to slay me. Once they poured poison into my
drinking-well. Fortunately the horses drank of the water first and all
fell sick from it. Then they drove mad dogs out in the streets, when I
was walking there, to tear me to pieces. They sent me letters, which,
had I opened them, would have gone off in my hands and blown me to
pieces. These malicious fellows wish to kill me."

"I understand."

"That young stripling thinks that if he succeeds he can carry off my
wife too, so as to have her for his mistress one day, Czipra, your
daughter, the next."

"You make my anger boil within me!"

"They acknowledge neither God nor law. They do as they please. When did
you last see your daughter?"

"Two weeks ago."

"Did you not see how worn she is? That cursed fellow has enchanted her
and is spoiling her."

"I'll spoil his head!"

"What will you do with him?"

Kandur showed, with the knife in his hand, what he would do--bury that
in his heart and twist it round therein.

"How will you get at him? He has always a gun in the daytime: he acts as
if he were going a-shooting. At night the castle is strongly locked, and
they are always on the lookout for an attack,--they too are audacious
fellows."

"Just leave it to me. Don't have any fears. What Kandur undertakes is
well executed. Crick, crick: that's how I shall break both the fellows'
necks."

"You are a clever rascal. You showed that in your way of getting at me!
You may do the same there, by dressing your men as fiddlers and
clarinet-players."

"Oh ho! Don't think of it. Kandur doesn't play the same joke twice. I
shall find the man I want."

"I've still something to say. It would be good if you could have them
under control before they die."

"I know--make them confess where they have put my money which they
stole?"

"Don't begin with that. Supposing they will not confess?"

"Have no fears on that score. I know how to drive screws under
finger-nails, to strap up heads, so that a man would even confess to
treasures hidden in his father's coffin."

"Listen to me. Do what I say. Don't try long to trace your stolen money:
it's not much--a couple of thousand florins. If you don't find it, I
shall give you as much--as much as you can carry in your knapsack. You
can, however, find something else there."

"What?"

"A letter, sealed with five black seals."

"A letter? with five black seals?"

"And to prevent them making a fool of you, and blinding you with some
oth