by Mór Jókai
GERGELY SONKOLYI.
After all, it cannot be denied that my uncle, Gergely Sonkolyi, was anexcellent man; and how well I remember him, as he hunted me in theforest through bush and brake, while I never expected to rest until wehad made the circuit of the world.
I think I see him still, his cornelian-wood brass-headed cane in hishand, and his cherry-wood pipe with its acorn-shaped bowl, which henever took out of his mouth, even when he scolded--and with whateloquence he could anathematize the sons of men! the raging of theelements is like the notes of a clarionet in comparison! I was not onewho considered courage, under all circumstances, as a peculiar virtue;and as soon as I perceived the storm gathering, I no longer took thematter in jest, but looking about for the first loophole, valiantlytook to my heels, trusting to their speed to place me beyond itsreach.
But in order to explain why my uncle, Gergely Sonkolyi, hunted methrough the forest, I must turn up an early letter in the alphabet ofmemory, and begin my story at the usual point--namely, the beginning.
When? I cannot precisely state the date; though so far I mayconfidently affirm,--it was after the French war, and before thecholera, that I was turned out of school in disgrace.
Ah yes, I behaved very ill indeed! I sinned against civilisation byrefusing to wear square-toed boots, and for this enormity I wasbanished from the classes; and yet, nothing could induce me to wearanything but sharp-nosed csizmas.
I went home; and my father, after inflicting severe corporalpunishment, threatened to bind me apprentice to a butcher. But,unfortunately for this speculation, the resident executioner of oxendeclared that the trade required wit; otherwise I might now havepossessed a two-story house in Pesth.
"You hit where you have your eye, master, don't you?" I asked theworthy slayer of cattle as he raised his axe, observing (for hesquinted hideously) that he fixed his right eye on the bullock, andthe left one on me.
"Eh! to be sure I do," replied the big man.
"Then I will just place myself beside you," I said, fearing he mightlook out of the wrong eye.
"Never fear," said the big man; and with one blow the work was done.
"Well now, Master Janos, tell me what peculiar talents are requisitehere?"
"Heigh! you would not do for this trade. You see we have a differentway of reckoning from what you students have."
"I believe you are right, Master Janos; for my mother is alwayscomplaining of your system of twice two."
And now this man is a landed proprietor, and I--a landless one!
Having been rejected by the schoolmaster and the butcher, I wasconsidered a hopeless subject, and left to my own devices. What shouldI do at home? From morning till evening there was not wherewithal tostain my teeth; so for want of better employment, I began to lookabout the village. This certainly did not require much genius, for ourhouse was on an eminence, from whence we had a view of the wholeplace; and when I mounted the great corn-stack in our yard, I couldsee directly into some of our neighbours' courts.
Here it was that I became initiated in certain hidden mysteries,--forexample, how some of our village dames, who would launch forth onholidays all smartness and finery, were up to their elbows in dirt athome, and to their knees in mud--their heads vying with those unownedhay-stacks which are kicked at by every passing colt; while theirlips, which were so daintily prim on holiday occasions that one couldscarcely believe them capable of pronouncing the letter R, now raisedthe very dust on the roads with their abuse.
Then there was a house which had two doors to it; and whenever thegoodman made his exit at the one door, somebody else entered by theother.
At another house, whenever the master came home late, his wife laidhis dinner outside, upon the millstone table, with the servants; andthe best of the matter was, that with this too familiar exception, hewas held in vast respect by the whole household.
All this was very well to contemplate from a distance; but I happenedat last to stumble upon something, a nearer view of which would havebeen by no means disagreeable to me.
Our next neighbour was my excellent uncle, Gergely Sonkolyi. His housewas pretty ancient; and I remember, in my childish days, pulling thereeds[49] out of the roof to look for sugar. In those days the wallswere painted partly blue and partly yellow; but afterwards the old manhad them all rough-cast, and then it was not necessary to paint themagain.
[Footnote 49: Reeds--_nad_. Cane sugar is called _nad czukor_.]
The house lay below the garden, and there were little plots before thewindows, which were always filled with bouquets of musk and carrotflowers; and from a square hole in the roof sundry bunches of pepperblushed forth, in the warlike vicinity of an outstretched scythe.
Several large mulberry trees in the court-yard formed a roosting-placefor the poultry; and opposite the kitchen door was the entrance to thewine-cellar, over which hung a variety of pumpkins. Beyond this was alarge pigeon-house, farther on a pig-sty, then a two-yard measure,then a draw-well; while various implements of industry appeared in theperspective--such as ploughs, harrows, waggons, &c. And if to allthese I add nine dogs, two speckled bullocks, and a flock of geese, Ihave before me a very perfect view of my Uncle Sonkolyi's court-yard.
The nine dogs kept watch at the entrance when my uncle was nothunting, feasting in imagination upon the savoury odour ofgulyas-hus[50] which issued from the grated door of the kitchen, wherea large fire burned incessantly in the broad grate, with various hugepots hissing among the flames, while a squadron of linen servants,[51]each one redder than the other, hurried to and fro under the directionof old Mrs. Debora.
[Footnote 50: The herd's meat; a hash composed of beef, with variousspices, and a quantity of onions and pepper.]
[Footnote 51: The kitchen-maids and boys wear linen dresses, and widelinen drawers.]
