His family had lived more than three hundred years on their ancestral
estates, which, it is true, were now considerably diminished, and he
was connected by ties of blood or marriage with all the nobility in the
county of Pesth. Up to the year 1848 the whole village of Kisfalu,
with all its peasants, fields, and feudal prerogatives (such as mill,
fish, tavern and other privileges) belonged to the Abonyis, and the
present lord, Carl von Abonyi, came from that gloomy time, termed--I
know not why--"patriarchal," when the peasant had no rights, and the
nobleman dwelt in his castle like a little god, omnipotent,
unapproachable, only not all-wise and all-good, walked through his
village whip in hand, like an American "Massa," and dealt the peasant a
blow across the face if he did not bow humbly and quickly enough,
ordered the village Jew to be brought to the manor, stretched on a
bench by two strong lackeys (called in Hungary heiducks) and soundly
thrashed whenever he felt a desire for cheap amusement; regarded the
women of the village, without exception, as his natural harem, spent
his days and nights in immoderate feasting and wild drinking, derived
all his education from the Bible with 32 leaves (the number of cards
contained in the pack commonly used in the country), and only displayed
to ladies of his own station a certain romantic chivalry, which was
manifested in rude brawling with real or imaginary rivals, unrestricted
duelling on the most trivial pretext, exaggerated gallantry and ardent
homage, serenades which lasted all night long under the windows of the
favoured fair, and similar impassioned, but tasteless eccentricities.
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