1^0 BLACK DIAMONDS

invest your capital differently.

We

^{shall see.}

^How

much

_{does youryearly}income fromtheBondavaraestate

amount

to?"

"

About

twenty thousand florins."

"

How

_large^{is the}estate^?"

"

From

about nine toten thousand acres."

"

Then

the return is far too small.

The

_agent is to

blame

for this_; this income would be too little to sup-port the positionyou

now

intendto hold.

Twenty

thou-sand florins would not be _nearly

enough

^to keep up an establishmenton a properfootingⁱⁿ Pesth."

The

countess

was

_surprised. She _said, humbly, ^"I imagined^it

was

a great deal^ofmoney."

"

So

it is for living ⁱⁿ the country^; but Pesth is as dear,^if not_dearer,than Paris.

To

_{keep a proper} estab-lishment going,andtake the position of a leaderof soci-ety, such as it is your ambition to be,you must ^{at least}

command

_{a yearly} income _{of forty}thousand florins."

"But I cannot

do

that.

What

^shall I do?" Theu-delinde _said,in great^distress.

The

abbess _lips parted ⁱⁿ a smile.

"Oh, we

^will

manage

^itfor you^! For the rest it will notbe difficult.

The

rental ofthe estate

must

be overhauled; you

must

get a better agent, a

more

enterprising steward. ^I

my-selfdo notunderstand _finance,but^Ihavefriends inthe inner circle of the stock-exchange,

and

one orotherof these will undertake to advise you ^{as to} your ^affairs

when

_youare settled in Pesth. In anycase, ^I

am

_quite

certain that your ^{land is lettoo}low_, it should bringⁱⁿ double the interest yougetfrom it. I

know

so

much

of political economy."

The

countesswas _delighted at these words.

What

a friend to have!

Her

income to be doubled^! Truly thisabbe* was sent to her fromheaven.

131

"

Do

as you ^think best," she said. "_I

giveyou ^full

power

^{to act forme."}

"

Then, ^if you^{will allow} me, ^{I shall} have your prop-erty revalued, and fresh leases made. This will double your^income,

and

itwillonly cost

you

^{atrifle afactor's}

fee, infact."

Theudelinde

was

like a child in her joy ^like achild in her submission to her _spiritual adviser, to

whom

she looked

up

^{as a}father, a counsellor, a true friend.

All this he might be; but ^it

was

also true that from the date of this conversation the

owner

^of

Bondavara

lost herhold on her

own

_propertyforever.

CHAPTER IX

"AN

OBSTINATE

FELLOW"

COUNTESS THEUDELINDE

wasbeside herselfwith _joy.

She ran to her bell-apparatus, touched the _spring, and the machine_put itself intomotion.

"What

are you doing, countess?" asked the _abbe', in

some

amazement.

"

I

am

_desiring

my

^{steward to be sentfor at once."}

"

By

what messenger^?"

And

then for the first time thecountess

remembered

there

was

not aliving soul ⁱⁿ thehouse.

She grewverygrave.

"

It is truly a problem," continued ^the priest,

"

to

know how we

are toget out ^of thecastle."

"

What ^do

_you

^mean

^?" asked Theudelinde,

who was

soweak-minded that she always required^to have every-thing explained ^{to her.}

"

We

two are quite alone ^{in this}house," returned the abbe'. "

If I go

away

^to get the necessary assistance for packing

up

your things

and making

the arrange-ments fordeparture ^I must leaveyou alone here."

"

I would notforall theworld remain alone here."

"Then

_you ^{have the} alternative of accompanying

me

on foot to the nearest post-house ⁱⁿ the adjacent village."

As

_{he spoke} thesnow-storm

was

heard outside beat-ing against thewindow, Theudelinde shivered.

"

Why

^cannot

^we

^drive?

My

^{horses are in the}

stable."

;<

But I can neither harness

them

nordrive them."

**Oh, ^I should never think ^of such a thing!"

Nevertheless, the countess

had now

to consider whether she should remain alone in the castle or take the alternative of

accompanying

^thepriest in a heavy

fall ofsnow.

"

Somebody

^is knocking ^atthe door," said the ^abbe'.

"It

must

be

my

steward," returned Theudelinde.

"

He

has heard

what

has happened,

and

has

come

to ourassistance."

"Butthereisno oneto open ^{the door.}

Your

_portress was oneofthe ghosts."

"

She was

the old witch

who

danced on thetable."

"

Have

_you

_by

chancea second key^?"

"

It hangs ^thereonthat _large

bunch

totheright."

"

Then

I will take itwith me, ^{in case there is} nonein the lock."

"

But the dogs, ^father, they ^{will tear}

you

^{in pieces.}

They

^{arefierce to} strangers."

"

Iwill call

them

_by^their _names, ^if _you will tell

me what

_theyare."

"

I don't

know

their names," returned the countess,

who

never troubled herself about such a

common

_thing

as a watch-dog'sname.

"

Then

I must shoot them."

"

But, father, as gently ^as you ^can."

By

^this

Theude-linde did not

mean

to appeal ^{to his} compassion ^{for the} dogs, but^to remind

him

to spare hersensitive nerves.

The

^abbe' took hisrevolver and went on his mission_; hecarried no lantern with him,^for daylight had come.

I'.-ah the watch-dogs lay one on each side ofthe door-way.

They

were chained _loosely, so that they could

In document BLACK DIAMONDS (Pldal 142-146)