soon engaged him in conversation about the gay
world of Vienna, whose doings were perfectly familiar to them both. At
length, when the feast was nearly ended, the chief took out his watch
and said, "Madame, the happiest moments of my life have always been the
shortest. I have another engagement this night, but before I leave allow
me to tell you that in appealing to my honour, as you have done
to-night, you have saved me from the commission of a crime. Bad as I am,
none ever appealed to my honour in vain. As for you, my men," he said,
looking sternly round with his hand on his pistol, "I charge you to take
nothing from this house; he who disobeys me dies that instant."

The chief then asked for pen arid paper, and writing some sentences in a
strange character, handed it to his hostess, saying, "If you or your
retainers should at any time lose anything of value, let that paper be
displayed in the nearest town, and I pledge you my word the missing
articles shall be returned." After this he took his leave, the troop
mounted their horses and departed.

My friend told me that he was enabled to verify the story; and he
subsequently discovered the real name of the robber chief. He was an
impoverished cadet of one of the noblest families in Hungary. His fate
was sad enough; lie was captured a few months after this incident, and
ended his life under the hands of the common hangman.

CHAPTER XXX.

Return to Buda-Pest--All-Souls' Day--The cemetery--Secret burial of
Count Louis Batthyanyi--High rate of mortality at Buda-Pest.

Some matters of business recalled me to Buda-Pest in the midst of a
round of visits in Transylvania. The great hospitality of my new friends
would have rendered a winter in that delightful country most agreeable,
but the holiday part of my tour was over, and circumstances led me to
pass some months in the capital.

I got back just in time for All-Souls' Day. The _Fete des Morts_ is
observed with great ceremony throughout Hungary, especially at
Buda-Pest. In the afternoon of this day a friend and myself joined the
throng, who were with one accord making their way eastward along the
Radial Strasse, the great thoroughfare of Pest. It appeared as if the
whole population of the town had turned out; private carriages,
tramways, droskies alike were all crammed, driving in the same direction
with the ceaseless stream of pedestrians. It was the day for the living
to visit their dead! Attired in