and, lighting a fire
himself, he set to work to pluck it, till Boriska, seeing it was in
vain to oppose, snatched the cock from his hands and turned him out of
the kitchen.

In about two hours the banquet was ready. The unhappy cock had been
burnt to a cinder, and his bones were not harder than his flesh. The
half-baked bread stuck to the knife when it was cut, and to the palate
when it was chewed; and the dishes were so full of salt and cayenne
that tears came into the eyes of the eaters.

The lady sat at the head of the table, and scarcely tasted anything;
she sighed deeply on seeing the worm-eaten holes in her dear mother's
table-linen, the well-known knives and forks loosened from their
deer's-horn handles, and the old family plate all bruised and broken.
What may not a man come to who has no wife to keep his house in order!

During supper Uncle Abris, having taken some wine, ventured to break
the silence, and asked his sister whither she was _en route_.

She replied, smiling, that they were going to visit Gabor Berkessy.

"What! to that detestable man!" exclaimed Uncle Abris, somewhat under
the influence of the wine.

"Why is he a detestable man?" asked Karely, half amused, half
annoyed.

"Because when I was a student in Debreczen he informed upon me once
for visiting a tavern. I was punished by twenty-four hours'
confinement, and I have never forgotten it since."

And yet it was good thirty years ago!

"And what are you going there for, if I may ask?" continued Uncle
Abris.

The lady did not answer; on which Siza took up the conversation: "We
are going to look out for a wife. Mr. Berkessy has a daughter who
would just suit my brother."

"Hm!" replied the old man, ungraciously looking over his shoulder at
Karely; "you are still a child."

"That is just the reason we want to get him married," replied Sizike
demurely. "He is a good lad, but somewhat unsteady; when he has a
wife, his understanding will come. And then," she continued, "it is
much better to marry young, than to grow old, and fall into the hands
of some virago."

The child spoke these words with such peculiar gravity, that Karely
could scarce restrain his laughter; her mother shook her head, and
Uncle Abris looked as if he were sharpening his teeth to devour her.

"Hm! you know how to talk at least; can you bake bread too?"

"Oh! that I can, uncle, though I do not know that I could dress the
szalonna[7] for it."

[Footnote 7: Szalo