"He had not the right, for this estate belonged to his late wife, our nearest relative."
"But a will has been mentioned, and there will be costs and going to tribunals, and God knows what more in addition."
"Father is accustomed to lawsuits. But I have fixed in my head something of such sort that there will be no need of lawsuits; meanwhile beatus qui tenet" (happy is the man in possession); "for this reason I shall not leave Belchantska. I have sent for our servants already. Let the Sulgostovskis or the Zabierzovskis drive me out later."
"But the girl, if it is willed to her?"
"Who will take her side? She is as much alone in this world as a finger; she has no relatives, no friends--an ordinary orphan. Who will wish to expose his neck for her, lay himself open to quarrels, duels, expenses? How does she concern any one? Tachevski was in love with her, but Tachevski is gone, he may never come back, and if he should he has nothing; he knows as much as my horse about lawsuits. To tell the truth, the position is such that if not Pan Gideon, but her own father, had left her Belchantska, we might come in here and manage in our own way, under pretext of guarding the orphan. I think that Pan Gideon intended to make a will only in the contract of marriage, so either no will at all will be found, or if it be found it will be some old one with a clause for Panna Anulka from her guardian."
"We can break such a will," said the old man, "my head on that! Though a lawsuit will not be avoided."
"How so? I hear father's words, but I think it will be avoided."
"If, for speaking between us, Pan Gideon's wife was weak-minded, if she left all to her husband he had the right to leave it to whomever he selected."
Old Krepetski uttered the last words almost in a whisper, while looking around on all sides, though he knew that there was no one in the room except him and Martsian.
"How could she leave it to him when she died suddenly?" asked Martsian.