Beyond the kitchen were several other apartments, for a description ofwhich I must refer my readers to the county chronicles, where all suchgoods and chattels are particularly delineated. For my part, I onlyremember the little back room, with its large white stove, the oldeight-day clock, two great tent-beds standing side by side, adouble-leaved oak table in the middle of the room, and the history ofJoseph and his brethren on the walls. A casement door, opening inside,disclosed another chamber, whose walls were hung with hunting-bags,whips, bugles, swords, and saddle accoutrements, each one more rustythan another. But among all these reminiscences, the most interestingin my regard is an old black leather sofa: ah! it was on that very oldsofa--but I must not anticipate.
Well, it was here that my dear uncle lived--the honourable andnobly-born Gergely Sonkolyi.
But he might have lived here or anywhere else for aught I might haveknown or cared, had it not been for the prettiest--the very prettiestlittle girl that mortal eyes e'er rested on.
She was the old man's daughter. Little Esztike was a most lovelycreature: often, very often did sleep forsake me thinking of her,although I still oftener dreamt of her--of those small soft hands, andthose large dark eyes, one half glance of which I would not haveexchanged for the Chinese emperor's finest cap. I was never tired ofstanding guard all day long on the top of the corn-stack, from whenceI could see my little darling when she came out to the court to waterher flowers, or feed her doves. Each motion, each turn--in short,everything about her, was so engaging and so attractive, that I oftenforgot while watching her whether it was morning or evening.
But all this was not sufficient for happiness: it was like sucking thehoney through the glass, to dream of so much sweetness.
I would have given kingdoms, had I possessed them, to any one whowould have helped me with good counsel; but good counsels are notmushrooms, growing where they are not sown.
Everybody knew that my uncle, Gergely Sonkolyi, was a peculiarman,--who did not understand a joke in certain matters, and had astrange fancy of never allowing any of the male sex to approach withinnine paces of his daughter. "Whoever wanted to marry her" (this washis argument) "will ask for her; and if not, he shall not
make a foolof her." And his usual reply to suitors for his daughter's hand was:"Will you have her to-day, nephew, or wait till to-morrow?" indicatingthat she was still very young, and not fit for the charge of a_menage_. But all this I considered a very matter-of-fact view oflife; and I must confess that it annoyed me extremely at the time,though afterwards I acknowledged he was right.
Notwithstanding my uncle's caution, however, there were times when Icontrived to make little Esztike sensible of my feelings towards her.But there was one terrible fatality--that old Mrs. Debora, who nevermoved from home, but kept watch for ever, like a dragon over treasure;and wo to the unhappy youth who dared to visit Esztike--there were fewwho had courage to make a second trial.
Some said that this Mistress Debora was a sister of the old man;others, that she was his wife. Indeed she might have been hisgrandmother, for she looked older than the Visegradi tower.[52]
[Footnote 52: An ancient fortress on the Danube.]
It was six whole years since I had shaken the school dust from myboots, and still the gates of paradise were barred against me.
One evening, when the old gentleman had gone out, I could no longercontrol my impatience; and leaping over the garden wall, I slipped tothe back of the house, where I could at least see the windows of theroom in which Esztike sat; and there I stood, with a beating heart,and eyes fixed on the shadow of a hand which I distinctly saw throughthe muslin curtains, moving up and down at some needle-work, while Iactually devoured it with my eyes.
Suddenly the hand advanced and knocked violently at the window; it wasimpossible not to see that it was intended for me, and, while I washesitating whether to fly towards it or from it, the window burstopen, and I thought the Egyptian seven years of leanness had thrustits head out--it was Mistress Debora!
"What do you want there, you good-for-nothing, long-leggedhorihorgas,[53] staring like a calf at a new gate, eh? Get along aboutyour business, or I will set the dogs after you; if you have nothingbetter to do, go and seek for grass to make your wisdom-teeth grow;"and with this compliment she closed the window violently.
[Footnote 53: "Horihorgas," _hobbledehoy_.]
It was several minutes ere I could collect my scattered senses. Atlast, I drew my cap over my eyes, and went home with a heavy heart. Ilay gazing all night at the starry heavens; the very thought of sleepwas banished from my senses. How could it be otherwise? as often as Itried to think of my little Esztike's beautiful face, the hideousvision of old Mistress Debora rose before me; and to increase my illhumour, all the cats in the neighbourhood seemed to have collected tosquall and trill under my window. I contented myself for some timewith patiently anathematizing them; but perceiving at last that theywere rehearsing operas from end to end, I jumped up, and, seizing arolling-pin--the first implement which came to my hand, I dashed itamongst the choristers. It was certainly a theatrical stroke, and fromthat night forward I never had cause to repeat it.
Next morning, however, the black soup[54] awaited me. My fatherentered the room, with his fox-headed mantle over one shoulder and hislambskin cap drawn over his brow.
[Footnote 54: "Black soup" or black dose, _desagrement_.]
"Well, my lad, you have done for yourself now," he exclaimed; "youknocked out the brains of Mrs. Debora's pet cat last night."
"Phu! this is a bad job indeed! Is there actually no life in him?"
"All gone, _ab intestato_," said my father, holding up the great fatanimal, with its four legs hanging down, and its white teeth grinningat me.
I shook my head in despair. If Mistress Debora ever finds this out,there is an end to all hope, and I shall never be able to marry. Alas!why did I allow the cats to put me out of temper? A thought suddenlystruck me, and, dressing hastily, I laid the deceased neatly, out inmy handkerchief, and, tying up the four corners, started for MistressDebora's.
At the gate, I found the nine dogs disputing with a Jew, in whosecloak they had made sundry air-holes, while the unfortunate man roaredand struggled, to the infinite amusement of the servants.
