else in common. Take him away by all means. Put him in
irons. Give him whatever punishment he has deserved. Yes," he continued,
seizing the astounded Margari by the cravat, "you are a refined
scoundrel. You persuaded my dear nephew Coloman to take that false step
and then you yourself changed the forty florins into forty thousand. You
wanted to ruin the young man's future and bring a slur upon the family.
I know everything. His honour the magistrate told me all about it
yesterday, and that is why I hand you over to the law for punishment."
And with that he shook him so violently that he fell on his back again,
this time into a bed of tomatoes, whereby his white linen pantaloons
very speedily became stained with the national colours.[43]

[Footnote 43: Red, white and green.]

The dialogue that thereupon ensued no shorthand reporter could have
reproduced, for the pair of them began forthwith to rave and storm at
one another with all their might, stamping, swearing, shaking their
fists, and loading each other with abuse. When they had got as far as
calling each other robber and scoundrel, the magistrate thought it high
time to interfere, and at his command Margari was torn forcibly out of
the tomato bed, led to a hackney coach and thrust inside; yet even then
he put his head out of the window and shouted that he did not mean to
sit in prison alone but would very soon have Mr. John Lapussa there
also, as his companion. All the efforts of the two pandurs were
powerless to silence him.

As for Mr. John, the magistrate simply said to him: "Sir, it is not good
for a man to make use of nasty tools, for by so doing he only dirties
his own hands."

Then he got into a second hackney coach and drove away after the first
one.

Even Mr. John could see that it was now quite impossible for him under
the circumstances to think of quitting Pest.

CHAPTER XVIII

THE UNDISCOVERABLE LADY

Squire Gerzson Satrakovics thought it best after that night at the
_csarda_ to go back to Arad. This wondrous event, the clue to which he
could not hit upon anyhow, must needs interest Hatszegi most of all. It
would be a terrible thing to appear before him with the tidings that the
lady who was intrusted to his care, had been lost on the way; yet,
nevertheless, this was the first thing he must say, and after that they
would consult together as to what was to be done to find her and where
they were to look for her.

Never had Mr. Gerzson