Part 69 (1/2)
Thereupon there was no more need to insist on Czipra's being good-humored the whole day. Her good-humor came voluntarily.
Poor girl, so little was required to make her happy.
Lorand, as soon as Czipra was gone, collected from the floor the torn, trampled paper fragments, carefully put them together on the table, until the note was complete, then read it over once again.
Before the door of his room he heard steps, and gay talk intermingled with laughter. Topandy and Desiderius had come to see him. Lorand blew the fragments off the table: they flew in all directions: he opened the door and joined the group, a third smiling figure.
CHAPTER XXII
THE UNCONSCIOUS PHANTOM
What were they laughing at so much?
”Do you know what counsel Czipra gave us?” said Topandy. ”As she did not expect us to dinner, she advised us to go to Sarvolgyi's, where there will be a great banquet to-day. They are expecting somebody.”
”Who will probably not arrive in time for dinner,” added Desiderius.
Czipra joined the conversation from the extreme end of the corridor.
”The old housekeeper from Sarvolgyi's was here to visit me. She asked for the loan of a pie-dish and ice: for Mr. Gyali is expected to arrive to-day from Szolnok.”
”Bravo!” was Topandy's remark.
”And as I see you have left the young gentleman behind, just go yourselves to taste Mistress Boris's pies, or she will overwhelm me again with curses.”
”We shall go, Czipra,” said Lorand: ”Yes, yes, don't laugh at the idea.
Get your hat, Desi: you are well enough dressed for a country call: let us go across to Sarvolgyi's.”
”To Sarvolgyi's?” said Czipra, clasping her hands, and coming closer to Lorand. ”You will go to Sarvolgyi's?”
”Not just for Sarvolgyi's sake,” said Lorand very seriously,--”who is in other respects a very righteous pious fellow; but for the sake of his guests, who are old friends of Desi's.--Why, I have not yet told you, Desi. Madame Balnokhazy and her daughter are staying here with Sarvolgyi on a matter of some legal business. You cannot overlook them, if you are in the same village with them.”
”I might go away without seeing them,” replied Desiderius indifferently; ”but I don't mind paying them a visit, lest they should think I had purposely avoided them. Have you spoken with them already?”
”Oh yes. We are on very good terms with one another.”
Lorand sacrificed the caution he had once exercised in never writing a word to Desiderius about Melanie. It seemed Desi did not run after her either; what had his childish ideal come to? Another ideal had taken its place.
”Besides, seeing that Gyali is the ladies' solicitor, and seeing that you, my dear friend, have '_manupropria_' despatched Gyali out of Szolnok--he immediately took the post-chaise and is already in Pest, or perhaps farther--it is your official duty to give an explanation to those who are waiting for their solicitor and to tell them where you have put their man--if you have courage enough to do so.”
Desiderius at first drew back, but later his calm confidence and courage immediately confirmed his resolution.
”What do you say,--if I have courage? You shall soon see. And you shall see, too, what a lawyer-like defence I am able to improvise. I wager that if I put the case before them, they will give the verdict in our favor.”
”Do so, I beseech you,” said Lorand, soliciting his brother with humorously clasped hands.
”I shall do so.”