and
those who saw him for a moment swore it was St. Peter."

"It was Muencz!"

"Did you speak?"

Gyuri bit his lip, and saw that he had spoken his thoughts aloud.

"Nothing, nothing; please go on."

"Well, St. Peter disappeared, and left the umbrella behind him."

"And does it still exist?"

"I should think it does indeed. They keep it as a relic in the church of
Glogova."

"Thank God!"

He drew a deep breath, as though a great weight had fallen from him.

"Found!" he murmured. He thought he would have fallen from his chair in
his joy.

"And to whom does it belong? To the Church?" asked Gyuri.

"It may be yours once," said Mrs. Szliminszky. "It will be Veronica's
when she marries; the priest of Glogova told me so himself. 'It will
belong to my sister,' he said, 'unless she makes a present of it to the
Church when she marries.'"

"Oh, no," said the lawyer, shaking his head. "At least, I mean ... What
am I saying? What were we speaking about? It is fearfully warm, I'm
stifling. Please, Mr. Mravucsan, could we have the window open?"

"Of course," and the mayor ran to open it.

"Button up your coat, Wladin!"

A fresh spring air entered by the window, and a slight breeze put out
both the candles.

"Kisses allowed," called out Klempa.

A branch of lilac was just outside the window, and spread its delicious
perfume through the room, decidedly more pleasant than the fumes of
tobacco smoke which had filled it a minute before.

Madame Krisbay, startled by the sudden darkness, gave vent to a little
scream, and Klempa seized the opportunity to exclaim:

"I assure you it was not I!"

There was a general confusion in the darkness, but Mrs. Szliminszky,
wanting to prove she was above being troubled by such trifles, quietly
continued her conversation with Gyuri.

"It is a pretty little legend, Mr. Wibra. I am not easily imposed upon,
and, besides, we are Lutherans; but I must say it is a very pretty
legend. But the umbrella is really wonderful. Sick people are cured if
they stand under it; a dead man rose to life again when it touched him.
It is of no use your shaking your head, for it is true. I know the man
himself, he is still alive. Altogether the things that umbrella has done
are wonderful, especially the fact that it has brought luck and riches
to the priest of Glogova."

A dark suspicion took possession of Gyuri, and when the candles were
relighted, it was to be seen he was as pale as death.

"Is