Part 23 (1/2)

”But you must eat it before me.”

”Huhu! I will take it to Joska bacsi!”

”Joska bacsi doesn't want it. Joska bacsi has sent to say that you are to eat it yourself.”

”Really! did he say that?” asked the old woman; and then, with a deep sigh, she began to swallow the bannock. She did not bite it, not having wherewithal, but pushed the pieces into her mouth and swallowed them, heaving a deep sigh at every mouthful; and, when she thought n.o.body was observing her, she hastily concealed the remainder in her ap.r.o.n, and looked round in great glee at having succeeded so cleverly.

”What will she do with the piece she has hidden?” I asked Mistress Kata.

”She keeps it, poor fool, for Joska bacsi!”

On hearing Joska bacsi mentioned, the old woman looked eagerly up, and asked, ”What does Joska bacsi say?”

”He says you must count how many poppy-seeds[32] there are in that plate,” said one of the maids, laughing.

[Footnote 32: Poppy-seeds are much used in Hungary, in bread, puddings, cakes, &c.,--a favourite ingredient worked up into crust for different pastries.]

The old woman rose without a word, and, approaching the plate, began eagerly counting the seeds grain by grain.

”Why do you trifle with her?” said I, pitying the poor, witless creature; while Mistress Kata came forward and took hold of her arm.

”Leave it alone, good Marcsa; Erzsi is telling a story--that was not what Joska bacsi said.”

But the poor idiot would not leave off counting till Kata said, pointing to me, and making a sign that I should acquiesce, ”Look here, Marcsa; this gentleman has just come from Joska bacsi, and he has brought a message from him that you should go home and remain quiet, and not wander so much about the Theiss--did he not, sir?”

I of course a.s.sented, on which the idiot shuffled joyfully up to me, and, taking my hand, looked long into my face with her fearful, vacant eyes, and then said coaxingly, ”Huhu! I do think he is almost as beautiful a lad as my own Joska bacsi!”

This was very flattering, though I would have been better pleased had this hapless creature not gazed upon me thus, with her fixed and witless eyes, and hastily taking a piece of silver out of my pocket, I offered it to her.

Idiots are always fond of money, and as soon as I had put the coin into her hand, she immediately wished everybody good-night, and set off in great haste.

”Well, there's something more for Joska bacsi,” said Mistress Kata, laughing.

”How--how?” I eagerly asked, my curiosity being much excited.

”She will throw it into the Theiss where the water is deepest.

Whatever she gets that she can give to Joska bacsi, all goes into the Theiss!”

”And who is this Joska bacsi?”

”n.o.body at all: dear heart! such a creature never existed on earth. It is only a fancy, such as all idiots have.”

”And was she always mad?”

At these words an old peasant, who had been sitting in the chimney-corner, and silently observing us, exclaimed, ”No, sir, that she was not.”

”Well, I have never seen her otherwise, since I remember anything,”

said Mistress Kata.

”You are not yet thirty years old, Mistress, and this happened long before your birth.”