also, and the day after
to-morrow likewise; and, in fact, every day, and I'll taste every one of
your drinks, one after the other, and show you that I'm none the worse.'

"Those were my very words. And I'll do it too, your honour, that I will,
although it will be very hard upon me, for I can't abide spirits. But I
won't allow your honour's noble family, to whom I owe so much, to be
maligned by any pack of boors in the world."

Old Hetfalusy let the Leather-bell rattle on, perhaps he did not even
listen to him. He paid as little attention to the tongue of the
Leather-bell as he did to the clapper of the bell that hung in the
church tower, perhaps less. For, indeed, in the solemn sonorous
ding-dong, ding-dong of the church bell, those who have ears to hear,
and still preserve memories of the past, may recognise the voices of the
dead telling them all manner of mysterious things.

The brilliant exposition of the Leather-bell was interrupted by the
arrival of Dr. Sarkantyus, who drove into the courtyard in a wretched
chaise, dragged along by a couple of rustic nags, and immediately
hastened up to the Squire.

The Leather-bell hastened forthwith to the chaise in order to take out
the doctor's things, and as it was his ambition to load himself with as
many boxes and packages as he could seize upon before the arrival of the
domestic heydukes, he managed in his excess of zeal to drop three of the
parcels on to the ground, one of which immediately burst asunder, and a
stream of whitish powder poured forth upon the marble floor.

The doctor turned upon him furiously.

"Am I not always telling you not to load yourself so much? You see the
result, all my bismuth powder wasted."

"I'll soon pick it all up again," said the Leather-bell submissively,
and going down on his hambones he began sweeping into the palm of his
hand what had been spilt and putting it back with the rest.

At this the doctor was ready to thrash him on the spot.

"What! mix what is all full of dust with what is still pure--go to the
devil!"

"I humbly crave your pardon, doctor, but wouldn't it do for the cattle?"
asked the mischief-maker with an obsequious smile.

"Cattle indeed! Does the fellow suppose I carry about drugs for pigs and
oxen."

"I mean there's so much of it."

"None too much for such cattle as you, but now what has been spilt must
be swept away."

And the doctor snatched the damaged box from the fellow's hands, and
hastened into