still only dimly visible on the horizon. In ordinary weather it would not have mattered if they had arrived late, for they had reckoned upon the moonlight; but there could be no moon to-night, instead of her a stor

eat Hungar

ft the road and plunged right across country through ditches and swamps and low, marshy ground till the water came up to the very axles of the wheels and Clementina shrieked that they were perishing. But there was no need to be afraid. Hátszegi was a skilful coachman, who could ever find his way even where there was no way at al

mentina to descend and hurried them in beneath the verandah, which was made of crooked br

ed up in a red handkerchief. She was no longer young, but ruddy, robust, bright-ey

guests she clapped

all these years! But which is the bride, your lordship? Surely not this one (po

to interrupt this u

be upon us in a moment; but take these ladies into a room and see th

little creature! to think of giving them to husbands so early!" cried she. But Clementina, who was always nervous in strange

] I

now?" enquired the bar

s just been released from the prison at Arad. I don'

s, are they?" asked

I don't count old Ripa at all, but only the other three. It would be another thing if Blackey were here, for he is a fine gentleman and likes to amuse himself with the ladies. But don't think,

ces she escorted Henrietta and C

table were sitting three hardy looking young fellows and an old pock-marked man, a foxey-eyed

is no Jew-Madame, but the spouse of my lord, Baron Hátszegi.

stache, politely kissed Henrietta's hand, and would have paid the same compliment to Clementina if

w screens were wide-spreading rosemary and musk plants. In front of one of the great chests stood a spinning wheel. From this the landlady, winter and summer, spun off that fine thread from which wer

inds of dishes that she might choose from them the one she liked best. Perhaps she would like some leaf-cake? It was just cooking and would be served up immediately, and she began spreading the table with a nice horse-cloth. Clementina whisp

astily demanded a change of clothes, as his own were soaking, and was amazed to see Henrietta handling her knife and fork so well; i

the ladies up for the night?" said

bedsteads enough for as many guests of quality as your lordship likes. This

t so quick! I sha

d this child of the

place or other in th

ured Dame Kardos, shrugging her shoulders, "bu

greatly agitated, "won't those wi

zegi, "how the devil

uch wicked

with the utmost sang froid; nay, as Clementina herself noticed, he

n," the landlady reassured the ladies, "f

ct peculiar to themselves? She became quite curious to hear

before him. Hátszegi took a good pull at it, dried the mouth of the kulacs and passed it on to the old pock

ooden fi

ellow, is th

s alway

ou had

never hav

, does the wind still blow through the

to it. Let him who likes i

n born to the governor

at the jail, the governor is said to

en born there-and

with stri

of the cord[14] be

xpression for th

re caught in the act, but he swore he did the deed. They were young bloods, you see, and he had nobody to care for him. And yet it was they who presen

m cold against t

l peppered gulyás[15] such as old Ripa knew how to cook. They humoured him, and I was sent into the kitchen to prepare it. My old friend ate with a good appetite and wanted me to take a bit too; but my throat felt as cramped as if they had already taken my measure round it with the gallows rope. He gave each of the two heydukes who accompanied him in the felon's

ngarian

ew songs," enquired Hátszegi.

words one of the youths drew forth from his sleeve one of those flutes made of elder-wood, which in Hungarian goes by the name of a tilinka, and which wit

ari," cried he, "go to the carriage, l

or tramp, and so escape that way. And now the baron had ruined his little plan by ordering him to come forth! The robbers would now absolutely believe that he also was a swell. Oh, it is a frightful situation when a poor devil has managed to get a 100 gulden into his purse for the first time in his life and is obliged the very next evening to put up at an

a fiddle into that? Or has the fellow never cast eyes on a f

n brand-new mantle, for which he had paid nine and twenty gulden. The vagabond would be sure to lay his hands upon it. No, he would rather go to look for the fiddle himself. So he found the violin case

all fortune, and following the lead of the young vagabond's tilinka played the bitter-sweet melancholy air on the sonorous instrument, and at the

those compositions of the "Gipsy-Beethoven," Bihari, and other great popular masters, with the most classical variations. Princes listen not to such a concert as now resounded through that wretched, desolate csárdá. Even Hen

gant saloons, find any pleasure in playing bravoura pieces in the tap room of a miserable csárdá to an audience of ha

undles of thousand-gulden notes which it contained. Nay, he searched among them for stray ten-gulden notes and gave one to each of the four vagabonds "for the fine song they had taught him"-that was the way h

out so much as a "thank you!" and settled down for the night on the roof of the coach-house-to the great terror of

g pelisse on the long table, laid down thereon and quietly fell asle

tures, the atrocities of vagabonds and their fellows, the sad love stories of poor deserted maidens and such like. And all the while the wheels of the spindle whirr-whirr-whirred monotonously, and Henrietta felt like a little c

ounding puszta also was the property of his lordship, for which the people who lived upon it paid very little rent, inasmuch as his lordship did not look upon it as a source of income but chiefly valued it on account of its numerous reedy lakes where he was wont every year to hunt water-fowl and beavers on a grand

he evening they descended into a little mining town whose forges and furnaces were all illuminated in h

ng people who spoke a language she had never heard before. At intervals of a mile all along the road a roughly carved cross shot up, covered with clumsily carved letters, which did not in the least resemble those we are accustomed to. Clementina once asked the coachman what t

ecipices, and the loquacious coachman attached horrible stories to eve

hem, even at midnight, to ask for a night's lodging. They were all of them sooty dilapidated shanties, which might easily have been taken for stables, consisting

trace of a garden, but here and there was a fenced in space in which the Roumanians are wont to unload their hay, with a long pole sticking up in t

y the fords. From the depths of the wooded mountain slopes was reflected the blood-red glare of iron works and foundries, and the dr

the very prospect of the familiar places from which she had come and from every possibility of returning; and whose

slopes, thickly covered with dark beech-trees, the castle of Hidvár came full in view, standing lonely and isolated on the summit of a hill. The mountain torrent shot swiftly down beneath a shaky bridge. The round moon stood straight