Part 13 (1/2)

”Clubs, sir! It was your bounden duty, sir, to lead clubs, sir,” said Janoshy, very fiercely.

”Clubs be ----! Do you mean to tell me, sir, that I ought to have played my king? I'd see you----”

”I appeal to you!” cried Janoshy, addressing Penzeshy, who was shuffling the cards, while the company thronged round the table.

”Go on!” said Mr. Kriver.

”This is not fair play!” cried Janoshy.

”I play to please myself and not you,” retorted the sheriff.

”Then you ought to play by yourself, but not for _my_ money!”

”Here's your stake! take it and welcome!”

”I won't stand it. By G--d I won't!” cried Mr. Janoshy, jumping up.

”You, sir! you take the money back, or give it to your servant, (poor fellow! it's little enough he gets); but don't talk to me in that way, sir! I won't stand it, sir!”

Here the altercation was interrupted by the general interference of every man in the room, and in the confusion of tongues which ensued, nothing was heard but the words, ”pagat,--sheriff--good manners--_tous les trois_”--until Shoskuty, in a blue dress embroidered with gold (for every body was in full dress), entered the room. He silenced the most noisy by being noisier still. ”_Domini spectabiles!_” cried Shoskuty, ”for G.o.d's sake be quiet, Mr. Janoshy is quite hoa.r.s.e, and I am sure his Excellency is coming. That confounded pagat!--only think of his Excellency!--though it was saved--for after all we are but mortal men!--I am sure he is hoa.r.s.e;” and thus he went on, when of a sudden the doors of the apartment were flung open and a servant rushed in shouting, ”His Excellency is at the door!”

”Is he? Goodness be--where's my sabre?” cried Shoskuty, running to the antechamber which served as a temporary a.r.s.enal, while the rest of the company ran into the next room, where they fought for their pelisses.

”I do pray, _domine spectabilis_! but this is mine. It's green with ermine!” cried the recorder, stopping one of the a.s.sessors who had just donned his pelisse, and who turned to look for his sword. The a.s.sessor protested with great indignation, and the recorder was at length compelled to admit his mistake. Disgusted as he was, he dropped his kalpac, which was immediately trodden down by the crowd.

”'Sblood! where is my sword? Terrem tette!” shouted Janoshy, making vain endeavours to push forward into the sword room, while Shoskuty, who had secured his weapon, was equally unsuccessful in his struggles to obtain his pelisse.

”But I pray! I _do_ pray! I am the speaker of the deputation--blue and gold--I must have it--do but consider!” groaned the worthy baron. His endeavours were at length crowned with success, and he possessed himself of a pelisse which certainly bore some similarity to his own. Throwing it over his shoulders Baron Shoskuty did his best to add to the general confusion by entreating the gentlemen to be quick, ”for,” added he, ”his Excellency has just arrived!”

The lord-lieutenant's carriage had by this time advanced to the park palings, where the schoolboys and the peasantry greeted its arrival with maddening ”Eljens!” The coachman was in the act of turning the corner of the gate, when the quick flash and the awful roar of artillery burst forth from the ditch at the road-side. His Excellency was surprised; so were the horses. They s.h.i.+ed and overturned the carriage. The torch-bearing hors.e.m.e.n galloped about, frightening the village out of its propriety, as the foxes did, when Samson made them torch-bearers to the Philistines. Mr. James, following the impulse of the moment, came down over his horse's head; the deputation, who were waiting in Bantornyi's hall, wrung their hands with horror. At length the horses ceased rearing and plunging; and as the danger of being kicked by them was now fairly over, the company to a man rushed to welcome their beloved lord-lieutenant.

The deputation was splendid, at least in the Hungarian acceptation of the word, for all the dresses of all its members were richly embroidered. Shoskuty in a short blue jacket frogged and corded and fringed with gold, and with his red face glowing under the weight of a white and metal-covered kalpac, felt that the dignity of a whole county was represented by his resplendent person. Thrice did he bow to his Excellency, and thrice did the deputation rattle their spurs and imitate the movement of their leader, who, taking his speech from the pocket of his cloak, addressed the high functionary with a voice tremulous with emotion.

”At length, glorious man, hast thou entered the circle of thy admirers, and the hearts which hitherto sighed for thee, beat joyfully in thy presence!”

His Excellency unfolded a handkerchief ready for use; the members of the deputation cried ”Helyes.h.!.+” and the curate of a neighbouring village, who had joined the deputation, became excited and nervous. The speaker went on.

”Respect and grat.i.tude follow thy shadow; and within the borders of thy county there is no man but glories in the consciousness that _thou_ art his superior.”

”He talks in print! he does indeed,” whispered an a.s.sessor.

”I beg your pardon,” said the curate, very nervously, ”it was _I_ who made that speech.”

”_Tantaene animis clestibus irae!_ These parsons are dreadfully jealous,”

said the a.s.sessor. Shoskuty, turning a leaf of his ma.n.u.script, proceeded:

”The flock which now stands before thee”--(here the members of the deputation looked surprised, and shook their heads)--”is but a small part of that numerous herd which feeds on thy pastures; and he who introduces them to thy notice”--(Shoskuty himself was vastly astonished)--”is not better than the rest: though he wears thy coat, he were lost but for thy guidance and correction.”

The audience whispered among themselves, and the lord-lieutenant could not help smiling.