Miklós Bánffy - They Were Found Wanting

The fat little lawyer jumped up, gabbling, ‘I beg of his Gracious Lordship please to believe that I only wished to be of service. I really … and recently I haven’t had a minute to look into the lease since every moment of my time is spent in his Noble Lordship’s service, indeed all my life … But I’ll look into everything at once. It was all done so hurriedly that the figures were only approximate… just to help out the Noble Count. I’m not sure of the exact figures, all I’ve said is from memory, but I’ll check it all at once … and I’ll be glad to hand it all over to whosoever your Lordship desires. Indeed I wouldn’t mind giving up the lease altogether if my wife can have her money returned. Oh, I’d give it up willingly!’

It was obvious to Balint that the lawyer had had a good scare.

‘Very well. In a week’s time you will provide me with full details, a clear picture of the whole matter. Now go to my mother. She too wishes to see you. Good day!’

‘I beg his Lordship to accept my humble farewell!’ The hirsute little man made a deep bow, bending almost to the ground, and backed to the doorway. As he bowed again before going out a little hopeful glimmer might have been seen in his half-closed eyes. ‘I go at once to wait upon the gracious Countess!’

And he disappeared.

‘That deal with Azbej was not at all as you related it,’ said Countess Roza severely to her son after lunch. ‘He didn’t only pay the sum you were told about, but far more and at several different times. And he only did it to help that unfortunate Laci. He even borrowed from his brother-in-law as he didn’t have enough himself.’

‘His brother-in-law? That’s the first I’ve heard of it!’

‘Yes, his brother-in-law provided the money. Azbej said so.’

‘My dear Mama, are you going to believe what that man says? He tried to tell me lies too, but I don’t believe a word of it!’

‘And why not, may I ask? Why not?’ said Countess Roza angrily. ‘I’ve dealt with the man for years and I’ve never caught him in a lie. Though I did put him to the test once or twice!’ Then she turned to the two housekeepers, who were sitting opposite her, busily knitting as usual. ‘You two know all the facts. Didn’t we check up on Azbej’s deals, several times? Well? Speak up! Isn’t it so?’

‘Indeed we did, your Ladyship!’ said Tothy.

‘Yes, indeed!’ said Baczo. And they continued their knitting in silence.

Balint shrugged his shoulders, but before he had had time to open his mouth to reply his mother turned angrily towards him. ‘And I will thank you not to shrug your shoulders at me, young man. You have accused one of my employees on mere tittle-tattle; and you don’t even dare to say where it came from.’

‘It’s not that I don’t dare, it’s merely that I cannot break a confidence.’

‘That’s quite enough reason for me not to take any of this seriously. As I told you before, I never have and I never will, as your dear father taught me! I wish only to say this: I am deeply hurt that you give more weight to the word of some secret informer than to that of your mother. I would never have expected it of you, never!’

Countess Abady fell silent. Then she stretched out to the Chinese lacquer bowl in which she kept her needlework, her white, chubby little hands scrabbling around in agitation. Balint got up.

‘But, dear Mama, there’s no question of that! I don’t mean that I don’t believe you …!’

He tried to take her hand to kiss it, but she drew it away. ‘I don’t want to hear any more about it! Now go away; this whole affair has upset me deeply. We will not speak of it again!’

For several days relations between Balint and his mother were icy. Several times the young man tried to broach the subject, but his mother always refused to listen. Therefore, although he continued to take his meals at home it was only out of a sense of duty, and he went out as soon as he was able to get away. He found it unbearable to look at his mother’s withdrawn expression, and even more unbearable to have to suffer the continual presence of the two fat housekeepers who, even though they spoke only when spoken to, sat constantly with Countess Abady like two female prison warders. So every day, when released from the bondage of mealtimes, he would wander round to the Casino Club and play Tarok for pennies with old gentlemen out of sheer boredom. Every day the town grew emptier.

It was on one of these days that the news arrived that Countess Miloth had died in Vienna; it was the only social news that interested Balint. On the other hand the political news did arouse his interest. Apponyi had presented his proposals for a new compulsory education law. Several minority members did all they could to obstruct the measure and it seemed that the debates were degenerating into mere inconclusive bickering. It was while reading these accounts in the newspapers that Balint, on the spur of the moment, decided to go back to Budapest. I can’t stay here any more, he said to himself. It’ll be better for everyone if I go away!

As it happened, when he announced that he would be leaving in a couple of days, relations with his mother improved at once. Countess Abady enquired tenderly when he would be back and then, as though to underline that peace had been re-established between them — though without any sign of her yielding — she started to talk about Balint’s management of the forest properties.

‘I really am very pleased with all the reforms you’ve put in hand in the mountains,’ she said. ‘You’ve obviously got a thorough grasp of it all now. I’d like you to start managing our lowland forests too. You know, the oak and beech woods near Hunyad. You can take full charge. No need to consult me except when there’s something really important to decide.’

Balint took her hand and kissed it.

Countess Abady went on, ‘Old Nyiresy is really no use any more as forest superintendent.’ She paused. ‘You see I do know who is useful and worthy of our trust. I’ll let the other know …’ thus avoiding mentioning Azbej by name, ‘… that you are the master there. But do tell me when you’ll be coming back?’

‘Unfortunately I can’t be sure; but I feel I should stay as long as the education debate goes on. I might even speak. But as soon as that’s over I’ll come back at once.’

‘That’s good. That’s very good!’ murmured Countess Roza, and as a token of peace she rather distantly stroked her son’s face.

Though the two housekeepers for once had not been present when this conversation took place, they had spent so many years by her side that from half-expressed references dropped by their mistress they soon were aware of what had been decided. No time was lost in passing on to their old ally, Azbej, that he should now practise a little caution.

Consequently it was the very next day that Azbej came posthaste to Kolozsvar. He was clever enough to realize that though the countess had backed him up in the matter of the Kozard leases it would be just as well, if one was wise, not to forget that he still had to reckon with Count Balint. It was important, therefore, in some way to humour him in this latest dispute, because — who knows? — one day it might come about that the countess sided with her son. It would be prudent to make some concessions in the Gyeroffy affair, and so he begged Balint for an audience.

Azbej’s manner was even more humble than it had been before. He told Balint that he had made a full check, re-thought the whole situation and made some provisional plans to so force production that the estate would yield more. Also by re-estimating the value of the equipment he found that he would be able to increase the rent by 2,400 crowns each year. He said that he had made his wife accept this extra charge …