CHAPTER III
The following morning, after a very satisfactory breakfast, thegentlemen took leave of their amiable hostess, Bernat bacsi lingeringbehind the rest to whisper significantly:
"I will not say farewell, Katinka hugom, for I am coming back to tellyou all about it." Then he took his place in the extra post-chaise, andbade the postilion drive directly to the neighboring castle. TheNameless Castle was built on a narrow tongue of land that extended intoLake Neusiedl. The road to the castle gate ran along a sort of causeway,which was protected from the water by a strong bulwark composed offascines, and a row of willows with knotty crowns. A drawbridge at thefarther end made it necessary for the person who wished to enter thegate to ask permission.
On ringing the bell, there appeared at the gate the servant who hasalready been described,--the groom, coachman, and man of all work in oneperson. He had on a handsome livery, white gloves, white stockings, andshoes without heels.
"Is the count at home?" inquired the vice-palatine.
"He is."
"Announce us. I am the vice-palatine of the county, and wish to pay anofficial visit."
"The Herr Count is already informed of the gentlemen's arrival, and bidsthem welcome."
This certainly was getting on smoothly enough! And the most convincingproof of a hearty welcome was that the stately groom himself hastened toremove the luggage from the chaise and carry it into the vestibule--asign that the guests were expected to make a visit of some duration.
Now, however, something curious happened.
Before the groom opened the hall door, he produced three pairs of socks,woven of strands of cloth,--_mamuss_ they are called in thisregion,--and respectfully requested the visitors to draw them over theirboots.
"And why, pray?" demanded the astonished vice-palatine.
"Because in this house the clatter of boots is not considered pleasant;and because the socks prevent boots from leaving dusty marks on thecarpets."
"This is exactly like visiting a powder-magazine." But they had tosubmit and draw their socks over their yellow boots, and, thus equipped,they ascended the staircase to the reception-room.
An air of almost painful neatness reigned in all parts of the castle.Stairs and corridors were covered with coarse white cloth, the sort usedfor peasants' clothing in Hungary. The walls were hung with glossy whitepaper. Every door-latch had been polished until it glistened. There wereno cobwebs to be seen in the corners; nor would a spider have hadanything to prey upon here, for there were no flies, either. The floorof the reception-room into which the visitors had been conducted shonelike a mirror, and not a speck of dust was to be seen on the furniture.
"The Herr Count awaits your lordship in the salon," announced the groom,and conducted Herr Bernat into the adjoining chamber. Here, too, thefurniture was white and gold. The oil-paintings in the rococo framesrepresented landscapes, fruit pieces, and game; there was not aportrait among them.
Beside the oval table with tigers' feet stood the mysterious occupant ofthe Nameless Castle. He was a tall man, with knightly bearing,expressive face, a high, broad forehead left uncovered by his naturalhair, a straight Greek nose, gray eyes, a short mustache and pointedbeard, which where a shade lighter than his hair.
"_Magnifice comes_--" the vice-palatine was beginning in Latin, when thecount interposed:
"I speak Hungarian."
"Impossible!" exclaimed the visitor, whose astonishment was reflected inhis face. "Hungarian? Why, where can your worship have learned it?"
"From the grammar."
"From the grammar?" For the vice-palatine this was the most astoundingof all the strange things about the mysterious castle. Had he not alwaysknown that Hungarian could only be learned by beginning when a child andliving in a Hungarian family? That any one had learned the language asone learns the _hic, haec, hoc_ was a marvel that deserved to berecorded. "From the grammar?" he repeated. "Well, that is wonderful! Icertainly believed I should have to speak Latin to your worship. Butallow me to introduce my humble self--"
"I already have the honor," quietly interrupted the count, "of knowingthat you are Herr Vice-palatine Bernat Goeroemboelyi von Dravakeresztur."
He repeated the whole name without a single mistake!
The vice-palatine bowed, and began again:
"The object of my visit to-day is--"
Again he was interrupted.
"I know that also," said the count. "The Fertoeszeg estate has passedinto the hands of another proprietor, who has a legal right to withdrawthe lease and revoke the conditions made and agreed to by herpredecessor; and the Herr Vice-palatine is come, at the request of thebaroness, to serve a notice to quit."
Herr Bernat did not like it when any one interrupted him or knewbeforehand what he intended to say.
"On the contrary, I came because the baroness desires to renew thelease. She has learned how kind to the poor your worship is, and offersthe castle and park at half the rent paid heretofore." He fancied thiswould melt the haughty lord of the castle, but it seemed to increase hishauteur.
"Thanks," frigidly responded the count. "If the baroness thinks the renttoo high, she will find in her own neighborhood poor people whom she canassist. I shall continue to pay the same rent I paid to the formerowner."
"Then my business will be easily settled. I have brought my clerk withme; he can write out the necessary papers, and the matter can beconcluded at once."
"Thank you very much," returned the count, but without offering to shakehands. Instead, he kept his arms crossed behind his back.