This was so far propitious for me, as otherwise they might haverequired my passport also, and it would have been no jesting matter tohave struck my uncle's dogs; but happily I got through the kitchenwithout observation, and looking once more at the four corners, to seethat all was right, I knocked humbly at Mistress Debora's door.
"Who is there?" said a voice like the sound of broken crockery.
I opened the door. At the memorable window sat Mistress Debora, whoturned round and squinted at me from beneath her spectacles. Herhair--or more probably some other person's--was twisted up behind witha giraffe comb, and the face, which was the colour of brown leather,had more wrinkles than could well find room.
At the other window sat my little ruby at her work. There was not muchto be seen from her window, poor child! for a large vetch-stack waspiled up before it. As I entered, she blushed to the very shoulders,or at least I fancied so; but her eyes were cast down, and she neverventured to raise them.
"Well, what have you got there?" said Mistress Debora,--instead ofwishing me good morning.
I advanced, and, taking up her bony fingers, pressed them against myteeth--bah! I have never been able to pick a bone since. "Ah! my dear,worthy aunt, have you forgotten me? I am that little, fair-hairedPeter Csallokozi, who used to bring young pigeons so often to his dearaunt."
"And who used to break my windows so often with pebbles. Well, youhave grown big enough, at any rate."
"But my dear aunt has preserved her looks quite wonderfully, or ratherI should say, grows younger."
"Ay, I was handsome enough in my day; folks can tell you that I usedto wash my face every evening with warm milk, which made my skin sowhite, one can see that still--(it required imagination); there is notso handsome a girl in the country as I was in my young days--yourfather may remember that--('when you were young the priest was notborn that christened my father,' thought I, but did not say it). Forsome years past I have lost much of my looks, certainly. Ay, ay, thereis nothing lasting under the sun!"
Meanwhile I had been drawing nearer to Esztike, which the dragonobserving, desired her to go out and see if the labourers were come.Esztike rose and went out.
"Well, let me hear what you have to say, nephew; and tell it quickly,for we are always busy here."
"To come to the point then, I must observe, dear aunt, that in thesedays we cannot be too cautious; misfortune meets us at every step,and"--
"Therefore we should stay at home and mind our business. Nothing canhappen to us at home."
"Not to ourselves perhaps, but there are other creatures about us,aunt; for instance, you have cats and so have we"--
"Only that ours are handsomer."
"Perfectly true. Well, these cats frequently pay visits--yours toours, and ours to yours"--
"I know that well enough, for your cats gnaw all the sausages in ourattics; but ours don't need to go to you, for they have enough to eatat home. Go, Estike," continued the hag, as the little girlre-entered, "and see if the young peacocks have been fed."
("A time will come, you old witch, when I shall crack nuts with yourbones," thought I, but did not say it.) "Well, dear aunt, last night,as I was saying, these innocent creatures had assembled, and weresinging away together--it was quite delightful to hear them--when somecruel and treacherous hand knocked out the brains of the handsomestamong them."
"Served you right! what business had the cat to be out?"
"It was not our cat that was killed, but yours, dear aunt," I replied,untying the handkerchief, and producing the remains of her favourite.
I shall never forget the look of rage, despair, and horror, which Iwas doomed to encounter at that moment, and which has often haunted mesince, even in my dreams. I pinched myself at last, to assure myselfthat I had not been turned to stone.
"_My_ cat!" she shrieked, while her eyes glared, and her lips foamed,and, tearing it out of my hands, she began kissing and fondling itlike an infant. "Cziczuskam! cziczuskam! look
at me--look at me!" shecried, pulling its eyes open. At last she laid it on the table, and,throwing herself upon it, began to weep bitterly.
At that moment Esztike re-entered, and sat down before her littletable. Taking advantage of Mistress Debora's emotion, I slipped up toher--to Esztike, not to Mrs. Debora--and, pressing her small whitehand in mine, asked, in a tremulous voice, "You are not angry with me,dearest Esztike, are you?"
"Why should I be angry?" said the artless little girl, casting downher eyes, and drawing her hand out of mine.
It was a foolish question, I allow; but when one is in love, wisequestions do not always present themselves.
I had scarcely time to look at my little violet, before MistressDebora again grumbled out, "Esztike, go and see if your father iscoming!"
Tartar take the old vampire! I thought she was bewailing her cat. Oncemore alone with her, however, I endeavoured to console her, spoke ofthe weather, of the maize crop, of the vines--all in vain. At last shestarted up--
"Wait, you worthless scamp!" she cried; "whoever you are, who murderedthis little innocent creature--I'll find you out, and revenge it onyour children's children--(Merciful Heaven! she means to live threegenerations longer!) I will place the affair before the county, andbegin a suit immediately, a _violentialis, infamisationalis_ suit. Youshall be avenged, my cruelly murdered, innocent, speckled cat, and Iwill make you a fearful example to generations still unborn!"
"You are quite right, my dear aunt, your determination is excellent;he deserves the utmost rigour of the law, and I promise you I shall bethe first to look out for him."
"Will you really promise that?" exclaimed Mistress Debora; and thenfollowed what I had dreaded might be the consequence of my generousspeech. She actually seized and embraced me!
"My dear nephew, you were always a good lad; your father was a worthyman--I love all your family. Find out the murderer of my cat, and Iwill bless you for it, even after your death!"
"I would rather bless _you_ under those circumstances," I thought, butdid not say it; and, promising to do all in my power to hasten the_criminalis_ inquisition, she proceeded to enumerate her favourite'smerits--how he could purr, how he would leap on the table, and drinkcoffee out of a saucer, how sagacious, and how knowing he was; andthen followed anecdotes illustrative of the virtues of her poor lostcat, to all of which I listened with unheard-of patience.
