The same evening she sought her husband, who had just come home wearied
from the chase, "I have a favour to ask of you," said she. Hatszegi
looked astonished: it was the first favour the wife had ever asked her
husband.
"Command me!" said he. "Whatever you like to ask is as good as granted
already."
"I should like to learn the language of the people in the midst of whom
we dwell. I am like a deaf-mute among them at present."
"That will not be difficult. The Wallachian tongue is easily acquired,
especially by anyone with a knowledge of French or Latin."
Henrietta blushed scarlet. Was there a covert allusion behind these
words? Did Hatszegi know that she understood Latin?
"I should like to have a master who can put me in the way of it. The
parish priest here would be a suitable person."
For an instant Hatszegi's eyebrows contracted.
"You shall have your way," he said at last. "It is true that he is the
one man in the world who insults me to my face with impunity whenever he
meets me, and even presumes to chalk upon the walls of my own castle
denunciations against me from the book of the Prophet Nehemiah, so that
I was obliged to forbid him ever to appear before me under pain of being
thrown headlong out of the window; yet to show you what an obedient
servant I am of yours, madame, I will not baulk you of your desire, or
desire you to choose another master, but will send and invite him to
come up here at once.
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