"Before we proceed to business," resumed the vice-palatine, "I must tellyour worship an anecdote. A professor once told his pupils that he kneweverything. Shortly afterward he asked one of the lads what his namewas. 'Why,' responded the youth, 'how does it come that you don't knowmy name--you who know everything?'"
"I cannot see why you thought it necessary to relate this anecdote tome," observed the count, without a smile.
"I introduce it because I am compelled to inquire your worship's nameand title, in order to draw up the contracts properly."
This, then, was the strategem by which he proposed to learn the namewhich no one yet had been able to decipher on the count's letters?
The count gazed fixedly for several seconds at his questioner, thenreplied quietly:
"My name is Count Ludwig Vavel de Versay--with a _y_ after the _a_."
"Thanks. I shall not forget it; I have a very good memory," said HerrBernat, who was perfectly satisfied with his success. "Allow me, also,to inquire the family name of the worshipful Frau Countess?"
At this question the count at last removed his hands from his back, andwith the sort of gesture a man makes who would tear asunder anadversary. At the same time he cast upon Herr Bernat a glance thatreminded the valiant official of the royal commissioner, as well as ofhis energetic spouse at home. The angry man seemed to have increased ahead in stature.
Instead of replying to the question, he turned on his heel and strodefrom the room, leaving his visitor standing in the middle of the floor.Herr Bernat was perplexed; he did not know what to do next. Was it notquite natural to ask the name of a man's wife when a legal contract wasto be written? His question, therefore, had not been an insult.
At last, as the count did not return, there was nothing left for HerrBernat to do but go to his room and wait there for further developments.The contracts would have to be renewed, else the count would have tovacate the castle; and one could easily see that a great deal of moneyhad been expended in fitting it up. The count had transformed the oldhunting-seat, which had been a filthy little nest, into a veritablefairy castle. Yes, undoubtedly the contracts would be renewed.
The vice-palatine was pacing the floor of his room in his noiselesscloth socks, when he suddenly heard the voices of his clerk and hisservant outside the door.
"Well, Janos, we are not going to dine here to-day; from what I canlearn, we are going to be eaten ourselves."
"What do
you mean?"
"The groom told me his master was loading his pistols to shoot some one.The count challenges to a duel every one who inquires after thecountess."
The voices ceased. The vice-palatine opened wide his eyes, and muttered:
"May the devil fly away with him! He wants to fight a duel, does he? Iam not afraid of his pistols; I have one, too, and a sword into thebargain. But it 's a silly business altogether! I am to fight about awoman I have n't even seen! And what will my wife say? I wish I had n'tcome into this crazy castle! I wish I had n't sealed a compact offraternity with the baroness! Why did not I leave this wholeinstallation business to the second vice-palatine? If only I could thinkof an excuse to turn my back on this lunatic asylum! But I am not goingto run away from a pistol. The Hungarian noble is a born soldier. Ifonly I had my pipe! A man is only half a man without his pipe. A pipeinspires one with ideas. Where, I wonder, is that Audiat gadding?"
At this moment the clerk opened the door.
"Fetch our luggage, Audiat; we are going to leave this damned lunaticasylum. The Herr Count may see to it then how he renews his lease."Hereupon he kicked off the socks with such vigor that the very castleshook. Then, grasping his sword in his hand, he marched out of his room,and down the staircase, to prove that he was not fleeing like a coward,but was clearing his way by force.
When the clerk, who went to fetch the luggage, was about to enter thegroom's apartment, the count came toward him and said:
"You are the vice-palatine's clerk?"
"That 's what they call me."
"When do you expect to become a lawyer?"
"When I have passed my examination."
"When will that be?"
"When I have served a year as jurat, and have paid a ducat for mydiploma."
"I will give you the ducat, and when you have become a lawyer I willemploy you as my attorney at six hundred guilders a year. I know that aHungarian gentleman will not accept a gift without making some return; Iask you, therefore, to give me for this ducat some information."
"What is it you wish to know?"
"How can I obtain possession of a portion of Lake Neusiedl for my ownuse alone?"
"By becoming a naturalized citizen of the county, and by purchase of aportion of the shore. I dare say there are some landowners on the shorewho would be glad to part with their possessions in exchange for solidcash. If you buy such an estate you will have sole right to that part ofthe water in front of your property, and to the middle of the lake."
"Thank you. One more question: if you were my attorney, what could youdo to prevent me from being ejected from this castle, in case I did notsign a new contract with the present owner?"
"First, I should take advantage of the law of possession, and drag thecase through a twelve years' process; then I should appeal, which wouldpostpone a settlement for three years longer. Would that be longenough?"
"Quite!"
The count nodded a farewell to the youthful jurist without eveninquiring his name; nor did Audiat venture to propound a like questionto his future employer.
Bernat bacsi did not, as he had promised, return to the manor to tellthe baroness the result of his visit. He drove direct to his home.