Miklós Bánffy - They Were Found Wanting

What little cash Laszlo had needed on his drinking bouts in town had been found by selling pieces of furniture and little knick-knacks found in drawers and cupboards in his own home. These he had either disposed of to the shopkeeper at Kozard or else brought in his little travelling-bag to Kolozsvar. The house was now almost bare; the household linen had all gone and so had the copper pans from the kitchen. There was nothing left to sell, nothing from which he could raise a sou . All that was left to him now was to get money from Sara, and at this he balked. It would be an abomination — he’d rather die!

Even that, however, was denied him for he was not so far gone that he could bear the idea of killing himself while he thought himself indebted to his mistress. Every last sou must somehow be paid back — so that no one could say he’d died owing such a dishonourable debt. And so he sent for Azbej.

As he hardly expected the little man to get to him before the next day he spent the evening trying to quench with brandy the self-reproaches which so tortured him.

Azbej appeared about ten o’clock the next morning. He appeared to find nothing unusual in the fact that Laszlo was still in bed, and did not even enquire if he was unwell. Instead he pulled up a chair beside the bed and sat down on its edge, as he always did, either as a mark of respect or else because he had no choice since his legs were so short. When he was comfortably settled he turned his face to Laszlo, that face which, with its bristly short-cut beard, so resembled a hedgehog when curled up in a ball.

‘Here I am,’ he said, pursing his little red lips. ‘How can I serve your Lordship?’

His voice was humble and his manner so servile. All the same his bulging prune-like eyes gave the lie to this impression. They had observed Laszlo keenly, noted that he had no luggage and had slept in his shirt, and seen that there was an empty brandy-bottle on the bedside table, along with a dirty collar and a used glass. There was a glint of triumph in his eyes as if he knew now that what he had worked for for years was at last within his grasp.

Gyeroffy sat up. He crossed his arms on his drawn-up knees and for a moment stared straight ahead without saying anything. Then, in a stern voice, he said, ‘I need money. Quite a large sum. Immediately! At least 15,000 crowns,’

Azbej spread out his arms in a gesture of helpless dismay.

‘But, your Lordship, where from? We’ve already sold the forestlands, as your Lordship knows, and we got our price even though the timber was still standing. All that we had to pay out at once so as to prevent Samos-Kozard being auctioned over your head. The interest on your Lordship’s loans was very high — usury would be a better word — but it all had to be paid since your Lordship acknowledged the debt. And then there were the legal charges. The farm implements have been my property, I mean my wife’s, for many years; and your Lordship will remember that I paid ten years’ rent in advance, not to mention that supplementary payment which I gave your Lordship from pure goodness of heart. And what’s more I’ve written off that enormous sum out of my own money, as I have already reported to your Lordship, and shown you the receipts. Your Lordship found everything in order, I know; and now I have no more money, not a penny!’

Laszlo looked sombrely at the fat little man and a deep furrow appeared between his eyebrows. ‘All the same I need this money, no matter how! I must have it, do you understand?’

The lawyer said nothing. A slight gesture indicated that he was powerless.

For a few moments both remained stubbornly silent. Finally Gyeroffy leaned forwards and said, ‘You take Kozard, everything included. I’ll hand it over … but I must have the money. Do you understand? I must!’ and then seeing that Azbej was pretending to be surprised, he shouted, ‘Don’t look so astonished! Isn’t that what you’ve been planning all these years? You can cut the play-acting!’

This clear-sightedness was something new for Laszlo, but then he had been settling accounts with himself ever since the previous afternoon. He had reviewed all his actions and stupidities and coldly assessed everything that he had neglected and left undone. He had judged himself severely and as he did so he had judged others too, looking hard at everything he had done and allowed to be done; and now it was quite clear to him how doggedly the little lawyer had led him into this final trap.

‘If your Lordship pleases, I have only tried to be of use to your Lordship. Nothing else, ever! It never occurred to …’ protested Azbej, but Laszlo cut him short, shouting, ‘Stop play-acting! Answer me!’

Azbej was far too intelligent to take offence. After all, the moment had arrived when that beautiful little country house, with its valuable land, would at last be his. This was not to be missed and had better be quickly grabbed before Gyeroffy thought better of what he was doing and started looking elsewhere, perhaps to his relations and maybe even to Balint Abady, who was one of the few people the lawyer feared. Therefore he quickly denied himself the luxury of being offended, and restricting any expression of resentment to the simplest of gestures, he replied, ‘I must work out some figures. Of course I’ll agree if that is what your Lordship desires.’ He got up and backed towards the door, bowing obsequiously as he went. Then he promised to return in the afternoon with a definite answer, and left the room.

Soon after lunch he was back, carrying a huge stack of papers, and at once proceeded to quote facts and figures and statistics. At long length he explained that the Kozard property was saddled with ancient debts and with all those advances that he, Azbej, had been from time to time obliged to pay. Even if one valued everything at the very highest figure — and one must not forget that the roof was leaking, the cellars flooded and the stable-roof in a state of collapse — it still did not amount to anything like what Count Laszlo now owed to Mr Azbej. And what’s more there was no security for that debt which was never likely to be repaid. Azbej went into all this in great detail, showing as he did so all kinds of confusing documents, statements of account and receipts, all of which proved categorically that nothing remained of the smallest value, nothing. In fact less than nothing!

While this was going on Laszlo walked up and down the room, stopping from time to time to pour himself a glass of brandy or perhaps to glance at his own signature when Azbej held it up as proof of what he was saying. He was so angry that he could not keep still, for he detested the charade which the lawyer was now acting, mainly so as not to abandon the role he had played for so long. When Azbej finally came to an end and fell silent, Laszlo stopped in front of him and said, ‘Well?’ Nothing else.’

‘If your Lordship pleases I can offer him 15,000 crowns. Of course it’ll mean a loss to me, but I’ll give it all the same …’ the lawyer answered quickly, not daring any longer to prolong the matter. Then he rapidly turned down-to-earth and businesslike, saying that he would have the contract drawn up and send for the notary to legalize the papers when they were ready for signing.

‘Would your Lordship wish to go to his office or should the notary come here?’

‘Here!’ said Laszlo. Then he thought for a moment and went on, ‘One other thing! That empty estate cottage by the village shop, the one at the corner of the main road! That’s not included in the bargain, I want to give it to our old agent Marton Balogh. The old man worked for us in my father’s time and I don’t want him to be homeless.’