s under the seats, or played
at knucklebones, or (but this was only when they were particularly well
behaved) lay down on the floor of the pews and slept like Christians.

And when they grew up and became full-blown louts, their actions still
testified to the influence of the school in which they had been reared.
Whoever was the most skilful farmyard pilferer in the village, whoever
was the most thorough-paced loafer in the county, could infallibly be
regarded as an ex-pupil of Mr. Korde's.

Whoever was regularly chucked out of the pot-house every Sunday evening,
whoever brought a broken pate home with him the oftenest, whoever spent
most of his time in the village jail, would be he, you might be quite
sure of it, who had picked up the rudiments of learning at the feet of
Mr. Korde.

Whoever lied and perjured himself most frequently, whoever could swallow
most brandy at a gulp, whoever knocked his wife about the oftenest,
whoever turned his father and mother out of doors, whoever was most
slothful in business, whoever had the filthiest house, whoever was cruel
to his horse, whoever sat in the stocks habitually, would be he, you
might safely rely upon it, who had learnt the philosophy of life in the
school of Mr. Korde.

Thus for thirty years had he spread the blessings of science in Hetfalu
and its environs.

The second instructor of the people was Thomas Bodza, a panslavist
incarnate.

He had but little mind yet much learning. He was one of those men who
remembered all he read without understanding it, a semi-savant and one
of the most dangerous specimens of that dangerous class. Of him, I shall
have occasion to speak presently.

* * * * *

One day Mr. Korde had drunk himself into an unusual state of fuddle.

When I say _unusual_, I mean, that as early as midnight he did not know
whether he was boy or girl, and took the starry firmament for a
bass-viol.

He had made a little excursion with his friend the magistrate, Mr.
Martin Csicseri, to a little tavern in the outlying vineyards to taste
the new vintages, and there the two gentlemen got so drunk that they
would have found it difficult to explain in what language they were
conversing.

Finally they set off homewards, leaning heavily for support on each
other's shoulders. His honour, Mr. Csicseri suddenly caught sight of a
broad ditch by the roadside. He swore by heaven and earth that it was a
nicely quilted bed, and there