I at length suggested the prudence of removing the object of heremotion, and, after a most affecting scene, she consigned the preciousrelics to my arms, to be buried under her window, and I took leave,promising to return as soon as possible with some information relativeto the murderer.
I then buried the cat, and raised a monument of sods above its grave,by which means I thoroughly ingratiated myself in Mistress Debora'sfavour.
Meanwhile, she seemed to have forgotten that she had sent Esztike outto watch for her father; and when, with a beating heart, I hurried tothe gate, I found my little charmer still there.
"For whom are you waiting so long?" I asked, by way of conversation.
"For my dear father," she replied, twisting the little tassel of herapron.
"Poor little Esztike! how much you have to suffer from that old Mrs.Debora!"
She did not speak, but the large tears filled her eyes.
It was then I first remarked how beautiful black eyes look when theyweep: tears do not become blue eyes, I like _them_ best when theysmile.
"Ah, Esztike! it should not be thus if--but I won't let you be annoyedif I can help it, that I won't."
She did not answer. I confess I should not have liked if she had beenable to answer every word I said.
"Nobody loves me," I continued, "in the wide world: my life is verylonely and sad; but surely Heaven will smile upon us yet."
My little dove looked as if she wished to go, yet fain would stay; butas I behaved discreetly, she remained. A cold wind began to blow, andshe had only a slight silk handkerchief round her neck.
"Why don't you put on a warmer handkerchief?" I asked. "You mightcatch cold and die."
"It would be no great pity," said the poor child, sadly; "I would goto a good place, I hope, and nobody would miss me."
"Oh! do not say that, unless you wish to break my heart (here my voicewas somewhat choked)! You must live a long time yet, dearest Esztike;for if you die, I shall soon know how deep the Danube runs!"
And then I hastened away; and when I reached home, I found that mycheeks were wet, and that I was sobbing like a child. Ay, the heart ofman makes him a strange animal!
* * * * *
For some time I had no occasion to fear my uncle's dogs, knowing thatMistress Debora would not set them at me; but I generally watched tillthe good man went out to wage war on the hares, and then I hastened toour neighbour's with all the information I had collected as to themurderer of the cat--describing, from his cap to his slippers, a beingvery unlike myself, and whose supposed existence nearly turnedMistress Debora's head.
But this could not continue very long; and my aunt at last began toforget her pet's untimely end, and no longer received her dear nephewso graciously as before.
After a lapse of some days, I called on pretext of speaking to myuncle (I had watched till I had seen him go out, with gun and dogs);and after poignant regrets at not finding him at home, I askedMistress Debora if she had heard what had happened in the village. Asnothing had happened, she naturally had not heard, and therefore wasthe more curious to know; and I accordingly proceeded to repeat allthe gossip I had collected from some old gazettes with as mucheloquence as I could--and (Heaven forgive me!) I fear, as muchinvention--till the old lady was ready to drop off her seat at myhistories. She would listen for hours; and though I dared not speak toEsztike, we had frequent opportunities of exchanging sighs, and oureyes carried on most interesting dialogues together.
On one pretext or other I was honourably received for some time, andeven allowed to bring Esztike books, which I had borrowed from acousin in the village. True, they were only German books; but whatcould I do? Had I brought such unholy things into the house in theHungarian language, I should have been banished from it for ever; for,if I remember rightly, they were romances and love tales, by Wielandand Kotzebue. But they passed for good books; and Mistress Debora (theworthy soul knew no other language than Magyar) would frequentlyinsist on my translating the salutary effusions, which of course I didin as touching a style as possible, while the tears ran down thefurrows in her cheeks.
One day, after taking leave (I generally had an instinctive feeling asto the time when my uncle would return), I was in the act of openingthe house door, when it was pushed towards me, and the next instant mynoble and honourable uncle, Gergely Sonkolyi, with pipe andbrass-headed cane, stood before me.
How to escape was my first impulse; but seeing this was impossible, mynext was to put a brave face on the matter.
"Well, nephew," said my uncle, twisting his moustache; "red,stammering, out of breath--eh? So you visit here, do you?"
What could I answer? I was not fool enough to say I had come to visitEsztike; and should I say I was visiting Mistress Debora--she may behis wife, I thought, and then he will shoot me through the head!
"I know your errand," continued my uncle, pertinaciously holding thehandle of the door. "Storms and thunder! don't think to put yourfingers in my eyes! Ten thousand fiery devils! if ever you dare tocome within my door again, I swear by the woods of Karpath that I willmake leather belts of your skin!"
"Thank you, uncle," I replied, delighted to get off so easily, as,once more commending me to the devil, he entered, and shut the doorbehind him; while I heard his allegorical phrases--or, as an impartialworld would call them, his oaths--echoing wrathfully through thehouse.
What was to be done? I found myself just where I had been before thedeath of the cat.
I now considered it prudent to avoid the dogs.
From this day forward, I had very seldom an opportunity of seeingEs
ztike, except across our gardens; and even then, I exposed myself tothe danger of being shot through the head, if my uncle should see me.
On one occasion Esztike gave me to understand by signs, that she darednot approach nearer. I pointed to the attic windows, which my littlesweetheart understood at once; and from that day we frequently carriedon a pantomimic conversation from our attics. I often laugh when Ithink how much we contrived to say, and how quickly we comprehendedeach other's gestures.
