, and love to shoot at
little dogs, those are the sort of fellows from which apt pupils can be
trained."

"That is quite true. Why you, yourself, must be the son of a headsman,
or else you would not know all the conditions of the trade so well."

"You've hit it, that is just what I am. My father was an executioner and
my grandfather before him, the business has steadily descended from
father to son."

"Where do you live then?"

"In Poland. Rochow is where my father dwells. You must have guessed
already from my accent that I was a Pole."

"Yes, and from your face too."

"My brother and I divided our heritage between us. He got the Rochow
business and paid me out in cash that I might set up for myself
elsewhere. I heard that the executioner of Hetfalu was getting sick of
his office, for of course he is not growing younger, is he? Come, now!
you silly little thing, you must not be angry with me for saying that!
You know very well that your husband _is_ an old man, and there are lots
of old men who have pretty young wives. There is no great harm in that.
I only asked you whether he _was_ old, because in that case he would be
more likely to seek for repose."

"Yes, young sir, my husband loathes the business with all his soul."

"But there's a great deal of fun in it too, if only you look at it
properly. I have often gone to Lemberg togged up like a swell, with a
fine jewelled pin in my scarf, a gold chain and a little whalebone stick
in my hand. I have turned the heads of two or three fine ladies and
insinuated myself into the best society--and what a joke it was when
they found out who I really was. How pale they all went, and how their
hair stood on end. Ha, ha, ha!"

"But didn't they make you pay for it afterwards?"

"Well, once I was called out by a young cadet. Officers of higher rank
thought it beneath their dignity to fight with me, the utmost they did
was to pitch me out of the window. The lad who challenged me was a
Hungarian, and I promised to appear at the rendezvous. I am afraid,
however, that he waited for me a very long time. I like to shed blood,
but only when I run no risk myself."

All three laughed heartily at this witticism.

"But listen to the sequel of my story. My father has an amiable whim of
his own--he always prefers to have deserters from the army as his
assistants. He is well aware that men of that kidney have practically
renounced the world. Now who do you think rushed into his hous