gentleman, who for sheer
rage and worry could not keep his hat on his burning head, so she tried
to comfort him.

"Never mind, dear papa Gerzson, not far from here must lie Leonard's
_csarda_. You and I, papa Gerzson, might go on there with the horses
while the coachman makes the best of his way on foot to Oroshaza, where
he can get fresh horses and join us early in the morning at the
_csarda_."

Squire Gerzson jerked his head significantly.

"I don't want to alarm you, my dear Baroness," said he, "but that
_csarda_ lies in the beat of the "poor vagabonds"--you may have heard of
them."

"Oh, I have spent a night there already. I know the innkeeper's wife.
She is a very good sort of woman, who told us tales all night long while
she worked her distaff at my bedside. I should very much like to see her
again. Besides, I know the "poor vagabonds" also. All of them kissed my
hand in turn when I was there. If, however, anybody should be rude to
me, have I not papa Gerzson?--when he is by I fear nobody."

"Noble heart!--very well, be it so! If your ladyship fears nothing, I
think I may very well say the same."

Whereupon Squire Gerzson gave the coachman two florins to speed him on
to Oroshaza, where he was to get fresh horses and come on the same night
to the _csarda_, so that they might be able to set off again before dawn
on the morrow. He himself then quitted the highroad in the direction of
the well-known _csarda_ which, with sound horses, he might have reached
in about an hour, but which with lame ones he only got up to towards
evening, having repeatedly to rest on the way. Squire Gerzson kept on
asking Henrietta whether she was hungry or thirsty and offered her his
flask again and again; but she always gently declined it, the old man
feeling in honour bound to follow her example. He comforted her,
however, with the assurance that the _csarda_-woman was a dab hand at
turning out all sorts of good old savoury Hungarian dishes.

At last, after a weary journey, when evening was already closing upon
them, Henrietta perceived the _csarda_ gleaming white behind the acacia
trees. When they stumbled into the courtyard they found nobody, and
nobody came out of the door to meet them.

"All the better, nobody will see these game-legged nags," growled Squire
Gerzson as he helped Henrietta out of the carriage.

"It is odd that the woman of the inn does not come out to meet me," said
Henrietta. "She liked me so. How pleased