said nothing more, but this one
sentence conveyed much. There are men of low origin whose own vanity
misinterprets the true meaning of the condescension shown to them by
those above them in station, and by so doing make terrible mistakes
which must be punished. Such bold _parvenus_ must be taught to curb
their wishes. Ivan was counted as one of these. The foolish man had
imagined that a high-born lady, a Bondavara, because she was
patriotic, would, forsooth, stoop to such as he; he had mistaken her
graciousness for the encouragement she might give to one of her own
class. He must be ostracized, and that speedily.

The signal had been given by those words of the countess's: "He has
for a long time bored me." The first means taken under such
circumstances is to make the offender ridiculous. This can be done in
different ways. The victim remarks that his weak points are held up,
that he is never left in peace, that he is perpetually placed in
situations which are arranged to make him a laughing-stock. Not that
any one is rude enough to laugh at him openly; on the contrary, they
are most polite to him, but it is a politeness that provokes laughter.
He soon finds that no one is his friend, no one makes any intimacy
with him, although no one actually insults him; but if he is a man of
any intelligence he soon feels that he is not one of the society, and
that his best part will be to take his hat and go.

This happened now to Ivan, but his habitual phlegm did not desert him;
he understood the situation, and was determined to stand his ground to
the bitter end. He was invited to take part in an amateur opera, made
up of most aristocratic personages; it was done on purpose to subject
him to a mortification. He was given the _role_ of the "King." He made
a sensation; his voice was a fine, melodious bass. Angela was the
"Elvira"; Salista, "Ernani"; but the "King" was the favorite.

"The devil is in the man," growled the marquis. "He has been an actor,
I'll bet."

On another occasion he was invited to a fox-hunt at Count Stefan's
splendid hunting-seat near Pesth. The _elite_ of the country round
gathered at these hunts, which took place in the beginning of the
season. It was arranged that Ivan should be mounted on a fiery
Arabian. This was considered a great joke. It would be such fun to see
the quiet book-worm in the saddle; he would have to cling on, for the
Arabian would hardly allow his owner to ride. It would be rare sport