"I have never told anybody that I wanted to reside at Pest."
"The lady is secretive," thought Kecskerey. "I know that they are making their palace at Pest habitable. We shall get to the bottom of it presently."
"Yet the Pest saloons will be very attractive this winter, and we shall form some very elegant sets. The Szépkiesdys are coming up, and we may also expect to see there Count Gergely with his mother, young Eugene Darvay, the handsome Rezsö Csendey, and that genial prince of buffoons, Mike Kis."
Fanny toyed indifferently with her fan; not one of all these persons interested her in the least.
"And I know it as a fact, that our fêted friend Rudolf is also going to spend the winter there, with his handsome wife."
Hah! what impression will that make? Will she be able to conceal the smarting pain she felt at that moment? But no, she did not betray herself; she merely said, "I don't fancy we shall go to Pest."
With that she rose from her seat. The dance was over, and Flora, hastening to her friend, passed her arm round her waist, and they took a turn together round the room.
Mr. Kecskerey began to rock himself gently to and fro on the sofa and draw conclusions.
"Why did she sigh so deeply when she said, 'I don't fancy we shall go to Pest'?"
Just then Rudolf drew near, and Mr. Kecskerey seizing his opportunity, put his arm through Rudolf's, and paced with him up and down the splendid saloon, as if they had been the very best friends in the world. And here we should do well to remember that Mr. Kecskerey was a