The diligent and aspiring Csillag, Árpád Csillag, the chief official of the First Hungarian Industrial and Credit Bank, came out of the bank with satisfaction and cheerfulness one winter evening. He was thirty-first, he received his salary, he carefully placed most of the money in his already set aside and gratifyingly small capital, and with the smaller part in his pocket he wandered cheerfully out of Lipótváros, to Andrássy utca, where he intended to have dinner, then dinner for the whole of next month, then pay for your room, and do some small shopping to complement your clothes. It was all about the smaller part. The larger one remained there in the bank: written to his current account.
Most of it stayed in the bank, it enriched its existing capital, it prospered, it kindly fattened itself, fresh, flourishing, with a chubby golden face. The situation was that of the diligent and aspiring Star, Star-4-Árpád, the First Hungarian Industry, etc. his chief officer could now think of marriage, a privileged marriage that would provide him with a pleasant and peaceful life on the one hand, and further strengthen his position — his position — on the other. The future partner had not yet been singled out, all that was certain was that the marriage should be advantageous. As for the countable girls, several fathers could come into combination; some gentle soft shifts had already taken place and it was a joy, a heart-warming triumph to listen to the mediator’s confidant’s report on how fiercely and burstingly the fathers welcomed the Star Combination. It was possible to choose among the best fathers for marriage.
The aspiring Star smiled to himself and smiled and wandered out onto Andrássy utca. Someone hit him on the corner of Andrássy utca.
– Hi, Star. Where are Árpi going?
The diligent Star turned and saw his colleague, Viktor Törő, the lump Törő. Star, however, did not treat Broker badly; he looked down a little, but did not treat him badly, and even felt some joy when he saw it. Behold, a man who is getting his position worse.
“Hello,” he told him benevolently. I’ll go get dinner.-5-
– Where?
Star told me. Tailor laughed.
“Are you still having dinner there?” He asked with a laugh. – Come to a decent place once. You know what, come to the orpheum with me and be my guest. Arpi, you peaceful tug, come with me and see that he lives on the thirty-first of a ur.
Star, the hard-working Star, after a short hesitation, accepted the offer. He was so cheerful, so generous that he wanted to delight even this lump. He accepted the offer and so they went to the orpheum together.
A star has been here before, and has even come here quite often; once a month; however, this was quite different. First of all: they sat in a lodge, then: they didn’t have dinner first in a cheap restaurant, but they had dinner in the lodge and it was already champagne for dinner; finally: after the performance, they marched into one of the booths in the conservatory, drank champagne again, the gypsy pulled them, a very blonde woman settled down at their table, other women walked in front of them in a hurry and waved confidentially to the lump tailor. The whole thing was definitely beautiful.
The aspiring Star was excited about the champagne, -6-now he felt even more, what a famous and excellent man he was, what an upscale position he had and what an excellent prospect he had for the future, something began to tingle in him, he felt active, he felt something beautiful and great to do.
She looked around cheerfully, even almost defiantly, and her gaze caught on a woman with brown skin, black hair, gleaming eyes, and a green silk dress, leaning against a column and looking at them. He put his hand on the tailor’s arm.
“You,” he asked, “who is that woman?”
– Which one? That black?… You saw it on stage. She danced. Spanish dancer. South American. Creole fry. It’s called Gloria. Full of fire. Do you want? Call me?
“Yes,” Star said enthusiastically.
Breaker, the lump Breaker stood up, summoned the brown-skinned woman to their table with a gesture and a smile, she nodded, headed towards them, and then Breaker leaned over to Star a little frightened.
“You, Árpi,” he told her softly, “but then don’t bring me shame.” I have introduced new people here at other times; whoever is with me knows here that he does not regret the money. Love is a little more expensive here than where you used to get it.-7-
“Be calm,” replied the aspiring Star, “I know where I am.”
The brown-skinned woman arrived, smiled, was very beautiful, smelled gorgeous, had a quick acquaintance and friendly handshakes, it turned out that the Spanish dancer only knew German, he was also broken and that Star, the hard-working and aspiring Star, won a lot .
“Tu piszt ein Kavalliich,” he told him confidentially, delighted, his last member of the last word closed, his voice almost lustful.
That Star, Star Árpád gavallér, knight. Cavalier, and the fact that he saw this right away on him The aspiring Star smiled, was delighted with Gloria. Gloria danced and drank, then Star paid for her dinner, a little due to the amount, the size, and they headed home. The lump Törő still remained, but Csillag went with Gloria, sat in a son’s shop and ran to Gloria’s apartment.
There was some trouble with the son-in-law on the way out before Glória’s apartment, who wanted to take advantage of the situation, but there was no problem here. The trouble, the bigger trouble, the big trouble came only later, much later, you know, when Star, the aspiring and hardworking-8-A star was about to leave Gloria’s apartment. What happened on the part of Csillag, which evoked the great trouble, was preceded by a determination, that deed, a longer spiritual struggle, quietly carried by an exciting tusa, between arguments and arguments, excitements and thrills in the well-furnished soul of Árpád Csillag. The arguments revolved around an amount, the excitement over the determination, the extent, the magnitude of this amount of money clashed in the mind and well-appointed soul of the diligent Star, who always considered money things wisely. Time urged. It had to be decided. He had to confess. What happened then in the well-appointed soul of the diligent Star? We have overcome concerns about the shameful nature of leaving, its defeated, escape-like nature, did the lump relate to Breaker’s sneer? The hesitant and aspiring Star’s hesitant soul fluctuated between a combination of paper money and two larger silver coins. At the last minute, however, Star weighed all the sacrifices he had already made, dinner, son’s garden, and compared the price of a combination of two larger pieces of silver with the price he used to pay at other places of purchase, and the thought finally roared into his concern.-9- also that if you find yourself unrestrained in your spending, you will have to touch your capital – at the expense of your checking account – and the two bigger silver coins on departure, hat on head, stick in hand, discreetly ringing on a marble slab of a table.