One day I heard that my uncle had set out on a long journey, and thatthe dogs had been tied up, which none would have dared to do till theold man had fairly erased the frontiers of the county.
I immediately went out into the woods, and spent several hours infilling my hat with mushrooms, which I brought to our neighbour's.
The old man had probably turned the house upside down on the occasionof my last expedition; for every one, from the first cook to the lastdog, looked askance at me.
As I opened the door of the sitting-room (I had only one leg and onearm inside), my progress was arrested by Mistress Debora, who hastenedover, and shutting the door on my other arm and leg, whichconsequently remained outside, exclaimed, with hospitableconsideration: "Just stay where you are, nephew, and say what youwant."
"I only want to beg my dear aunt's acceptance of some mushrooms, whichI have gathered for her."
"Eh, well!" she exclaimed, releasing me from my ignominious position."You have brought mushrooms? that is another thing. Come in."
I entered, and produced the mushrooms.
"That is a good lad! Well, what have you been about? do you still goto school?"
"Oh, dear, no! I have finished my studies."
"So soon! And what business are you going to take up?"
"I am an oculist, aunt."
"Indeed! already?"
"At your service, aunt."
Little Esztike tripped up to me: "Now you are joking, bacsi," shewhispered, with a mischievous smile.
"Well, you must carry on the joke," I whispered in reply.
"And why?"
"Merely because I wish my dearest Esztike to hand me Aunt Debora'sspectacles over the wall this evening; I am going to make a littleimprovement in them."
"Well," interrupted Aunt Debora, who had been examining the mushrooms;"and so you are an oculist? Ay, ay!"
"At your command. But I will not inconvenience you further," I said,taking up my hat.
"Oh, stay a little longer," said the good dame--at the same timepushing me towards the door, which she opened to let me out.
I got the spectacles that evening; and removing the magnifying glasseswith great care, I substituted a pair which I had cut out of thesmoothest pane of glass with a diamond.
Next morning I rose early and replaced the spectacles on Aunt Debora'stable, after which I obtained admittance with a basket of cherries.
"We are really much obliged to you," said Mistress Debora, speaking inthe plural number, though she gave none to anybody but herself.
"Oh, it is not worth mentioning."
"But I must just look if they have any inhabitants," she added; "thisfruit generally has." And searching for her spectacles, she placedthem on her nose and began examining the cherries, holding them firstclose, then at a distance, and then taking off her glasses and wipingthem to look again.
"I don't know what is the matter," she exclaimed at last; "I can't seein the least to-day."
"Eh, how? what is the matter?"
"Just try these glasses, nephew, and tell me if they magnify."
I looked through them. "Why, aunt, the hairs on my skin look likeporcupines' quills."
"O dear! then I must be becoming blind, for I can see nothing throughthem."
"My dear aunt," I exclaimed, with a look of alarm, turning her roundto the light, "what can be the matter with your eyes? St. Gregory! youare going to get a white cataract! Why don't you take more care ofyourself?"
"A white cataract!" she shrieked, covering her eyes with both herhands. "Oh! I am lost! I am undone! Nephew, dear nephew! can you nothelp me?"
"Hm!" I replied, with a look of anxious importance, making a fewdoctor's grimaces; "have you no sensations of paralysis in the tunicachoroidaia?"
She knew what the tunica choroidaia was! and replied that shecertainly had some sensations of the kind.
"Do you awake often at night?"
"I do indeed, every night."
"Hm! a bad symptom. Show me your tongue."
She produced it. "A very bad tongue indeed (here, at least, I spoketruth). If these symptoms should be accompanied by pains in the elbows(I knew the good lady was subject to this), I fear, my dear aunt, itmay end in--marmaurosis!"
"O dear! O dear!--my elbows ache constantly; but what is themarmaurosis?"
"That is when the retina gets apoplexia, and the patient remains intotal ablepsia."
She did not comprehend much of this, but what she did was quite enoughfor her.
"For Heaven's sake, don't let me get blind, dear nephew!--what shall Ido, or what can I take?"
"There is not a moment to lose: you must go to bed instantly, while Iprepare some medicine."
I went home and mixed a little liquorice and rose-water, and found mypatient in bed on my return.
Having rubbed her eyes with the rose-water, and tied up her face sothat only her chin protruded from beneath the bandage, I ordered herto keep quite quiet, and by no means to remove it until I gave herleave, as otherwise total ablepsia might be the consequence.
And now I could speak to my little Esztike without disturbance; and(Heaven forgive me!)--I gave her a hearty kiss!
"Esztike!" cried Aunt Debora, suddenly starting up.
Esztike had slipped out of the room.
"Csitt!" I replied softly, "Esztike is not here."
"What was that smack I heard just now?"
"I was drawing the cork from the medicine-bottle."
"O dear! the medicine!"
"Yes, dear aunt; but you must not talk or make the least exertion, foryou will certainly get the _black_ cataract if you do."
"This will not do," thought I; "for if she has not eyes, she has ears,and good ones too."
After a few minutes, I sat down beside her and felt her pulse.
"You must know, dear aunt, that we oculists have ascertained byanatomy that the ears and nose serve, like garret windows, tocommunicate fresh air to the nerves of the eyes. When, however, thenerves are in a state of inflammation, the danger is, that the air,passing through all these windows at once, may occasion a draught,which would irritate the inflammation; and therefore, according toDoctor Smilax, on such occasions one of the passages must be stoppedwith cotton. So now, dear aunt, you may have your choice; which do youconsider the most convenient to have closed up--the nose or the ears?"
