belongs to Prince Theobald and
his sister. The countess has already given her consent, but without
his ratification the shares would not be taken up at the exchange.
Prince Waldemar is working against us, and therefore I am to win over
the old prince to our side. Lixi says it will be very easy to get
round him just at the present moment, because his granddaughter,
Countess Angela, of whom he is very fond, has quarrelled with him and
left him. The poor old man is very sad and lonely, and Lixi says
whoever cheers him up will be able to do anything with him; and,' she
added, with a wise look, 'we are not deceiving him, for the Bondavara
coal is the finest in the world.'

"I burst out laughing; I could not help it. Then she pulled my hair
and said:

"'Why do you laugh, you ridiculous donkey? I think I must be a judge
of coal, for I worked as day-laborer for ten years in the mines of
Herr Behrend.'

"At these words my astonishment was so great that I jumped up from my
seat.

"'You may stare your eyes out of your head,' she said, laughing at my
amazement, 'but it is quite true. I used to shove the coal-wagons, and
barefoot into the bargain.'

"'Gracious lady, believe me, I did not jump up from astonishment; I
was surprised to hear you name Ivan Behrend. What do you know of him?
Pray tell me.'

"'He was the owner of the coal-mines in Bondavara, near which Felix is
going to open works upon an enormous scale. He was my master; God
bless him, wherever he goes!'

"Now, dear papa, I have come to the heart of the business, after, it
must be owned, an unconscionably long prelude. With my weak intellect
I have thought out the whole thing. Here is my kind friend, my adopted
father, the owner of a mine in Bondavara, and beside him men with I
don't know how many millions at their backs are going to form a coal
company. It would be a good thing to let him know, that he may act in
time; it may be good for him, but it would seem to me that it may also
be very bad. Here the air is full of speculation; you see, I am
already slightly bitten. Let me know how and in what manner the affair
affects you and your interests. I shall write to you what goes on
here, for I shall be behind the scenes; this little fool tells me
everything."

The receipt of this letter had decided Ivan to accept the Countess
Theudelinde's invitation to give a romantic reading at her house, and
to enter into the society of Pesth. He wrote to Arpad, and begged hi