"Yes, stingy, that's the word," continued the priest. "I do not pick my words, for I am a priest and used to hunger. And he who is used to hunger is free from the yoke of servility. I told his lordship that to his face, and that was why he forbade me the castle."
Henrietta could not continue the conversation, so upset was she at the idea of Hátszegi's stinginess. What! the man who raked in hundreds of thousands at a time with the greatest ease, and no doubt scattered them as recklessly, could shut his door in the face of a poor priest who begged for the house of God and the education of the people! She hastily wished the priest good-night and returned to the castle.
The same evening she sought her husband, who had just come home wearied from the chase, "I have a favour to ask of you," said she. Hátszegi looked astonished: it was the first favour the wife had ever asked her husband.
"Command me!" said he. "Whatever you like to ask is as good as granted already."
"I should like to learn the language of the people in the midst of whom we dwell. I am like a deaf-mute among them at present."
"That will not be difficult. The Wallachian tongue is easily acquired, especially by anyone with a knowledge of French or Latin."
Henrietta blushed scarlet. Was there a covert allusion behind these words? Did Hátszegi know that she understood Latin?
"I should like to have a master who can put me in the way of it. The parish priest here would be a suitable person."
For an instant Hátszegi's eyebrows contracted.
"You shall have your way," he said at last. "It is true that he is the one man in the world who insults me to my face with impunity whenever he meets me, and even presumes to chalk upon the walls of my own castle denunciations against me from the book of the Prophet Nehemiah, so that I was obliged to forbid him ever to appear before me under pain of being thrown headlong out of the window; yet to show you what an obedient servant I am of yours, madame, I will not baulk you of your desire, or desire you to choose another master, but will send and invite him to come up here at once. Everyone shall see that in my house, my wife is the master." And with that Leonard kissed his wife's hand and withdrew.