nto Sarvoelgyi's courtyard, and finding the master out on the
terrace, thanked him that he did not set his dogs upon her--did not tear
her to pieces.

"I wish you a very good day, sir, and every blessing that is on earth or
in Heaven."

Mistress Borcsa looked out from the kitchen.

"Well, it's just lucky you didn't wish what is in hell! And what is in
the water! Gypsy, don't leave us a blessing without fish to go with it,
for fish is wanted here twice a week."

"Don't listen to Mistress Boris' jokes."

"Good day, my daughter," said the master gently.

"Well he actually calls the ragged gypsy woman 'my daughter,'" grumbled
the old housekeeper. "Blood is thicker than water."

"Well, what have you brought, Marcsa?"

"Csicsa sent to say he will come with his twelve musicians this evening:
he begs you to pay him in advance as the musicians must hire a
conveyance--then," she continued, dropping her voice to a tone of
jesting flattery,--"a little suckling pig for supper, if possible."

"Very well, Marcsa," said Sarvoelgyi, with polite gentility. "Everything
shall be in order. Come here towards evening. You shall get payment and
sucking pig too."

Yet this overflowing magnanimity was not at all in conformity with the
well-established habits of the devotee. Close-fisted niggardliness
displayed itself in his every feature and warred against this unnatural
outbreak.

The gypsy woman kissed his hand and thanked him. But Mistress Boris saw
the moment had arrived for a ministerial process against this abuse of
royal prerogative; so she came out from the kitchen, a pan in one hand,
a cooking-spoon in the other.

She began her invective with the following Magyar "_quousque tandem_!"

"The devil take your insatiable stomachs! When were they ever full? When
did I ever hear you say 'I've eaten well, I'm satisfied!' I don't know
what has come over the master, that, ever since he became a married man,
he has nothing better to do with his income than to stuff gypsies with
it!"

"Don't listen to her, Marcsa," said the pious man softly, "that's a way
she has. Come this evening, and you shall have your sucking pig."

"Sucking pig!" exclaimed Mistress Boris. "I should like to know where
they'll find a sucking pig hereabouts. As if all those the two sows had
littered were not already devoured!"

"There is one left," said Sarvoelgyi coolly, "one that is continually in
the way all over the place."

"Yes, but that one I shall n