The Poor Plutocrats

rds her, and that was all. And then she saw so little of him. He was frequently absent from Hidvár for weeks at a time, and when he

vening in the shady alleys of the home park, listening to the songs of the girls working in the fields. At the end of the park was a church, and in front of it a sma

the evening. Henrietta fancied at first that was merely a dietetic diversion, but afterwards, when she found him there the next day and the day after that, and at every hour of the day; when she saw him wiping the

tand his language; at last, however, the priest, perceiving the lady one day, peered at her through the palings and wished h

old man to leave his

; his lordship has forbidden

hy

ways a n

w s

elfry. It is a year ago now since the school was burnt down, and since then the walls have become overgrown with thistles; the schoolmaster to

ot all this p

are lazy and drunken, an

tonished at the

a priest and used to hunger. And he who is used to hunger is free from the yoke of ser

s of thousands at a time with the greatest ease, and no doubt scattered them as recklessly, could shut his door in the face of a poor pr

rom the chase, "I have a favour to ask of you," said she. Hátszegi looked

atever you like to ask is

e people in the midst of whom we dwell. I

tongue is easily acquired, especially by a

covert allusion behind these words? Did

n put me in the way of it. The parish

Hátszegi's eyeb

me from the book of the Prophet Nehemiah, so that I was obliged to forbid him ever to appear before me under pain of being thrown headlong out of the window; yet to show you what an obedient servant I am of yours, madame, I will not ba

nguage, and the words almost stuck in his throat when he added that his Reverence would receive a hundred

s an elderly man, of an open, cheerful countenance; his fine, long white hair fell

e to prevent the old pas

ery lavish of such things myself, but I feel bound to address you thus because I am well aware that it is not merely to learn our poor language that you pay me so well for so little trouble. No, I recognize herein the good will

ompanied by a single groom or quite alone. Thus she visited one after the other all the surrounding parishes like any archdeacon, enquiring after and helping their necessities, distributing money for school-buildings and service books, collecting all manner of stray orphans and bringing them

ore little Roumanian rag-a-muffins how to go about with gloves on like their betters. Nay the baron secretly instructed the tradesmen with whom Henrietta had pawned her j

me wonder-working salve so vigorously that the poor patient died in consequence; in fact she was already at the last gasp when Henrietta arrived. Henrietta was beside herself with grief and anger. She felt like a doctor whose prescriptions have been interfered with by a competitor.

hought it worth while to bring an escort with her. Besides, whom had she to fear? Since she had lived in these parts

better to look for this road lest night should surprise her among the mountains. But a road that is good enough for mules and ponies may not suit a thoroughbred English steed which does not care about putting its hoofs into the tracks of other beasts; and besides, a hundred paces on level ground is much shorter than twenty-five u

oft sandstone by the mountain torrents, descended abruptly, the stones giving way beneath the horse's hoofs and plunging after it. Frequently they had to cross ver

rocky mountain side rose perpendicularly on the other. The narrow path here ran so close to the rock that the

his chances on that narrow path; but, as there was

r which she seemed to hang suspended; and she thought to herself

he horse's hind legs tripped, and the same instant

rst beneath the strain, how for a mere second some bush or shrub arrested the descent, and how the next instant the weight of the horse tore it down along with him. Finally, falling still lower and turni

ed hanging in the bush) it occurred to her in this painful situation that she still had time to commend her soul to God and then face death more calmly. As to help, there

m his uncomfortable position, he repeatedly uttered that terrified scream which one never hears from this noble and reticent beast except

s below; looking down she perceived by the light of the moon a black shape leaping from

gap or crevice in the face of the steep rock by means of which he could scramble up to h

ty was as astonishing as the physical strength, with which he often raised himself on the tips of his toes in order to reach a cleft in the rocks, scarcely visible high above his head; o

lf was a good fathom in height and his head reached up as far as Henrietta's hips. He looked up at her with a friendly smile, as if he had merely come there to help her down from her

oulder, this bush will not hold fast much longer, it is only a juniper, its roots are weak." Henrietta's h

I often roam about like this after my kids when they fall into t

etta perceived with astonishment that the roots which had not snapped asunder beneath his weight w

stump between his legs like a hobby-horse and pressing it against the rock with one hand, he himself turned his

ood on solid ground and looked up at her with a smile: "We're all right, you see," he c

steep mountain side five fathoms d

vey the lady to the bottom of the precipice, which was

id he. "Don't be frightened;

e wedged-in horse. Henrietta gazed after him i

the beast by his fettered legs, pulled them over his shoulders, and with a violent jerk freed the animal from its uncomfortable position and carried it down into the valley likewise.

carry it on your shoul

t home. Surely your ladyship knows that I am the strong Juon-Juon Tare?" And the goatherd said this with as much self-evident pride, as if everyone in the wi

t for a wager. Neither of us has ever been able to throw the other. His lordship can throw an axe deeper into a tree than I can, but I can put a greater weight. His lordship can kill an ox with a blow from his fist, but I can throttl

ord, your

ich was still trembling in every limb, wiped the bloody foam from its mouth, washed its sores and encouraged the lady to

lley, took the horse's rein and conducted the lady to the mountain pass, wher

" said he, "for they

ho

ts and

e a wife? Do

en he added in a lower voice: "She is as beaut

d night,

, he plunged back into the forest

orse and his harness sufficed to show that an accident had happened. But she could scarce wait for the morrow t

umanian Taria, s