ept poor Anna, who did not dare go near the
coffin for fear of being sent off by the relations. The boy had not yet
arrived from Szeged, and it was better so, for he would probably have
been turned out of the courtyard by the two brothers of the dead man.
But even though Anna did not walk with the mourners, she was the centre
of all eyes, for did not that big house outside the town belong to her
now? And when she dropped her handkerchief wet with her tears, did not
all the unmarried men, one of them even a lawyer, rush to pick it up for
her?

This incident went to prove how much she had risen in people's
estimation. After the funeral, there was a general gathering of all the
family at Sztolarik's in order to hear the will read. Well, it was a
rather strange one on the whole.

The old gentleman had left 2000 florins to the Academy of Arts and
Sciences, and 2000 florins to each of the ladies at whose houses he had
visited years before, and to those who had refused to marry him. Nine
ladies were mentioned by name, and the legacy had been placed in the
hands of Sztolarik to be paid at once to the legatees.

The relations listened with bated breath, every now and then throwing in
a remark, such as, "Very good. Quite right of him," etc. Only Mrs.
Panyoki muttered, when the nine ladies' names were read out: "Dear me,
how very strange!"

Boldizsar, who was of opinion it was not worth while worrying over such
trifles (after all, Pal had been slightly mad all his life), said
grandly:

"Please continue, Mr. Sztolarik."

The lawyer answered shortly: "There is no more!"

Their surprise was great, and there was a general rush to look at the
will.

"Impossible!" they all exclaimed at once.

The lawyer turned his back on them repeating:

"I tell you there is not another word!"

"And the rest of his fortune, his estates in Bohemia?"

"There is no mention of them. I can only read what I see written here;
you must at least understand that, gentlemen."

"It is incomprehensible," groaned Gaspar.

"The curious part of it is," remarked Boldizsar, "that there is no
mention of that woman and her son."

"Yes, of course," answered Gaspar, "it does seem strange."

The lawyer hastened to reassure them.

"It can make no difference to you," he said. "Whatever fortune there may
be that is not mentioned in the will falls to you in any case."

"Yes, of course," said Gaspar, "and that is only right. But the money?
Where is it? The