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Updated: May 13, 2025
He was now the son of rich old Pál Gregorics, waiting to find and take possession of his property. And from time to time he suffered all the pangs of Tantalus, and left his office to look after itself for weeks at a time, while he went to Vienna to look up some of his father's old acquaintances. The rich carriage-builder, who had bought Gregorics's house in Vienna, gave him valuable information.
Old Gregorics's father used to call it the "Life-giver," and often said: "If a man intending to commit suicide were to drink a thimbleful of it beforehand, he would, if unmarried, go and look up a 'best man, or, if married, would go and sue for a divorce; but kill himself he would not." The two friends drank to each other's health, and Gregorics smacked his lips. "It's devilish good," he said.
He got more information from the old woman who kept the grocer's shop in old Gregorics's house; she had been in the house when he died, and had helped to lay him out. She swore by heaven and earth that the umbrella had been tightly clutched in the dead man's hand, and they had had the greatest difficulty in freeing it from his grasp.
At these times Kupeczky secretly disappeared from the town too, though he might as well have been accompanied by a drum and fife band, for not a soul would have asked where he was going. Doubtless there was a lot of exaggeration in all this secrecy and precaution, but exaggeration had a large share in Gregorics's character.
Well, perhaps it was true. The other members of the Gregorics family looked with little favor on the small boy in the Gregorics's household, and never rested till they had looked through all the baptismal registers they could lay hands on. At last they came upon the entry they wanted, "György Wibra, illegitimate; mother, Anna Wibra."
Pál Gregorics had never done things correctly all his life. How much was true and how much false is not known, but the gossip died away by degrees, only to awaken again some years later, when a small boy was seen playing about with a pet lamb in Pál Gregorics's courtyard. Who was the child? Where did he come from? Gregorics himself was often seen playing with him.
I don't know if he has provided for your future, my poor boy, but it's all over with me, I'm dying, I wouldn't mind betting it." And he would have won his bet too. Gyuri went home for Gregorics's funeral, and a week later the landlady sent word that the old professor was dead, and he was to send money for the funeral. But what was Kupeczky's death to that of Gregorics?
Gregorics's cask with the "Life-giver." A few days later several visitors arrived at the castle, and the count ordered some of the wine to be brought. 'There is none left, sir, said the butler. 'Why, what has become of it? asked the count. 'Mr. Gregorics took it with him, there was not even enough to fill his cask! It was true, for my father had ordered an enormous cask of Mr. Not bad, was it?
Let people ask in the streets, "Who is that little scarecrow?" And let those who knew answer, "Oh, that is Gregorics's cook's child." And, in order thoroughly to deceive his relations, he undertook to educate one of his step-sister's boys; took him up to Vienna and put him in the Terezianum, and kept him there in grand style with the sons of counts and barons.
"Is the old chap mad?" he asked in his lackadaisical way, while the umbrella quietly floated down the stream. "Oh dear no," answered Kupeczky, who, however, was himself surprised at Gregorics's strange behavior. "It's not worth it, domine spectabilis," he added, turning to the old gentleman. "Quick, quick!" gasped Gregorics. Another doubt had arisen in the boatman's mind.
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