"Many thanks, I'll remember your good advice."
"Ah! if you had always done so! Yet I am right glad that you don't look askance at me any longer. You are another man since you made up your mind to fight! How a wife demoralises a man to be sure! There is nothing wanting now, except a sword and a pair of pistols. You need not go home for those. I have a rare old blade which was used at the storming of Buda, and will cut through iron itself; it is worth a good deal more than your parade-sword. And here are my pistols, each is loaded with three bullets; if you understand what shooting straight means, you can kill three enemies at once. So good luck, my young friend, I am glad you are going."
The old gentleman embraced his nephew as if he were going to face the enemy, and had his best horses put in for him, and they brought Ráby to the judge's house in less than an hour.
The uninvited guest just caught the judge going out.
"Come back with me to the house," said his visitor, "I want to have a word with you."
Petray guessed from the speaker's tone that it was on no friendly business that he had come, though he affected not to perceive it, and treated Ráby with his accustomed familiarity.
When they had come into Petray's parlour, Ráby drew the letter out of his pocket and held it before his host's face.
"Do you recognise this writing?"
Petray drew himself up.
"What presumption is this, pray? To open a letter directed to someone else, it is unheard of!"