They Were Divided - Miklos Banffy [78]
And yet it really was nothing but a pose. It was true that he had been a Member of Parliament, but he had had nothing to say. While in Budapest he had had no more social success than many other good-looking young men, and like other good-looking young men he had had neither more nor fewer adventures with women than had the others. But he had tried to lead the life he imagined and he had even begun to believe it himself to the point at which he now suffered as much as if it had been true. Since he had lost his seat at the last elections he had stopped going out in society and had gone out only to gamble the night away. During the daytime he had slept. He no longer went with the others to sing and dance with the gypsies and it had begun to be whispered that he had become a heavy but secret drinker. Looking at his puffy face and watery eyes people had begun to guess that the rumours were only too true. Still, even if he had started to run slightly to fat he was still exceptionally good-looking.
Young Ida Laczok caught sight of him from across the room and at once said to herself that he would do for her. Since Gazsi Kadacsay had so inexplicably faded out of her life, she would have accepted anyone who asked her, for by now both her sisters were married and she was the only one still single.
Stopping her dancing partner as they waltzed by the gypsy band, she bowed to him and went over and stood near Farkas. He in his turn stepped up to her and they shook hands just behind the double-bass.
‘What are you doing with yourself these days?’ she asked. ‘It is nice to see you again,’ she went on with a sparkle of encouragement in her eyes. ‘You can’t imagine how much we miss you.’
Farkas made a somewhat disdainful gesture and said in a bored voice, ‘I just wanted to see how the Garazda Boy was making out. I must say he seems to be doing quite well. He’s a clever lad so I expect he’ll learn.’
‘Oh, but it isn’t at all the same as when you did it!’ said Ida in a flattering tone and went on with several remarks in the same vein.
Shortly afterwards they were joined by Margit.
‘Have you seen Adam?’ she asked her brother-in-law. ‘He disappeared ages ago. Is he in the card-room? Were you there?’ and her voice held an unusually stern and demanding note.
‘I was there all right, gambling if you want to know,’ Farkas replied bitterly, ‘but whether Adam was or not I really can’t say, and I don’t care. I’m not one to spy on others: they can do what they like for all I care!’
This was intended as a gibe at Margit, for all three of Adam’s brothers resented the young woman who had captured him. They were also afraid of her for they knew they could not compete with her practical brain and strong will. Even so Farkas would not have dared to speak to her like that if they had been alone.
Margit raised her little beak-like nose and looked up at her tall brother-in-law’s face. Then, with the shadow of a smile, she said, quite calmly, ‘In that case I’ll go and look for him myself!’ Then she turned and walked swiftly away.
Margit stepped out into the corridor. There she hesitated for a moment or two not knowing which of the four double doors led to the card-room. Then a waiter appeared carrying an ice-bucket and opened the third door. Margit followed him for she had heard the booming voice of Uncle Ambrus saying, ‘Come on, me lad, shell it out! We don’t play for peanuts here, you know. The bank is sixteen hundred. Who wants it?’
Margit looked around her.
The room was one of the hotel’s grand sitting-rooms, but the furniture had been pushed to the walls to make way