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 the sake of which I could lend my head to such a blow." The countess interrupted her _roulades_ for a moment: "You saw it, eh?
And did anybody else see it ?" Hatszegi was strangely surprised by this question.
"What is in your mind, Countess ?" he asked.
"I am thinking, my dear friend, that you have some particular reason for playing the injured man, and I have read the whole tale of the Maccabees in some history or other of the Jews which you would now palm off upon the world as something new." "Your jests are most unmerciful, Countess; but may I beg of you to give that piano a little rest, especially as it wants tuning.