Wonder of wonders! Fruzsinka had become domesticated. Since her
marriage, she had been a different being. Her former rich dress was now
exchanged for a simple homespun gown, and she wore only the national
dress of the Hungarian woman. She rarely even looked in a book, for the
young matron was now wholly occupied with the things of the household.
She made an ideal housewife, superintending everything herself, and
never parting with her keys. She kneaded the dough for the fritters
which no hand must touch but hers; she skimmed too the milk, and roasted
the coffee. She even had a spinning-wheel brought in and sat at it,
though the yarn spun did not amount to much, only the spinning-wheel
indeed knew whether it went backwards or forwards.
But on her lord and master, Fruzsinka lavished the most passionate
devotion. Never did she allow him to leave the house without her
buttoning his coat for him, and had he the least ailment she made no end
of ado.
She never dreamed of going out without him, and was, as a matter of
fact, jealous of every pretty woman, but Raby liked to think that her
watchfulness had regard rather to the designs of his enemies than from
any other cause. He began to see that all women who love their husbands
are alike, and that those stories of the wives of heroes who themselves
spur their spouses on to fight and place the sword in their grasp,
belong to the domain of myth, not to that of reality.
For the rest, Raby's business seemed as if it was going to settle itself
smoothly. The municipality gave orders to the district commissioner who,
in his turn, forwarded directions to various subordinate officials, and
a deputation, which was entrusted with full judicial powers, was elected
to audit the accounts. All was ready for taking active steps, Raby only
needed to come forward with the formal impeachment, for he now held the
threads of the business in his own hands.
The various officials concerned strongly suspected that they themselves
were mixed up in the affair, but consoled themselves with the thought
that the commissioner would himself preside.
But the district commissioner was very easy-going, had they known it,
and that was his failing. He did not like seeing his friends set by the
ears, therefore he betrayed the inimical intentions of each one to the
other, in order to frustrate strife. They should leave one another
alone; why quarrel, when you might live at peace with your neighbour,
was his philosophy.
At last the important day dawned when the commission was to sit for the
investigation of the Szent-Endre accounts. The district commissioner did
not keep them long waiting. His impartiality was shown by his accepting
an invitation to the prefect's to dinner, and by inviting himself to
Raby's to supper, for he too had been an old flame of Fruzsinka's.
They assembled for the great work in the Town Hall, and had unearthed
accounts of years' standing--and nice models of book-keeping they were,
full of erasures and corrections, just where the most important entries
could be expected. Under such circumstances, the commissioner divided
the work up, so that each one might do his share of it without being
overlooked by the others. Raby could have burst with indignation when he
regarded the commission's irregularities as to procedure.
With the most unblushing impudence, all sorts of frauds, corruptions,
and tyrannical methods were simply ignored in the investigation.
"Fiddlesticks!" exclaimed the commissioner to the protesting Raby, "that
happens everywhere."
And finally, when the worshipful commission of burghers who understood
about as much of finance as a hen does of the alphabet, summed up the
results of the revision, they gave out, that in spite of all efforts to
make them balance, there was a deficit amounting to eighty-six thousand
gulden, for which it was impossible to account.
"Fiddlesticks," cried the commissioner again, "let's go on!"
"No, no, we cannot possibly pass that over, and we will not go on,"
cried the indignant Raby. "Does not your worship recollect that on
account of just such a deficit, a captain of the guard had, but a while
back, to stand in the pillory with a black board round his neck. Shall
an officer of the imperial body guard be thus punished, and these who
have hidden the gold, go free? These things are no trifles. Will you be
pleased to order that the secret treasure-chest be produced."
The reference to the captain of the guard was not, it seemed, without
its effect on the commissioner. He struck the table with his long cane
as if to threaten the company, as he spoke.
"Hear, you people! This business passes all bearing. In the Emperor's
name, I herewith order you to fetch out yon secret treasure-chest, in
which the embezzled money is stored. And if it is not here by two
o'clock this afternoon, at which hour we have to be ready with our
report, I shall have you all clapped into the Dark Tower. So look you to
it! Now we'll go to dinner!"
Raby did not appear at the prefect's banquet; he never allowed his wife
to have her meals alone. It seemed a long while till two o'clock, the
hour named for the continuation of the investigation, when they promised
to let him know. And he remembered the question of the timber had not
been touched on. This must be worked in somehow.
