t in.

"Go at once to the ironmonger's and buy a large caldron; then find me
two masons and bring them here; but don't speak to a soul about it."

Now that was Matyko's weak point, but if he had not been told to hold
his tongue he might have managed to do so later on, when the opportunity
for speaking came.

"Off you go, and mind you are back in double quick time!"

Before dark the masons had arrived, and the caldron too. Gregorics took
the two men into his room, and carefully shut the door.

"Can you keep silence?" he asked.

The masons looked at each other surprised, and the elder one answered.

"Why, of course we can keep silence, that is the first thing a man does
on his arrival in this world."

"Yes, until he has learnt to talk," answered Gregorics.

"And even afterward you can make the trial if it is worth your while,"
said the younger man slyly.

"It will be worth your while, for you shall have fifty florins each if
you will make a hole in a wall large enough to put this caldron in, and
then close it again so that no one can see where it was put."

"Is that all?"

"That is all. But besides that you will receive fifty florins each from
the owner of this house every year, as long as you keep silence."

The masons again exchanged glances, and the elder said:

"We will do it. Where is it to be done?"

"I will show you."

Gregorics took down a rusty key from a nail, and went out with the men
into the courtyard.

"Now follow me," he said, and led them through the garden to an orchard,
in which was a small house built of stone. The most delicious apples
grew here, and that had induced old Gregorics to buy the orchard and
house from the widow of the clergyman; he had made a present of both to
little Gyuri, and it was entered in his name. When the boy was at home
he used to study there with Kupeczky, but since he left it had been
quite deserted.

Gregorics led the masons to this little house, and showed them the wall
in which he wished an opening made large enough to receive the caldron,
and told them when they were ready to come and tell him, as he wished to
be present when they walled it in. By midnight the hole was ready, and
the masons came and tapped at the window. Gregorics let them in, and
they saw the caldron in the middle of the room. The top was covered with
sawdust, so that they could not see what was in it, but it was so heavy
the two masons could hardly carry it. Gregorics followed them