ew, or wait till to-morrow?" indicating
that she was still very young, and not fit for the charge of a
_menage_. But all this I considered a very matter-of-fact view of
life; and I must confess that it annoyed me extremely at the time,
though afterwards I acknowledged he was right.

Notwithstanding my uncle's caution, however, there were times when I
contrived to make little Esztike sensible of my feelings towards her.
But there was one terrible fatality--that old Mrs. Debora, who never
moved from home, but kept watch for ever, like a dragon over treasure;
and wo to the unhappy youth who dared to visit Esztike--there were few
who had courage to make a second trial.

Some said that this Mistress Debora was a sister of the old man;
others, that she was his wife. Indeed she might have been his
grandmother, for she looked older than the Visegradi tower.[52]

[Footnote 52: An ancient fortress on the Danube.]

It was six whole years since I had shaken the school dust from my
boots, and still the gates of paradise were barred against me.

One evening, when the old gentleman had gone out, I could no longer
control my impatience; and leaping over the garden wall, I slipped to
the back of the house, where I could at least see the windows of the
room in which Esztike sat; and there I stood, with a beating heart,
and eyes fixed on the shadow of a hand which I distinctly saw through
the muslin curtains, moving up and down at some needle-work, while I
actually devoured it with my eyes.

Suddenly the hand advanced and knocked violently at the window; it was
impossible not to see that it was intended for me, and, while I was
hesitating whether to fly towards it or from it, the window burst
open, and I thought the Egyptian seven years of leanness had thrust
its head out--it was Mistress Debora!

"What do you want there, you good-for-nothing, long-legged
horihorgas,[53] staring like a calf at a new gate, eh? Get along about
your business, or I will set the dogs after you; if you have nothing
better to do, go and seek for grass to make your wisdom-teeth grow;"
and with this compliment she closed the window violently.

[Footnote 53: "Horihorgas," _hobbledehoy_.]

It was several minutes ere I could collect my scattered senses. At
last, I drew my cap over my eyes, and went home with a heavy heart. I
lay gazing all night at the starry heavens; the very thought of sleep
was banished from my senses. How could it be otherwise? as often