e.

If I had piqued their curiosity to find out who or what I was, I had
also stimulated my own ambition to astonish them.

"He says he will ride out with me to-morrow, and does n't care if I give
him a lively mount," said one, speaking of me.

"And you mean to gratify him, George?" asked another.

"He shall have the roan that hoisted you out of the saddle with his hind
quarters."

"Come, come, gentlemen, I'll not have my _protege_ injured to gratify
your jealousies," said Madame Hunyadi; "he shall be my escort."

"If he rides as he plays billiards, you need not be much alarmed about
him. The fellow can do what he likes at the cannon game."

"I 'd give fifty Naps to know his history," cried another.

I was playing chess as he said this, and, turning my head quietly
around, I said, "The secret is not worth half the money, sir; and if it
really interests you, you shall have it for the asking."

He muttered out a mass of apologies and confused excuses, to all the
embarrassment of which I left him most pitilessly, and the incident
ended. I saw, however, enough to perceive that if I had won the
suffrages of the ladies, the men of the party had conceived an
undisguised dislike of me, and openly resented the favor shown me.

"What can you do with the foils, young gentleman?" whispered Szechenyi
to me, as he came near.

"Pretty much as I did with you at billiards awhile ago," said I,
insolently; for my blood was up, and I burned to fix a quarrel
somewhere.

"Shall we try?" asked he, dryly.

"If you say without the buttons, I agree."

"Of course, I mean that."

I nodded, and he went on,--

"Come down to the riding-school by the first light tomorrow then, and I
'll have all in readiness."

I gave another nod of assent, and moved away. I had enough on my hands
now; for, besides other engagements, I had promised the Countess Palfi
to arrange a little piece for private theatricals, and have it ready
by the time of Count Hunyadi's return. So far from feeling oppressed or
overwhelmed by the multiplicity of these cares, they stimulated me to
a degree of excitement almost maddening. Failure somewhere seemed
inevitable, and, for the life of me, I could not choose where it should
be. As my spirits rose, I threw off all the reserve I had worn before,
and talked away with an animation and boldness I felt uncontrollable.
I made _calembourgs_, and dashed off impromptu verses at the piano; and
when, culminating in some im