, I will go into
another part of the world, I will quit my country, which I love as well
as, ay, and ever so much better than, many of those who call themselves
the fathers of the fatherland. But till then, sir, till then, never let
me catch hold of any of these painted butterflies! I am not a gentleman,
I will fight no duel; but I'll smash whomsoever comes in my way--I'll
smash 'em like a piece of rotten glass. Just tell that to your dear
nephew!"

"Pardon me, my friend, but I am not in the habit of carrying messages to
my nephew, neither have I come hither merely to gossip, but to carry out
a well-devised thoroughly thought-out plan. I hate this man more than
you do. You need not shake your head like that, for so it is. Abellino
is my mortal foe, and I am his. You will better understand the amicable
relations between us when I tell you that he wishes me to die, and I
will not consent, and as in all probability my road to death is much
shorter than his, the contest is conducted with very unequal weapons. On
my birthday he sent me a coffin as a present, in the expectation that I
should make use of it as speedily as possible. Now _his_ birthday is
approaching, and I am going to send him, as a present, a beggar's staff,
and I hope he will live a long time to use it."

"Well, sir, that is your business, not mine. I am a table-maker; I don't
profess to make staves. If you wish to make a present of a beggar's
staff, I can recommend you to a turner who lives hard by."

"Master Boltay, don't be so impatient. The staff I spoke of is only an
emblem. I have a plan, I say, which you must know of. It would be better
if you came and sat down by me and heard me out. Look now! I want
Abellino to wait in vain for the hour of my death. I want my estates not
to go to him, but to another. Do you understand?"

"Of course! You would cut him off with a shilling."

"Why, man, you understand nothing. My estates are hereditary; I cannot
leave them to whom I will--that depends on the law of succession, and
the law of succession is eternal. And a nice little inheritance it is
too. It deserves to be talked about, I assure you. My annual income
exceeds a million and a half!"

"A million and a half!" cried the artisan, in consternation; and he
gazed wonderingly at the magnate, as if he scarce believed that any man
in the world could be worth a million and a half a year.

"Yes, a million and a half awaits my successor, and even under the sod I