am
returning to my home to-morrow."

The count winked with his left eye at Baron Oscar, as who should say,
"Did I not tell you so?" But he spoke no word to induce Ivan to
rescind his resolution. He pressed his hand warmly as he said:

"Be assured that I have a sincere esteem for you, and wherever we may
meet again always consider me as an old friend. God bless you!"

Baron Oscar made much more fuss. He held Ivan with both hands on his
arm.

"My dear friend, we cannot allow this. Such a good fellow as you have
proved yourself to be cannot slip away from us in this manner--just at
the moment, too, when you are going to be the lion of the season. You
sha'n't escape; you belong to us."

Ivan laughed; gentle sarcasm, half pain, half irony, totally unmixed
with bitterness, was in the laugh. Then he answered this burst of
friendship:

"I thank you, comrade, for the honor you do me, but I am not fit to be
Governor of Barataria; it is far better for me to be at home. I go to
get my 'grison' saddled, and I ride away."

(Any one who is conversant with "Don Quixote" will remember the skit
upon the island of Barataria, and the affecting meeting between the
ass and his master.)

When he had finished speaking, Ivan made a deep bow to the company
and left the room. Count Stefan followed him, and, in spite of his
protestations, accompanied him down the stairs to Theudelinde's door.
He was much moved by Ivan's last words.

When he returned he found the entire company still in a very
uncomfortable frame of mind, discussing the scene that had just
happened with much annoyance.

"Who has told him the joke about the island of Barataria?" asked Baron
Oscar.

Each one gave his word of honor that he had not betrayed confidence.

"Then may the devil fly away with me if I don't believe it was the
abbe."

But Count Stefan shook his head. "No, my friends," he said, "believe
me, no one has told Behrend anything. He is a man of acute
penetration, and he has read you like a book without appearing to take
notice."

Geza, however, swore that the priest had blabbed.

We swear to nothing, but think it right to mention that a few days
previous the Abbe Samuel had received a letter from Vienna with the
words, "What are you about? You are ruining the whole thing. That ass
Behrend is bringing about a reconciliation between the countess and
the old prince. Get him out of Pesth, for he is working dead against
us.--FELIX."

"At all events