"What did he say?"
"Did he make any ill-natured remarks?"
"He did not do any thing," replied Mr. Kenihazy; "how could he? since the sheriff ordered me to treat him with the greatest leniency!"
Everybody was astonished, and the recorder exclaimed:
"Are you sure that the sheriff gave such an order?"
"Of course he did. I never saw him more energetic in my life than when he told me that he was convinced of Mr. Tengelyi's innocence—yes, innocence was the word!—and that we ought to avoid any thing which could possibly make his position more painful."
"Strange!" cried Shaskay, shaking his head.
"I thought it strange; but as the sheriff told me that to offend the prisoner was as much as an offence to himself——"
"It's quite natural! quite! you know," cried Mr. Skinner, when he saw and cursed his clerk for the effect which those words had on the company, but particularly on the recorder. "It's quite natural, you know. His son is in love with the notary's daughter; and now that Tengelyi has got himself into trouble, the sheriff must do something in the way of taking his part, for there is no saying what that hot-headed fellow Akosh would not do. But I am the man who knows the sheriff's real sentiments. Lady Rety told me to use all due diligence and severity in the trial of the offender, who has murdered her most faithful servant; and we know, gentlemen, that the sheriff never differs in opinion with his lady."
"If that is the case, I have been wrong in what I did," said Mr. Kenihazy, scratching his head; "after what the sheriff told me, I did not even offer to bind his hands and feet—indeed, I have treated him with great politeness. I wanted to converse with him, but he made no reply to what I said."