She naturally preferred dispensing with her ears. And now, at last,this living house Statuarium was not only blind, but deaf and dumbtoo, and for the first time in her life she left her fellow-creaturesin peace.
And thus days glided by--centuries of bliss they might have been, foraught I knew or cared. Mistress Debora was still under strict medicaldiscipline, and my little Esztike was as good as she was lovely; andI--I don't wish to praise myself. Sufficient to say, we were happy,and forgot all but our own happiness, as if it were to last for ever;but alas! when does a man in love ever think of the future?
One evening, later than usual, as I was still sitting beside Esztike(I could not tear myself away, and besides, it was raining hard), Ithought I heard some person knocking at the outer door, but took nonotice of it; for, with my little dove by my side, what cared I if theworld were falling to pieces around us? The old clock tickedcheerfully; and Esztike and I had so many pretty things to say aboutnothing, as we sat together on the same seat (the old black leathersofa), and consequently not very far apart.
All at once we heard a noise in the kitchen.
"Holy Saint Stephen! it may be thieves!" cried Esztike trembling, anddrawing still cl
oser to me.
Who would not feel courageous under such circumstances? For my part, Ifelt capable of unheard-of heroism; and assuring her that she hadnothing to fear from a dozen robbers as long as I was there, I seizeda pistol (without a trigger) from the wall, while Esztike, encouragedby my boldness, took the candle, and we advanced, to the door. Iopened it. Esztike uttered a loud scream, and extinguished the light.The outer door was open, and a dark form advanced towards us.
"St. Barbara, help!" I sincerely ejaculated. "Who is there?" Iexclaimed, in as loud a voice as I was master of, at the same timepresenting the triggerless pistol at the black form.
"Thunder and storms! and who are you, I should like to know? Lightningand fury!"--
"Uyueyue! my worthy uncle!" I cried, each word sounding like a squib letoff at my ear; and making a dash for the door, the next instant I wasoutside. But here I was stopped; the flaps of my coat having beencaught in the heavy gate, I could neither turn nor extricate myself,but remained hanging by my wings like a cockchafer.
In vain I pulled and kicked, praying that the flaps of my only holidaycoat might be torn off, while I heard my uncle deliberately openingthe door behind me.
"He will make mince-meat of me," thought I; and exerting all myremaining strength, I tore myself from the flaps and fell to theground.
"Now for it--fly!" I exclaimed; and starting up, my legs bore me withsupernatural agility towards the forest.
"Stop, rascal!" roared my pursuer behind me, "or I will shoot youthrough the head."
I only ran the faster.
"Stop!" he roared again, "or I will shoot you through the legs."
As I had not stopped for the sake of my head, I naturally had nosuperior partiality for my legs; and so we continued to run--Heavenknows how long!--until we were a good way through the forest. Neitherof us had the slightest idea of capitulating; but I began to perceivethat the distance between us was gradually decreasing (the old man hadlearned to run in 1809),[55] and I began to smell the brass-headedcane very near me.
[Footnote 55: Alluding to the flight of the Hungarian volunteers atRaab, before Napoleon.]
My worthy uncle had been endeavouring to reach my back with this canefor some minutes, when, just as he was about to aim a cruel blow, Idisappeared from his sight.
The good man had not much time for astonishment; for the next instantthe earth opened beneath him, and he too fell head foremost, fromdepth to depth, as I had done, wondering in which part of the lowerworld we should alight.
On reaching the bottom, we found ourselves in total darkness.
"O me! O me!" groaned the worthy man; "I am d----d--dead and d----d!there is no doubt of it. Wo to my sinful soul! The good priest alwayswarned me not to swear, or the devil would carry me away; and now hehas me--with the guilt of meditated murder on my soul, too! Oh! Heavenbe merciful to my sinful soul, and I will never swear again, norpoach! I will pay the priest's tithes, as much as is due, and give mydaughter to her lover--only let me be saved from perdition!"
The good man trembled like a jelly, firmly believing he was at leastin the vestibule of purgatory. Meantime, I had a good opportunity ofhearing his resolutions of amendment; and plainly enough, too, for wehad both fallen into the same wolf's trap, full twelve feet underground, and were thus in tolerably good arrest for the present.
I began to reflect that although I had escaped one danger, I hadprobably fallen into another not less alarming; for, if a troop ofwolves came tumbling in upon us, our resurrection would certainly bedivested of all fleshly encumbrances.
However, it was no use to be afraid. One thing was certain: if thewolves came they would devour us, and if they did not come they wouldnot devour us; but in either case, fear was useless. And, consolingmyself with this argument, I took my pipe and tobacco-pouch from mypocket--for the pit was filled with innumerable gnats.
"Mercy on my sinful soul!" roared my uncle, starting up as he saw thelight of my pipe in the darkness.
Of course I sat as still as a hare, determined to let him tremble alittle longer; but, in the excess of his despair, he hit me such akick with his spurred foot, that I was under the necessity ofaddressing him.
"Don't be uneasy, uncle," I exclaimed; "it is certainly an unfortunateoccurrence, but you need not break your neighbour's bones."
"Nephew!" cried my uncle, in a voice of joy, "Nephew Peti! are youhere too? are we alive? or where are we both, and how came we here?"
"Just as the rain comes from heaven, uncle, without a ladder; but letus rejoice that we have reached the bottom with sound limbs."
"Well, but where are we?"
"Why, in a wolf's pit."
"A wolf's pit! ten thousand fiery"--
"Softly, softly, uncle; remember the promises you have just made."
