'He will be here directly;' the steward answered, 'they are still counting....'
'Let us have dinner!' the Hon. Member cried.
'Hurrah!' several people repeated.
They all walked back again from the hall to the drawing room. Congratulations to the host and hostess were now offered more calmly; the lady herself, however, did not know how to restrain her joy, and disregarding the presence of others, threw her arm round her husband's neck. But they thought none the worse of her for this; on the contrary, they were all much touched.
'Well, we still survive!' the neighbour from Mizerów said.
At this moment there was a clatter along the corridor, and the priest entered the drawing room, followed by old Maciej, of Pognębin.
'Welcome! Welcome!' they all cried. 'Well,—how great?'
The priest was silent a moment; then as it were into the very face of this universal joy he suddenly hurled the two harsh, brief words:
'Schulberg—elected!'
A moment of astonishment followed, a volley of hurried and anxious questions, to which the priest again replied: