He drew two whiffs of his cigar, took it from his lips, and looked at it thoughtfully.
"I would much rather marry you," he said with sudden smiling insolence.
"Do you agree?" I asked, curtly.
"That's number two, is it? Is the list much longer?"
"You will abandon the attempt to ruin your brother?"
"That's number three—number four?"
"There is no number four at present."
"What, nothing for yourself? Then you are a most remarkable young lady. Oh, but there must be."
"You are wasting time, Count Gustav, and Colonel Katona may grow impatient," I answered.
"Give me time. I am lost in amazement at such altruism—such philanthropy. You come to Pesth to push your fortunes; chance and your clever little wits put a fortune in your grasp, and—you want nothing for yourself." He shot at me a glance of sly mockery. "Perhaps Miss von Dreschler seeks something? The other Christabel, you know."