te.

The girl trembled as she saw him. The confessor had come!

Topandy sprang up from his seat and went to meet him.

Czipra plainly heard what he said in a subdued voice.

"The doctor has forbidden her to speak: in her present condition you
cannot cross-question her."

Czipra breathed freely again. He was defending her!

"In any case I can answer for her, for I was present from the very
beginning," said Lorand to the magistrate. "Czipra heard the noise in
the garden, and was daring enough, as was her wont, to go out and see
what was the matter. At the door she met the robber face to face: she
barred his way, and immediately cried out for me: then she struggled
with him until I came to her help."

How pleased Czipra was at that explanation, all the more because she saw
by Lorand's face that he really believed it.

"I have no more questions to ask the young lady," said Daruszegi. "This
matter is really over in any case."

"Over?" asked Topandy astonished.

"Yes, over: explained, judged, and executed."

"How?"

"The robber chief, Kandur, before he died in agony, made such serious
and perfectly consistent confessions as, combined with other
circumstances, compromised your neighbor in the greatest measure."

"Sarvoelgyi?" inquired Topandy with glistening eyes.

"Yes.--So far indeed that I was compelled to extend the magisterial
inquiry to his person too. I started with my colleague to find him. We
found the two ladies in a state of the greatest consternation. They came
before us, and expressed their deep anxiety at not finding Sarvoelgyi
anywhere in the house: they had discovered his room open and unoccupied.
His bedroom we did indeed find empty, his weapons were laid out on the
table, the key of his money-chest was left in it, and the door of the
room open.--What could have become of him?--We wanted to enter the door
of the dining-room opposite. It was locked. The ladies declared that
room was generally locked. The key was inside in the lock. That room has
two other doors, one opening on to the kitchen, one on to the verandah.
We looked at them too. In both cases the key was inside, in the lock.
Some one must be in the room! I called upon the person within, in the
name of the law to open the door to us. No answer came. I repeated the
command, but the door was not opened: so I was compelled to have it
finally broken open by force; and when the sunlight burst through into
the dark room, what horrible sight