Part 28 (1/2)
”Pet.i.tioners!” cried Kenihazy. ”Pet.i.tioners!” said he, filling his gla.s.s: ”they'll come by dozens; for, you see, we are in!”
Mr. Catspaw, who entered the room wrapped up in his bunda, put a stop to their conjectures.
”It is you, my friend!” cried Mr. Skinner, making up to and hugging the little attorney: ”I'm happy you've come. We'll have a game at cards.”
”_Servus humillimus!_” cried Kenihazy, who felt that to get up was, for him, a thing of greater difficulty than necessity.
”No gambling to-night!” said Mr. Catspaw, as he struggled in Skinner's embrace. ”We must be off.”
”Off! and where are _you_ bound to?”
”Yes, yes! where are _you_ bound to?” hiccoughed Kenihazy. ”I won't stir a single step. We'll have a game, won't we, Paul?”
”D--n us, so we will!” cried the justice, striving to seize the attorney. ”If you don't stay, as you ought to do, we'll have the wheels of your carriage taken off,--won't we, Bandi?”
”Yes; let us have the wheels, and let him walk home if he likes.”
Mr. Catspaw shrugged his shoulders. ”I wish you'd waited before getting drunk, in honour of the day!” said he.
”You rascal of an attorney! Do you mean to say I'm drunk? Do you mean to insinuate that I am not master of myself? Who is first sheriff? Rety.
Who is second? Kriver and----”
”I am aware of it; but for G.o.d's sake be reasonable!”
”And who is clerk?” roared Bandi.
”Kenihazy Andrash[21], Eljen!”
[Footnote 21: See Note IV.]
”Confound your noise!” shouted the attorney.
”Very well, sir. I don't mean to offend you, but--let us be reasonable.
Where do you wish us to go?”
”To St. Vilmos.h.!.+”
”I'm not drunk; and the proof is, that I won't stir from the spot!”
interposed Mr. Kenihazy.
”What do you wish us to do at St. Vilmosh?”
”Viola is there. We must arrest him to-night, or never; by to-morrow morning he will have pa.s.sed the stolen doc.u.ments to some one else.”
”Very well,” said Mr Skinner, with great dignity; ”we'll arrest him to-morrow.”
”But I tell you by that time the papers will be gone!”
”So much the better. Am I to leave my house by night? am I to risk my neck to help Mr. Tengelyi to get his papers? Let him go himself, if he likes!”
”Yes; let him go, if he likes!” repeated Mr. Kenihazy. The attorney cast a despairing look at the meritorious functionaries, and seizing the justice by the sleeve, he led him to the window, where they conversed long and eagerly together; while Kenihazy recommenced his old song:--