ian for her soul. That very day the
pastor wrote to Abbe Samuel, who was then in Pesth, inviting him to
come to Bondavara Castle.

The abbe was a man of high calling; one of those priests who are more
or less independent in their ideas. He had friendly relations with
certain personages, and the initiated knew that certain articles with
the signature "S," which appeared in the opposition paper, were from
his pen. In society he was agreeable and polished, and his presence
never hindered rational enjoyment. In intellectual circles he shone;
his lectures, which were prepared with great care, were attended by
the _elite_ of society, and, as a natural consequence, the
ultramontane papers were much against him. Once, even, the police had
paid him a domiciliary visit, although they themselves did not know
wherein he had given cause for suspicion. All these circumstances had
raised his reputation, which had lately been increased by the
appearance of his picture in a first-rate illustrated journal. This
won for him the general public. So stately was his air, his high,
broad forehead, manly, expressive features, well-marked eyebrows, and
frank, fearless look, with nothing sinister or cunning in it. For the
rest, there was little of the priest about him; his well-knit,
robust, muscular form was rather that of a gladiator. Through the
whole country he was well-known as the independent priest, who
ventured to tell the government what he thought.

For this reason the excellent Herr Mahok had for him the greatest
respect. He, as an insignificant parish priest, could do nothing for
his fatherland. It was true that, many years ago, he had fought more
than twenty battles with the Honved Battalion; he had preached to his
men how they should love their country, and for this he had been
sentenced to death, which sentence had been commuted to ten years'
imprisonment; he had passed five of those years in chains, and his
feet still bore the marks of the wounds made by the heavy irons. But
what were these trifles, of which Herr Mahok thought little, in
comparison to the bold deeds of the Abbe Samuel, who dared to write
independent articles in the papers, and to sign them with the initial
of his name. To have fought with Haynau against the Russians under
fire of heavy cannon, to have been in the galleys, that was a mere
joke. To have the fearful police upon your track, that was serious.
Herr Mahok thought most highly of the abbe's capabilities,