former mistress of the house, had long eaten the bread of charity under
that roof. She was now engaged upon some eye-tormenting, fine fancy
work which could not have afforded the poor creature very much
amusement.

The old gentleman on the sofa used to divert himself the whole day by
assembling as many human beings around him as possible and driving them
to desperation by his unendurable nagging and chiding; they, on the
other hand, had by this time discovered that the best defence against
this domestic visitation was never to answer so much as a word.

"Of course! Of course!" continued the old gentleman with stinging
sarcasm. "I know what a bore it is to be near me and about me. I see
through it all. Yes, I _know_ that I am an unendurable old fellow on
whom not a single word should be wasted. I know well enough that you are
not sitting here beside me because you like to be here. Who compels you
to? I certainly shall not prevent anybody's petticoat from going away by
laying hold of it. The gate is not closed. Nothing easier than to be
off. Yet nobody likes the idea, eh? Ah-ha! It is possible that when the
eye of old Lapussa no longer sees, the heart of old Lapussa may no
longer remember. Besides, nobody can tell exactly when the old man may
die. Indeed they are waiting for his death every hour--he is beyond
eighty already. A most awful bore certainly. Ah ha! The old fool is
unable to get up any more, he is not even able to strike anybody. If he
cries out, nobody is afraid of him; but, at any rate, he has strength
enough to pull the bell-rope, send for his steward, tell him to go to
the office of the _alispán_[1] there ferret out and bring back his last
will and testament--and then he can dictate another will to his lawyer
quite cosily at his ease."