e little scratch he had got.

Mr. John hastened to wipe Margari's face with his own
pocket handkerchief.

"Come, come my dear Margari. I have told you I did not mean to do it.
Here are the two hundred florins I promised you. But now leave me alone.
Go abroad with the money and enjoy yourself and I will give you some
more later on."

"I most humbly thank you," lisped the buffeted wretch with a
conciliatory voice and he kissed Mr. John's two hundred florined hand
repeatedly, while the other did all in his power to hustle him out of
the door; and so engrossed was he in the effort that he never observed
that some one had been observing the scene the whole time. He therefore
regularly collapsed when a voice which he instantly recognized,
addressed him: "Good morning, sir!"

The Lernean Hydra was not more petrified at the sight of the head of
Medusa than was Mr. John by the sight of the person who had just
addressed him. It was the magistrate, Mr. Monori.

At first he feared he had come after him for his diurnal eighty florins,
but something very much worse than that was in store for him.

"Pardon me," said the magistrate drawing nearer, "but by order of the
High Court, I am here to arrest Margari, and ascertaining that you had
taken him away with you, I was obliged to follow to prevent him from
escaping altogether."

Two stout _pandurs_[42] behind the magistrate gave additional emphasis
to his words.

[Footnote 42: Hungarian police officers.]

"Arrest me?" cried Margari, "why me? I am as honest as the day. I am
neither a murderer nor yet a robber. Mr. John Lapussa can answer for me.
I am his confidential agent!"--and he clung convulsively to the coat
tail of his principal.

Mr. John plainly perceived that never in his life before had he been in
such an awkward situation. They could accuse him now of having
instigated Margari to make a bolt of it. Had not the magistrate seen
him give the wretched man money to run away with? His first care was to
disengage Margari's hands from his coat tail and next to hold him at
arm's length so that he should not clutch his collar. Then with pompous
impertinence he pretended not to know him.

"What does the man want? Who is he? How did he come hither?" he
exclaimed. "I know nothing about him. I boxed his ears for molesting me,
and then I gave him 200 florins which is the usual legal fine for an
assault of that kind, to prevent him bringing an action against me. We
have nothing