As they retired Banfi beckoned to the remaining suppliants to approach one by one. The first he turned to was Master Martin Kuncz, the Bishop of the Klausenburg Unitarians. "How can I serve your Reverence?" "I have a complaint to make, gracious sir," returned Kuncz, with a bow and a scrape. "The Klausenburg town-council has forcibly removed the market booths belonging to the Unitarian Church. I beg you to help us to regain possession." "I am very sorry I cannot help your Reverence," returned Banfi, whistling through his teeth and buttoning up his coat. "That is a constitutional affair, and concerns the Prince. The land indeed is mine, but the cause belongs to his Highness's Courts." "The Prince gave me exactly the same answer, only reversed--'The cause indeed belongs to my Courts, but the land is Banfi's, go to him.'" Banfi laughed good-humouredly, but Kuncz did not seem to regard the matter as particularly entertaining. "Then, although my right is as clear as noon-day, I can turn nowhither?" Banfi shrugged his shoulders and stroked his beard. "Because your Reverence has right on your side, it by no means follows that you will get justice." "Then his case is exactly the same as mine," interrupted some one, and Banfi, looking round, beheld Dame Saint Pauli making towards him. The magnate pretended he did not see the widow, and nonchalantly adjusted the gold and diamond chain of his mente; but the widow thrust herself right under his nose, and thus began-- "Vainly do you condescend to ignore me, my lord. I am here though uninvited." Banfi looked at her without saying a word, half amused and half annoyed. "Or perhaps your lordship has forgotten my name?" continued the lady sharply, smiting her breast and exclaiming--"I am the noble, high-born----" "And worshipful," added Banfi, laughing. "Dowager Lady George Saint Pauli," continued the lady imperturbably, "every scion of whose family is as noble and illustrious as the Prince himself. I too have never forgotten what name I bear, but have proudly confessed it before princes and generals--yea, even before greater men than your Excellency." "Well, well, your ladyship. All that I know by heart, for I have heard it from your own lips twenty times before. Come, tell me quickly what you want." "Quickly, forsooth! Perchance your Excellency imagines that it is possible to tell in a few words why the suit between us has lasted four years already, and why the suit between the town of Klausenburg and my family has been pending for three-and-sixty years?" "To cut matters short, I will tell you the whole story myself," interrupted Banfi; "your ladyship can make your comment afterwards. Your ladyship possesses a ruinous den in the midst of the Klausenburg market-place----" "I beg your pardon--a manor-house just as good as your lordship's own castle."