Luckily, towards the afternoon, Mr.John himself arrived in a somewhat dazed condition, like one who has been up drinking all night.
The members of the family were all sitting together as usual in Mr.
Demetrius's room, listening in silence to his heckling, when the tidings of Mr.John's arrival reached him.

Demetrius immediately summoned him.
He sent back word at first that he was lying down to try to sleep, which was an absurd excuse for even the richest man to give in the forenoon; on being summoned a second time he threatened to box the porter's ears; only the third time, when Clementina was sent with the message that if he did not come at once, his sick father would come and fetch him, did he respond to the call and appear before them in a pet.
"Well, thou bloodthirsty man, what has happened?
What was the end of it ?" "What has happened ?" repeated John with monstrously dilated eyes.

"What marvel do you expect me to relate ?" "Clementina, Miss Kleary, Henrietta, retire," cried the old man; "retire, go into the next room.

These are not the sort of things that children should hear." When they had all withdrawn except Madame Langai, Demetrius again questioned his son: "Now then, what about this affair, this _rencontre_ with Hatszegi; did you challenge him, did you meet him ?" "Eh?
Oh--yes! Naturally.

Of course I sought him out, I have only just come from him.