he ought to atone for his
fault by an act of self-sacrifice. She must recognize the forgery as her
real signature. But what then? The recognition of the signature must
needs have consequences. What would be the result of her action?

She could see she had no help to expect from her husband. At every step
she perceived that he eagerly sought occasion to quarrel with her and
seized every pretext for avoiding her. And now to add to her
embarrassment, there was this unlucky Mikalai accident. It seemed just
to have come in the nick of time so far as he was concerned, just as if
he had actually agreed with Fatia Negra that the latter should rob him
on the high road in the most artful manner so that she might not have
the slightest hope left of being relieved from her anxieties by the
assistance of her husband. The baron, now could always end every
_tete-a-tete_ by remarking that that rogue Fatia Negra had relieved him
of all his money, and he knew not how to make good his loss.

One day, while away from home hunting at Csako, Baron Leonard learnt
that the Countess Kengyelesy's latest ideal was Szilard Vamhidy and when
chance soon afterwards brought him also to Arad, he could see for
himself that the countess really did load the young man with distinction
in society.

The circumstance began to irritate him.

This pale-faced youth with the big burning eyes had turned the head of
his own consort once upon a time, and now he was making other enviable
conquests. The idea occurred to Hatszegi to knock this "student chap"
out of his saddle a second time. Heretofore he had never regarded the
countess as a particularly pretty woman, but now he very readily
persuaded himself that he was over head and ears in love with her.

He began to pay his court to her--and he was lucky. At least everybody
believed it--himself included.

The countess always seemed pleased to see him, and the oftener he paid
his visits, the less frequent grew the visits of Szilard. Occasionally
they met at the countess's and then Szilard would hastily step aside, as
vanquished rivals are wont to do when their conquerors appear. At last
Leonard was a daily institution at the countess's, while Szilard only
appeared there occasionally.

Yet one day, while Hatszegi was in the drawing room of the countess,
paying his court to her most assiduously, Vamhidy entered _sans gene_;
whereupon the countess hastily springing up from her _causeuse_ asked
leave of the baron