Part 29 (2/2)

”No, they are not butcher clerks. What are you thinking of?”

”Why, in past years the law-students were continually having brawls with butcher clerks.”

”They want to arrest him,” I whispered to him, ”to put him in prison, because he was one of the 'Parliamentary youth' lot.”

”Aha,” said Marton, ”that's where we are is it? That is beyond my a.s.sistance. And, what can you do?”

”I must go to my uncle Balnokhazy at once and ask him to interfere.”

”That's surely a wise thing to do. Under those circ.u.mstances I shall go with you. Not because I think you would be afraid to go by yourself at night, but that I may be able to tell the old man by-and-bye that you were not in mischief.”

The old fellow put on a coat in a moment, and a pair of boots, then accompanied me to the Balnokhazys.

He did not wish to come in, but told me that, on my way back, I should look for him at the corner beer-house, where he would wait for me.

I hurried up stairs.

I was greatly disappointed to find my brother's door closed: at other times that had always been my first place of retreat.

I heard the piano in the ”salon”: so I went in there.

Melanie was playing with the governess.

They did not seem surprised that I came at so late an hour; I only noticed that they behaved a little more stiffly towards me than on other occasions.

Melanie was deeply engrossed in studying the notes. I enquired whether I could speak with my uncle.

”He has not yet come home from the club,” said the governess.

”And her ladys.h.i.+p.”

”She has gone to the ball.”

That annoyed me a little.

”And when do they come home?”

”The Privy Councillor at eleven o'clock, he usually plays whist till that hour; her ladys.h.i.+p probably not until after midnight. Do you wish to wait?”

”Yes, until my uncle returns.”

”Then you can take supper with us.”

”Thank you, I have already had supper.”

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