This is no empty compliment, your ladyship.

I am not very lavish of such things myself, but I feel bound to address you thus because I am well aware that it is not merely to learn our poor language that you pay me so well for so little trouble.
No, I recognize herein the good will which would do what it can to raise and help a poor neglected population: for I certainly shall not exchange my simple maize-bread for better, but will employ your ladyship's gift in the service of God and of our poorer brethren." From that day Henrietta believed that a call from on high had summoned her to Hidvar to be the guardian angel, the visible providence of a poor, forsaken people, and her most pleasant occupation was now to go from village to village,--often in the company of the priest, and at other times accompanied by a single groom or quite alone.

Thus she visited one after the other all the surrounding parishes like any archdeacon, enquiring after and helping their necessities, distributing money for school-buildings and service books, collecting all manner of stray orphans and bringing them home with her to be fed and instructed; nay she erected a regular foundling hospital at Hidvar for the benefit of the sprouting urchins of the district, and had the liveliest debates with the priest as to the best method of managing it.

Her benevolent enthusiasm cost Hatszegi a pretty penny.
"She is a child; let her play!" he would only say when Margari and Clementina represented to him that Henrietta had pawned her jewels at Fehervar in order to teach some more little Roumanian rag-a-muffins how to go about with gloves on like their betters.

Nay the baron secretly instructed the tradesmen with whom Henrietta had pawned her jewels to advance her four times as much as they were worth, _he_ would make it good again, he said--and then he would buy his wife fresh jewels.