nd paying their court
to the heir-presumptive of the vast possessions of the Karpathy family,
his Honour Abellino Karpathy?

They had all seen John Karpathy sink back in his chair, stricken by
apoplexy. He had not died on the spot, it is true; yet he was as good as
dead, anyhow, and there were many who carried their friendly sympathy
with his highly respected nephew so far as to urge him vehemently to
hasten at once--yes, that very night--to Karpatfalva, take possession,
and seal up everything, to prevent any surreptitious filching of his
property. But the young Squire was suspicious of all premature rumours,
and resolved to bide his time, await more reliable information, and only
put in an appearance on receiving news of the funeral. Early next
morning the Dean arrived to greet him. The very reverend gentleman had
remained behind at Karpatfalva last of all, in order to make sure that
Master Jock really signed the codicil in favour of the college in which
he was interested. He brought the melancholy intelligence that the old
gentleman had not indeed actually given up the ghost, but was certainly
very near the last gasp, inasmuch as it was now quite impossible to
exchange a reasonable word with him, which signified that the Dean had
been unable to get him to subscribe the codicil.

The Dean was followed the same day by a number of agents and stewards
attached to the Karpathy domains, who hastened to introduce themselves
to his Excellency, the heir and their future patron. They brought still
further particulars of the bodily condition of the expiring head of the
family. A village barber had bled him, whereupon he had somewhat
recovered his senses. They had then proposed to send for a doctor, but
he had threatened to shoot the man down if he crossed his threshold. The
barber was to remain, however. He had more confidence in him, he said,
because he would not dare to kill him. He would take no medicine, nor
would he see a soul, and Mike Kis was the only person who had admittance
to his room. But he could not possibly last longer than early to-morrow
morning, of that they were all quite certain.

Abellino regarded the appearance of the agents and stewards as of very
good augury: it showed that they already regarded him as their master,
to whom homage was justly due. On the following day a whole host of
managers, cashiers, scribes, shepherds, tenants, and other small fry,
arrived to recommend themselves to Abellino's favour