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John Lapussa must needs call upon Mr. Sipos. He was wearing mourning in his hat and tried hard to lend his face a funereal appearance also. "Have you heard the news?" he asked. Mr. Sipos had heard nothing. "Don't you see the mourning in my hat? Alas! my poor niece, unhappy Henrietta!" "Well, what has happened?" "Hátszegi has been drowned in the Maros." "Impossible, he was a first-rate swimmer."
"I'll do it, and do it well. I'll not stand it. What! send a Lapussa packing! It cannot be overlooked. I shall immediately go and find two seconds and challenge him to a duel." "Nay, John, don't do that! Don't even box his ears in the street, but give a street-porter ten shillings to cudgel him well as he comes out of the theatre; that will be best!" "No, I will kill him. I will shed his blood.
She endured it for a whole month without a word; but at last, one evening, at seven o'clock, she appeared before him in evening dress and said that she was going to the theatre. Old Lapussa glared at her with all his eyes. "To the theatre?" cried he. "Yes, I have ordered a box." "Really? Well, I hope you will enjoy yourself!" The lady quitted him with a shrug.
The Lapussa family was of too recent an origin for the great world to take much notice of it, and the fame of its fabulous wealth went hand in hand with the rumour of a sordid avarice which was not a recommendable quality in the eyes of the true gentry. The Lapussas were, in fact, not of gentle blood at all, but simply rich.
To an honourable man, indeed, the mere knowledge that another's secret was concealed therein which he was bidden to guard would have been as invincible an impediment as unbreakable bolts and bars; but the worthy fellow reassured himself with the reflection that, after all, he was not going to tell anybody the contents of these documents, and he so very much longed to know what it could be that Miss Henrietta was so anxious to hide away, and old Lapussa would so much like to find out.
Destiny will one day explain to all of us what we do not understand now." At about the same hour the second act of this drama was proceeding in the torture-chamber of the Lapussa family. Henrietta had returned home from her little tour laden with flowers, when old Demetrius sent word to her that he would like to see her in his room.
But we must not linger any longer over these Latin lessons, for a much more important event claims our attention Mr. John is coming home, and we must hasten forward to admire him. Mr. John Lapussa was a perfect prototype of the whole family.
I am neither a murderer nor yet a robber. Mr. John Lapussa can answer for me. I am his confidential agent!" and he clung convulsively to the coat tail of his principal. Mr. John plainly perceived that never in his life before had he been in such an awkward situation. They could accuse him now of having instigated Margari to make a bolt of it.
He was certainly sound and solid financially, had never had a bill dishonoured, had no dealings with usurers, always paid cash and was never even in temporary embarrassment, as is so often the case with most landed proprietors when the crops fail. In fact, he seemed to have unlimited funds constantly at his disposal and to be scarcely less wealthy than old Lapussa himself.
Another failing of Koloman's was that he would not learn Latin, and in consequence thereof he had to suffer many things. Old Lapussa and his son John indeed had no notion whatever of the Latin tongue. The former in his youthful days had never gone to school at all, because he was occupied in building up a business.
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