nsable that I should procure
these thousand florins somehow. I would not ask my husband for them and
that was very foolish of me. I got the amount at last from a wretched
usurer at an enormous rate of interest. When the amount plus interest
became due again, I was still more afraid to tell my husband, and so
kept on giving fresh bills, with the result that the amount of my
indebtedness grew and grew as the years rolled on, till it resembled the
egg of the widow in the nursery tale--out of which came first two cocks,
then a bristling boar, then a camel, and finally a carriage and four,
for at last my original poor little debt of one thousand florins swelled
into forty thousand and the usurers became importunate and would allow
me no more credit. Once when I was in a very bad humour, I let out my
secret before Szilard, and the worthy young man undertook to relieve me
of my burden. I don't know whether he detected a technical flaw in my
bonds or whether he found out some other means of frightening my
creditor; anyway, he assured me I only need pay the original sum with
interest upon it at the legal rate. Moreover, he undertook to procure me
an honourable loan on easy conditions, which to me was a veritable
godsend. And so now you know, my dear friend, why Vamhidy is so welcome
a guest at my house that I leave even you all alone with my companion
when he comes. But you can see for yourself how dear and necessary he is
to me and how much I owe to him."

Hatszegi remained in a brown study for several moments, and began biting
his lips. The countess sat down at the piano with the most amiable
nonchalance as if she gave not another thought to what she had been
speaking about.

"If only I had not had the misfortune to be robbed!" cried Hatszegi at
last.

"Do you know what, my dear friend," said the countess, at the same time
letting her fingers glide lightly over the ivory keys of the piano, "I
consider the whole of that affair as simply incredible. Two shots so
close to a man and no result!--why it borders a little upon the
fabulous!"

"Then I suppose you think it was the innkeeper himself who robbed me?"

The countess shrugged her round shoulders slightly and went on playing.

"That is not possible," resumed the baron, answering his own query, "for
I myself saw the blow which Makkabesku received on the head from the
butt of the musket, and I can tell your ladyship that there are no four
thousand ducats in the world for