[A Hungarian Nabob by Maurus Jokai]@TWC D-Link bookA Hungarian Nabob CHAPTER VII 15/37
We have already brought down all the costumes and weapons from our museum of antiquities.
The students meanwhile will recite the history of Dobozy; the poet Gyarfas is at this moment writing the verses for it, and the chief cantor is composing the music.
It will be fine!" The old fellow took as much delight in the comedy as any child. Meanwhile he had finished dressing Master Jock--brushed and combed his hair, pared his nails, shaved him, tied his cravat, and buttoned his coat _comme il faut_. "And now, sir, you may appear before your fellow-men." "Where's my pipe ?" "Pipe! Tut-tut! Don't you know that, first of all, you must go to church to pray? nobody smokes till after that." "You are right.
But why don't they ring the bell ?" "Wait! I must first tell the priest that your honour is up." "And there's another thing you must tell him--a sausage should be long, a sermon short." "I know," said Palko; and off he trotted to the priest, whose chief defect and peculiarity consisted not in delivering long sermons, but rather in the rebuking of Master Jock roundly, in the name of the Lord, on this the one occasion in the whole year when he met him face to face, to the intense delight of the assembled guests, who kept up the joke afterwards till dinner-time.
A particular Providence, however, delivered Master Jock from this bitter jest on this occasion, inasmuch as the reverend gentleman had suddenly fallen so ill that he could not perform his duties. "The dean is here," added Palko, after communicating the sad intelligence. "Who never knows when to leave off spouting," commented Master Jock.
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