e took part in
another as long as he lived.

"Then be so good, gentlemen, as to receipt this bill," said Alexander,
turning to the seconds, and producing the written challenge which they
had addressed to his master. "Kindly write at the bottom of it,
'Discharged in full.'"

The seconds laughed immensely at the idea, and, procuring a pen and ink
from the first shanty they came to, they duly wrote at the bottom of the
challenge the words, "Paid in full."

The young man thereupon thrust the attested document into his pocket,
thanked his own seconds for their kind services, and returned on foot to
town.

CHAPTER VII.

THE NABOB'S BIRTHDAY.

Squire John's birthday was approaching, and a famous, notable day it
always was for the whole county of Szabolcs. The clergymen in all the
surrounding villages ordered new frock-coats from Debreczin or
Nagy-Kun-Madaras a month beforehand, at the same time directing the
tailors to make the pockets "extra large;" the Lemberg firework-makers
collected hay and straw far and wide for the rockets; the students of
Debreczin learnt nice congratulatory odes, and set fine old folk-ballads
to music; the gipsy _primas_ bought up all the resin in the shops he
could lay his hands on, and the Strolling Players' Society began, in
secret, to plan how they could best escape from Nyiregyhaza.[6]

[Footnote 6: The county town, where they had a standing engagement.]

In more distinguished circles, where prudent housewives are wont to take
their unfortunate husbands in hand, and exercise towards them that
office which guardian angels perform in heaven, and police-constables
perform on earth, the advent of Squire John's birthday festival was the
signal for domestic storms. The festival itself used to last for a week.
On the first day thereof every well-ordered female being fled from the
place, and on the last day thereof those of the nobler masculine race
who had remained behind, came tottering home--some half-dead, others
wholly drunk, and all of them more or less battered and penniless.

Squire John himself was so much accustomed to the delights of that day,
that he would have considered the year lost in which he did not duly
celebrate it; and any of his acquaintances who should have neglected to
appear before him on the day itself would have been thenceforth regarded
by him as his mortal enemies. Death was regarded as the one legitimate
excuse.

The festivities were this year to be cele