by migraine, and the mayor's wife had to
spend the night by her bed, putting horse-radish on her temples.

An unpleasant thing happened to Veronica too. As soon as she was alone
in the Mravucsans' best bedroom, she locked the door, hung a cloak on
the door-handle so that no one could look through the key-hole, drew the
curtains across the tiny windows which opened on to the courtyard, and
then began to undress. She had taken off the bodice of her dress and
unfastened her skirt, when all at once she became aware of two bright
eyes watching her intently from under the bed. It was a kitten, and it
was gazing at her as intently and admiringly as though it had been a
prince changed by some old witch into the form of a cat. Veronica,
alarmed, caught up her skirt and bodice, and put them on again.

"Go along, you tiresome kitten," she said; "don't look at me when I'm
undressing."

She was such an innocent child, she was ashamed to undress before the
kitten. She dressed again, and tried to drive it out of the room, but it
hid itself under the bed, then jumped on a cupboard, and it was quite
impossible to get rid of it. Mrs. Mravucsan, hearing the noise from the
next room, called out:

"What is the matter, my dear?"

"I can't drive the cat out."

"Never mind, she won't hurt you."

"But she always watches me," answered Veronica.

She put her candle out, and began to undress in the dark, but that
tiresome cat walked into the middle of the room again, and her eyes
shone more than ever.

"Wait a bit, you curious little thing," said Veronica. "I'll get the
best of you yet."

She made a barricade of chairs, then got inside it, as though she were
in a fortress, and began to undo her boots. Do you think that barricade
made any impression on the kitten? Not a bit of it. There she was again,
on the top of the chairs, from there one jump took her on to the
washing-stand, and another on to Veronica's bed. There she was seized
upon and a shawl bound round her head.

"Now, kitty, stare at me if you can!"

And after that she managed to undress in peace.

CHAPTER II.

NIGHT BRINGS COUNSEL.

While the two ladies were occupied with these trifles, and Klempa with
his beard sealed to the table slept the sleep of the just, Gyuri had
also retired to his bed, but found it impossible to sleep. It was not
from indigestion, for Mrs. Mravucsan's excellent supper had not
disagreed with him; it was his brain which was hard at wo