uld be impossible.

I begged old Marton to open the door for me.

"What! discipulus negligens! To slip out of the house at night is not
proper. He who wanders about at night can be no Lieutenant Governor--at
most a night-watchman."

"No joking now; they are prosecuting my brother! I must go and help
him."

"Why didn't you tell me at once? Prosecute indeed? You should have told
me that. Who? Perhaps the butcher clerks? If so, let us all six go with
clubs to his aid."

"No, they are not butcher clerks. What are you thinking of?"

"Why, in past years the law-students were continually having brawls with
butcher clerks."

"They want to arrest him," I whispered to him, "to put him in prison,
because he was one of the 'Parliamentary youth' lot."

"Aha," said Marton, "that's where we are is it? That is beyond my
assistance. And, what can you do?"

"I must go to my uncle Balnokhazy at once and ask him to interfere."

"That's surely a wise thing to do. Under those circumstances I shall go
with you. Not because I think you would be afraid to go by yourself at
night, but that I may be able to tell the old man by-and-bye that you
were not in mischief."

The old fellow put on a coat in a moment, and a pair of boots, then
accompanied me to the Balnokhazys.

He did not wish to come in, but told me that, on my way back, I should
look for him at the corner beer-house, where he would wait for me.

I hurried up stairs.

I was greatly disappointed to find my brother's door closed: at other
times that had always been my first place of retreat.

I heard the piano in the "salon": so I went in there.

Melanie was playing with the governess.

They did not seem surprised that I came at so late an hour; I only
noticed that they behaved a little more stiffly towards me than on other
occasions.

Melanie was deeply engrossed in studying the notes. I enquired whether I
could speak with my uncle.

"He has not yet come home from the club," said the governess.

"And her ladyship."

"She has gone to the ball."

That annoyed me a little.

"And when do they come home?"

"The Privy Councillor at eleven o'clock, he usually plays whist till
that hour; her ladyship probably not until after midnight. Do you wish
to wait?"

"Yes, until my uncle returns."

"Then you can take supper with us."

"Thank you, I have already had supper."

"Do they have supper so early at the baker's?"

"Yes."

I then sat down beside the piano, a