Part 48 (2/2)

”Oh, don't be afraid. She will not correct you. You may be sure of that.

You have absolute authority in the house, as you know already: what you command or order is accomplished, and against your will not even a cat comes to our table. You remain what you were: mistress of life and death in the house. When you wish it, there is was.h.i.+ng in the house, and everybody is obliged to render an account even of his last s.h.i.+rt; what you do not like in the place, you may throw out of the window, and you can buy what you wish. The new young lady will not take away from you a single one of those keys which hang on that silver chain dangling from your red girdle; and if only she does not entice away our young friend, she will be unable to set up any opposition against you. And even in that event I shall defend you.”

Czipra shrugged her shoulders defiantly.

”Let her do as she pleases.”

”And we two shall do as we please, shall we not?”

”You,” said Czipra, looking sharply at Topandy with her black eyes. ”You will soon be doing what that young lady likes. I foresee it all. As soon as she puts her foot in, everybody will do as she does. When she smiles, everybody will smile at her in return. If she speaks German, the whole house will use that language; if she walks on her tip-toes, the whole house will walk so; if her head aches, everybody in the house will speak in whispers; not as when poor Czipra had a burning fever and nine men came to her bed to sing a funeral song, and offered her brandy.”

Topandy laughed still more loudly at these invectives: the poor gypsy girl fixed her two burning eyes on Lorand's face and kept them there till they turned into two orbs swimming in water. Then she sprang up, threw down her chair and fled from the room.

Topandy calmly picked up the overthrown chair and put it in its place, then he went after Czipra and a minute later brought her back on his arm into the dining-room, with an exceedingly humorous expression, and a courtesy worthy of a Spanish grandee, which the poor foolish gypsy girl did not understand in the least.

So readily did she lose her temper, and so readily did she recover it again. She sat down again in her place, and jested and laughed,--always and continuously at the expense of the finely-educated new-comer.

Lorand was curious to know the name of the new member of the family.

”The daughter of one Balnokhazy, P. C.” said Topandy, ”Melanie, if I remember well.”

Lorand was perplexed. A face from the past! How strange that he should meet her there?

Still it was so long since they had seen each other, that she would probably not recognize him.

Melanie was to arrive to-morrow evening. Early in the morning Czipra visited Lorand in his own room.

She found the young man before his looking-gla.s.s.

”Oho!” she said laughing, ”you are holding counsel with your gla.s.s to see whether you are handsome enough? Handsome indeed you are: how often must I say so? Believe me for once.”

But Lorand was not taking counsel with his gla.s.s on that point: he was trying to see if he had changed enough.

”Come now,” said Czipra with a certain indifference. ”I will make you pretty myself: you must be even more handsome, so that young lady's eyes may not be riveted upon me. Sit down, I will arrange your hair.”

Lorand had glorious chestnut-brown curls, smooth as silk. Madame Balnokhazy had once fallen madly in love with those locks and Czipra was wont to arrange them every morning with her own hands: it was one of her privileges, and she understood it so well.

Lorand was philosopher enough to allow others to do him a service, and permitted Czipra's fine fingers the privilege of playing among his locks.

”Don't be afraid: you will be handsome to-day!” said Czipra, in naive reproach to the young fellow.

Lorand jestingly put his arm round her waist.

”It will be all of no avail, my dear Czipra, because we have to thrash corn to-day, and my hair will all be full of dust. Rather, if you wish to do me a favor, cut off my hair.”

Czipra was ready for that, too. She was Lorand's ”friseur” and Topandy's ”coiffeur.” She found it quite natural.

<script>