The widow's sobs at the recollection of her deceased husband here enabled Banfi to put a word in, and he replied with passionate vehemence—
"What I have said shall be done. The masons are already on their way to pull down the house. The ten thousand florins you can have on application to the town-council."
"I don't want them. Throw them to your dogs," cried the woman furiously. "Am I a peasant that you turn me thus out of my property? Whoever dares to step across my threshold shall be driven out with a broomstick like a cur. I have appealed to the Prince and to the Estates, and there you have the sealed mandate in which the Diet forbids all and sundry to invade my property. I'll nail it upon the gate,—'tis engrossed in a good, legible hand,—and then I'll see who dares to break into my house."
"And I tell you that to-morrow your house will be razed to the ground, even if it be surrounded by armalists, and then the Diet may build you a new one if it is so disposed."
And with that Banfi turned away in high dudgeon, and almost ran into Nalaczi.
The two men greeted each other with constrained politeness; and while Dame Saint Pauli went off cursing, Nalaczi, after drawing a long breath, began in the sweetest of tones—
"His Highness the Prince desires to bring a very unpleasant matter to the notice of your Excellency."
"I am all attention."
"The Turk has thrice this year extorted gifts from us under various pretexts."
"You ought not to give them to him."