"Perhaps those who are sitting inside the carriage?"
"Her ladyship is sitting within and is now asleep. If I awake her and frighten her, and then we don't find the highwayman she will break the whip over my back. Get up here. It will be good to travel as far as Lankadomb in a carriage, 'sblood.'"
"Do you live at Lankadomb?" asked Lorand in a tone of surprise.
"Yes. I am Topándy's servant. He is a very fine fellow, and is very fond of people who preach."
"I know him by reputation."
"Well, if you know him by reputation, you will do well to make his personal acquaintance, too. Get up, now."
Lorand put the meeting down as a lucky chance. Topándy's weakness was to capture men of a priestly turn of mind, keep them at his house and annoy them. That was just what he wanted, a pretext for meeting him.
He clambered up beside the coachman and under the brilliance of the starry heaven, the five steeds, with merry tinkling of bells, rattled the carriage along the turfy road.
The coachman told him they had come from Debreczen: they wished to reach Lankadomb in the morning, but on the way they would pass an inn, where the horses would receive feed, while her ladyship would have some cold lunch: and then they would proceed on their journey. Her ladyship always loved to travel by night, for then it was not so hot: besides she was not afraid of anything.
It was about midnight when the carriage drew up at the inn mentioned.