"Just made! did I know I was in a wolf's pit? I thought I was in a farmore honourable place. How the tartar are we to get out of this?Three-and-thirty centuries of devils' livers! how the scorpion can Iannihilate the accursed philosophy which dug a pit here? The leprosytake the idiot who invented it!--nine bucketfuls of dragons' nails!how the Alp can we be heard from this infernal hole?" and in thisstrain he continued, till the pit resounded with his elocution. Atlast, turning to me, "Nephew," he said, "just let me get up on yourshoulders and see if there is any way of getting out of this, and if Isucceed, I will help you up afterwards."
I submitted, and he mounted me, shouting to the full extent of hisvoice, while his enormous weight, and the exertions he made at eachshout, made my position somewhat painful.
"You had better not make so much noise, dear uncle," I said, hoping hewould dismount, "for if the wolves come in upon us we shall need nohelp out again."
At last my worthy uncle dismounted, and sat down, muttering andswearing to himself.
"Chains and dungeons! what is this?" he exclaimed, drawing a whiteheap from under his feet.
It was the dead goose which was placed on the top of the pit to allurethe wolves, and had made its descent into the pit with us.
"But what are we to do here till the morning?" said my uncle; "thegnats will devour us. I thought the devils were pinching me with fierytweezers!"
"Just do as I do, uncle; light your pipe and fumigate them."
"Well, you are a man, nephew; I swear there's something in you;" and,seeing there was nothing better to do, he lighted his pipe, and wesmoked together as if for a wager.
"But now, nephew," began my uncle, after some silence, speaking withhis pipe in his mouth, while he stirred the bowl with his littlefinger, "what the tartar have you to do in my house, eh?"
"Well, uncle, here or there, why should I deny it, I am in love withEsztike."
"But the proper way would have been to speak to me first."
"I am not in love with you, uncle."
"Nor I with you; but to come to the point, what business have you withthe girl? love her, if you will, and as much as you like, but don'tcome near her; you can love her just as well nine miles off!"
"But that won't do, uncle. I don't want to love Esztike from such adistance. It was far enough between our two roofs; but if she has noobjection, and no peculiar animosity to me--here, in the wolf's pit,with all solemnity, I demand her dear little hand, and if Mrs. Deborais to go with her, I will take her too."
"Take the tartar! why, she is my stepmother! You don't want to be myson and my father at once, do you? But I'll tell you what, nephew, youare still a child, and, what's more, you have nothing to break intoyour milk."
"Very true, uncle, nor the milk to break anything into; but theAlmighty is rich, and He will assist us."
"Heaven does not make banknotes for anybody," said the old man,holding his pipe in the palm of his hand; "and you need not expectroasted sparrows to fly into your mouth, though you hold it open tilldoomsday!"
"Well, but what is not may yet be; in the beginning there was nothing,as the Bible tells us. I will go to Pesth, finish my studies, and be a_tekintetes ur_[56] and advocate."
[Footnote 56:
_Tekintetes ur_, respectable sir--a title.]
"A starving candidate!" interrupted my uncle; "it would have beenbetter if you had been a priest; your father always wished it, honestman! but you were an obstinate rascal all your life. You might havebeen a chaplain now, and the deuce would not have brought us here; butI've said my word, and I'll make two out of it. Hark ye! the electionsare approaching, and you may profit by them if you like; we will jointhe national meeting, and see what can be made of you."
"And then Esztike will be mine?"
"Storms of Karpath! can you think of nothing but Esztike?"
"Uncle, they may make a lord-lieutenant of me if they like, only letme have Esztike."
"When you get as far as that I should not care, hang you! but onesyllable does not cross your lips, nor do you approach my house beforethe elections, or, by the wars of Attila! nothing shall come of it."
I was too happy not to promise anything, and we ended with a heartyembrace, and my uncle saying, "Give me a light, my son,"--a peculiarmark of favour on his part, for he always lighted his own pipe.
After this, I laid the old man's head on my breast, and he sleptsoundly, and snored as loud as if he were blowing a bassoon with eachnostril. It was impossible for me to sleep--the very pit trembled withthe sounds; so I lay awake, thinking of my good fortune, and smokingthe gnats off us. At last the morning dawned, and, as our appetitesbegan to sharpen, we renewed our efforts to obtain delivery, shoutingby turns till we had no voices left, and then we sat down again andsmoked in despair.
Chance at last brought two foresters in our direction, who, observingthe smoke of our pipes from some distance, came to the rescue.
Luckily they happened to be two of my uncle's own men, and as theydrew us out of the jaws of death, he promised to turn their skinsinside out if ever they dared disclose where they had found us.
It was fortunate that we returned when we did, for the good folks werejust about to advertise us both.
* * * * *
For two long months I never spoke to Esztike, though I often saw her,poor child! with swelled eyes and pale cheeks, and felt as if my heartwould burst; but I had promised, and I wished to keep my word.
At the end of the two months, the elections closed. It was all veryfine indeed, though, at this present moment I have no particularrecollection of anything, except that there was one fat lad advanced,two others degraded, several more kicked out, and that, when it cameto my turn, I was taken by the throat, my hair cut, my attila slit upthe sides, one of my masticators drawn, and the oath administered.
Some days after the election, my uncle gave a great supper, to whichall the aunts and uncles of the village were invited, and myself amongthe rest, though I was neither aunt nor uncle to anybody.
What this grand supper consisted of I know not; indeed I had importantreasons for remaining in ignorance till the present day.
The large table in the arbour was laid out for forty-eight persons,and when I arrived the company was already assembled.
