e of Kisfalu,
with all its peasants, fields, and feudal prerogatives (such as mill,
fish, tavern and other privileges) belonged to the Abonyis, and the
present lord, Carl von Abonyi, came from that gloomy time, termed--I
know not why--"patriarchal," when the peasant had no rights, and the
nobleman dwelt in his castle like a little god, omnipotent,
unapproachable, only not all-wise and all-good, walked through his
village whip in hand, like an American "Massa," and dealt the peasant a
blow across the face if he did not bow humbly and quickly enough,
ordered the village Jew to be brought to the manor, stretched on a
bench by two strong lackeys (called in Hungary heiducks) and soundly
thrashed whenever he felt a desire for cheap amusement; regarded the
women of the village, without exception, as his natural harem, spent
his days and nights in immoderate feasting and wild drinking, derived
all his education from the Bible with 32 leaves (the number of cards
contained in the pack commonly used in the country), and only displayed
to ladies of his own station a certain romantic chivalry, which was
manifested in rude brawling with real or imaginary rivals, unrestricted
duelling on the most trivial pretext, exaggerated gallantry and ardent
homage, serenades which lasted all night long under the windows of the
favoured fair, and similar impassioned, but tasteless eccentricities.
At the present time all this has certainly greatly changed, but many of
the nobles who, in the year 1848, the period of the vast
transformation, had partly or wholly attained maturity, could not or
would not adapt themselves wholly to the new era; in their inmost
hearts they still consider themselves the sovereign lords of the soil
and its inhabitants, and it is with rage and gnashing of teeth that
they force themselves not to display this feeling in words and deeds at
every opportunity.

Abonyi, an only son, was a lieutenant in the Palatine Hussars, when the
revolution of 1848 broke out. He at once joined the honveds with his
troop and, in their ranks, performed, until the close of the war for
freedom, prodigies of daring on every battle field, rising, in spite of
his youth, within less than eleven months, to the rank of
lieutenant-colonel. After the disaster of Vilagos, he fled from the
country and spent several years in Turkey as a cavalry officer. In
1860, he again returned home and took possession of his estates, which
since his father's death, o