At last it was time to go to the Town Hall. The councillors sat round
the long table waiting for him.
"Now, you gentlemen," ordered the district commissioner, "out with your
secret chest."
The notary rose obediently from his seat, and went into the adjoining
room, whence he came back with a small iron casket about the size of a
lady's workbox, which he brought and set down on the table.
"Here, your lordship, is our secret chest, here too is the key; be
pleased to open it for yourself."
The district commissioner looked in, and found inside the sum of two
gulden and forty-five kreutzers all told.
"This is our treasure," cried the notary dejectedly. Everyone burst out
laughing, and even Raby himself could not forbear joining in, though it
was no matter for jest.
When the laugh had subsided, Raby was the first to speak: "Now then, you
gentlemen of the council, that was a pleasant jest, but permit me to
remind you that it was a question not of this cash-box, but of the great
chest, the secret way to which only the notary knows how to find."
"I know of a secret way?" exclaimed the notary. "Who dares say that of
me? I beg the commission to search the Town Hall thoroughly, to see
whether anyone can discover a secret passage there. If you find one,
well, there is my head, ready to lie on the block!"
"I know well enough," said Raby, "there is such a place: to brick it up
perhaps is not difficult. But there is another entrance. The Rascian
'pope' knows it, and will be able to show us where the entrance to this
stolen treasure is. I would suggest that he be cited."
To this the district commissioner had an objection.
"The Rascian 'pope' is an ecclesiastic, so cannot be summoned before a
secular tribunal. He is under the immediate jurisdiction of the
Patriarch of Carlovitz. The Patriarch will not understand the procedure
of the Hungarian commissioners, but is only responsible to the Croatian
and Slavonic tribunals. The Szent-Endre municipality can address a
memorial to the Archbishop of Carlovitz to cite the Greek pastor of
Szent-Endre at their tribunal, if he does not mind giving the
information."
So this was settled.
Raby looked at the clock.
"We had other circumstances to consider. There is still the question of
the timber. My indictment charges the municipality with aiding and
abetting great devastation in the woods. Whilst the poor are not allowed
to pick even dry brushwood in winter, and the sick in the hospital are
dying of cold, the overseers are allowed to sell timber, and to give
away hundreds of stacks as bribes. This cannot be gainsaid. There are
the felled trees to witness to it."
"What do you mean, Mr. Raby? That is all very well, but it may, or may
not be true. You just let us manage our own affairs," said the notary.
The district commissioner here remarked that the thing must be looked
into, and if proven, this alone would be cause enough to bar all those
concerned from holding office. He thereupon ordered a carriage should
come round directly, so that they could examine the wood while it was
yet daylight.
Whilst they were waiting to start, suddenly a man rushed in white with
terror.
"For Heaven's sake, come quickly, gentlemen, the wood is on fire!"
All sprang up from the table, for sure enough the wood was on fire. In
vain did Raby try to appease them, the conflagration could only have
just broken out, and it would be easy in the damp winter weather to
master it. No one listened to him; it was all up with the commission and
its enquiry.
All made for the street, shouting "Fire!" and clamouring for ladders and
buckets to extinguish the flames. At last they produced the only
watering-cart the city possessed, but a hind wheel was off, and how to
get it along no one knew. Helpless confusion reigned. Crowds of
distracted citizens ran up and down the streets; the men shouted, the
women screamed. Amid the barking of the dogs, the cackling of hens, and
the ringing of bells, the townspeople tore hither and thither as if
possessed, while the dragoons galloped about trying to keep order.
"Come along, my dear fellow," said the district commissioner to Raby.
"Let's go to your poor wife, she will be distracted with fear and
anxiety: it's time you consoled her."
And really it was the wisest thing Raby could do.
And sure enough, there was Fruzsinka awaiting them at the gate, and it
was touching to see how she fell on Raby's neck, sobbing her heart out,
for she had feared some harm had come to him. Nor did she recover
herself, but the whole evening trembled every time the alarm bell rang,
and was inattentive to their distinguished guest's choicest anecdotes
which he told for their benefit during supper.
Before he left, the news came that the wood was quite destroyed by the
fire.
"It is all your fault," he cried to Raby. "Had you never raised that
unlucky question about the timber, no one would have thought of setting
fire to the wood, and this enormous damage might have been avoided."
Only the presence of his wife prevented Raby coming to blows with the
district commissioner.