My little Esztike was busy with her guests, serving everybody, withher sweet rosy face--for she had just come from the fire--and now andthen turning bashfully away, as one or other uncle tried to embraceher; but with all her sweetness, and all her blushes, she still lookedvery sad, poor child!
I bowed low as I entered, striking my spurs together, but the littlegirl was so startled by my appearance that she overturned the Polishsoup she had in her hand over the head and ears of a certain uncle,who complained of dulness of hearing ever afterwards.
"You are welcome, nephew!" cried Uncle Gergely, "though you come late;you presume on your character of bridegroom."
My little Esztike grew very pale, and looked very sad too. Somethinghad fallen into her eyes, she said, turning away; but it was tearsthat were in them.
"Really to see how these young people grow up!" said an importantassessor, who always sat on two chairs at once; "my niece Esztike willvery soon be marriageable."
"Not at all very soon," said Uncle Gergely, severing at one cut thefork stuck in the goose's back, as if it had been a fibre; "she is nowa bride."
It needed no more for poor Esztike. She turned to go out, but thelandscape must have looked very confused, for she could scarcely findthe arbour door.
It never once entered her head, bless her! that she was my bride and Iher bridegroom, and that we were to be a pair.
"Esztike, bring the sugar-box," cried Mistress Debora, who enjoyedwhat she believed to be our mortification. She had never ceasedexciting Uncle Gergely against Esztike and me since that memorableday, and indeed she had reason enough, poor soul! for I had kept her aweek and a half in bed, with eyes blindfolded and ears stuffed,--and,moreover, she now believed that I had killed her cat.
"Nephew!" cried Uncle Gergely, beckoning me; "run after her," hewhispered, "and console her a little, poor child! or she will cry hersoul out."
This needed no repetition. I darted after Esztike, and, seizing herhand, pressed it to my lips. "Esztike, dear Esztike, one word!"
"Excuse me," she said faintly; "I feel very ill."
"My Esztike, do you know your future bridegroom?"
"May I die sooner than know him!"
"Then do not die, for he is now so near you that none can be nearer."
For the first time, the whole business began to dawn on her; and in aninstant all the blood rushed to her cheeks, and dyed them a deepcrimson.
Had I not caught her in my arms, she would have fallen. How quicklyher heart beat!--and oh! that sigh, which released it! I felt its deepthrob. Once more I strained her to my heart, and whispering--"But itis all still a secret," I tore myself away, and hurried back to thearbour.
Meanwhile, Uncle Gergely had announced the news, to the joy of all theassembled guests, but the rage of Mistress Debora; and when I returnedI was received with such a burst of congratulations, that I was quiteoverpowered.
"I will bet you anything," said Uncle Gergely, "that this girl willbring anything back with her except the sugar-box, which she was sentfor."
He might have betted what he liked; when little Esztike returned, herartless countenance beamed with some joyful mystery, but there was nosugar-box in her hand.
Every eye was turned upon her; it was no wonder, therefore, that sheblushed like the morning sky.
"Well, where is the sugar-box?" cried Mistress Debora impatiently.
Esztike blushed still deeper, looked still more confused; but at last,when she saw that everybody began to smile on her, she ran over to herfather and hid her burning face in his bosom. The old man laughed, andkissed the little bride again and again, making her face still redderwith his rough beard.
"I will go for the sugar myself," said I; for I felt as if thorns wereunder my feet.
"Certainly, go for it, both of you," said Uncle Gergely, puttingEsztike's hand in mine.
"And now I will answer for it, we shall not see the sugar boxto-night," remarked the assessor on the two chairs.
We went into the house together.
Who can presume to compare his happiness with mine? Who would be soaudacious as to seek words to express such happiness? I am silent; forthat small white hand, that smiling but fitful glance, those artlesslips, whose silence spoke so much--all were mine; and theirpossession made me wealthier than if an empire had been conferred onme. O God! what a beautiful thought of thine was love!
When we returned to the arbour with the sugar-box, the company hadlong forgotten that they had drunk coffee; and we excused ourselves bysaying that there was no sugar in the box when we went into the house.Fortunately they did not investigate the matter farther. So far wastrue--the box was empty when we went for it; but when we returned withit--there was still nothing more in it!
* * * * *
"This day two months I will be glad to see you all at the wedding."And with these words, my uncle closed the _fiancailles_.
* * * * *
Before the two months were over, my uncle was obliged to take a longjourney--so long, that he could not even take his pipe with him! Heblessed us both, and died like a good Christian, scarcely cursing thedoctor and the medicines; and we buried my good uncle, GergelySonkolyi.
Esztike and I mourned for him a whole year--outwardly; for in ourhearts we remember him as tenderly to this day as if he had died butyesterday. And this was the reason that I could never call him'father,' for there is no advancement in death: in whatever relationwe die, there we remain.
When the year was out, that happy moment arrived when my earthlyparadise was at last attained, and I pressed to my heart my own dearEsztike.
Never, indeed, did such sweetness meet my lips, as when for the firsttime she kissed me of her own good-will. I remember it all well tothis day.
And yet it was a long while ago.
That beautiful little sylph-like form, which in those days I couldhave spanned, has now so increased in size that I have enough to do toembrace it with both arms; but for all that, I love her as my verysoul's core.
* * * * *
Mistress Debora still lives and rules, though unable to move a memberof her body--her tongue always excepted. This member is still soundand healthy; and she has engaged herself to teach our grandchildren tospeak. Heaven may grant it to her; but it is not my prayer.