"What! that weather-cock?"
"Come, come! None of that! Don't you know that a Kárpáthy should always be spoken of respectfully?"
"What!" cried Palko, "the man who insulted your honour so grossly?"
"What business is it of yours?"
"Oh, no business of mine, of course, not a bit! I am only a good-for-nothing old heyduke. What right have I to poke my nose into your honour's affairs? Make friends with him again, by all means! What do I care. Kiss and hug each other if you like, I don't care. It was not me but your honour whom the worthy man insulted, and if your honour likes that, why, be it so—that's all!"
"Come, come, don't make a fool of yourself, Palko," said Master Jock, more jocosely. "Have the comedians arrived?"
"I should think they had. There's that Lokodi with four others. He himself plays the heroic parts; a spindle-shanked, barber's apprentice sort of fellow, takes the aged father parts; and there's a matron, well advanced in years, who acts the young missies. They are now making ready to give a representation this evening. When your honours are all dining in the Large Room they are
going to act the Marriage of Dobozy in twelve tableaux, to the accompaniment of Greek fire, in the front room."
"But why in the front room, and not rather in the theatre?"
"It is too small."