And then a terrible thing happened. Not what Árpád Csillag expected: anger, swearing, demanding. No. Gloria leaned over the two silver coins, looking at them as unbelievably as if they were doubting her own eyes, then a distorted disgust descended on her brown face and sparkling eyes as if she saw some disgusting worm, then straightened, slapped her hands on her hips, spread the two legs and began to laugh out loud. He stood in front of the astonished Árpád Csillag with spread legs and laughed loudly, screaming loudly into his face. He couldn’t speak at first, but then staggering from the immoderate laughter, squealing, nodding one by one, he said:
– You know Kavalliich!
Star, the well-appointed Star, stared at him in amazement. Gloria beat her own side from the laughter with both hands and repeated it with enthusiasm, mockingly, immeasurable contempt:
– You know Kavalliich!-10-
The diligent Star gathered all his strength, turned around, and left with dignity. His dignified departure degenerated into an escape, almost a run, when he heard Gloria follow, when he heard the noise of the Spanish dancer’s light legs behind him.
He was out in the stairwell and, I must admit, ran down. However, this did not mean complete salvation either, for two big pieces of silver rolled down the stone stairs, immediately behind them, and in the twilight they caught up and followed the laughing giggle all the way to the ground floor:
– You know Kavalliich!
The hard-working Star stopped panting downstairs. The door closed upstairs. There was silence. However, what about the two bigger silver coins? They also came down the stairs. They threw out. The aspiring Star cautiously lit matches, but found only one of the silver coins. He found it, then hurriedly rang the housekeeper, walked out the gate and slowly rested, slowly calm down his soul and determined that he really had to get married now, he returned home.
He met Breaker on the third day and smiled cheerfully, slyly at him. Breaker, the lump Breaker, however, remained serious, leaned over and said to him very seriously:-11-
– Árpi… you are a mean man.
The aspiring Star wanted to answer in disdain, but Törő waved his hand as if to say it was no longer his business, and then it would be done without him, leaning over again and saying softly:
– Tu piszt ein Kavalliich…
Then he turned his back on him and left. The aspiring Star stared at him in annoyance, but he was slowly comforted by the thought that this man was a lump, but his position was growing stronger and that, as far as his marriage was concerned, he had already roughly agreed on the right and right father. The following days took this matter even further, and the aspiring Star was then official for lunch one day to get to know his future bride better.
At noon that day, he hurriedly and cheerfully waded out of the bank when a feverish hat and a purple fur coat appeared in front of him on the sidewalk. A woman walking and maybe even waiting. Who are you waiting for? Anyone from the bank? The blood of the aspiring Star froze as he approached him. After all, this woman is this woman Gloria. He thought of escaping, but he did not have time to escape. Gloria raised her head, in confidence-12- he gestured to her, then, in the midst of a confidential, slow, sneering nod, quietly laughing at him
– Tu iszt piszt… ein Kavalliich…
The diligent Star looked at him pale and shaken and unable to move. Gloria nodded with a smile and began again.
– Tu iszt piszt…
The star then jerked, moved and began to run. Gloria was by her side, stayed by her side. He left. All he saw was his people stopping in amazement and his colleagues staring at them out of the bank door, he heard once more:
– Tu iszt piszt… ein Kavalliich…
Then he fled, panting forward, rushing forward, rushing with an upset spirit to the house where he had been called for lunch; he calmed down a little in front of the house, but had anxious lunch in the company of the right father and the future bride.
The engagement, however, took place quickly. The usual reports broke down, the news also appeared in the newspapers, and the next day the bride of the aspiring Star showed an open postcard in amazement, which arrived at the bride’s address to the groom, her, Árpád Csillag. Above all, the postcard was:-13-
– Congratulations.
Then, with a slightly uncertain spelling, this is:
– Du bist ein Kavalier!
The aspiring Star blushed and explained to her bride that it was a silly joke, she didn’t have to worry about it and the postcard had to be torn apart, which the future Csillag Árpádné had settled into. The postcard was torn. The next day, however, at noon, Glória walked in the street of the bank, in the southern traffic of Lipótváros, and in a whisper greeted the aspiring Star:
– Tu iszt piszt… ein Kavalliich…
The hard-working Star fled, the thing made an even bigger appearance this time than in the first iz, the hire spread in the bank, and the next day twenty people questioned and babbled the hard-working Star over the two silver coins, one of which he picked up in the dark stairwell. The aspiring Star then ran to the lump Breaker in despair and indignation.
“Tell that woman,” he shouted fiercely, “that I’m using the police.” I’m closing. I’m being deported.
The lump Breaker looked at him contemptuously and didn’t answer.
– I’m closing. I’m being deported! Star shouted.
Tailor shrugged.-14-
“You pumpkin,” he said contemptuously. – I have something to do with this. Go and tell him if you like it.
“No, I don’t feel like that,” Star replied in surprise.
– Then leave me alone.
The frightened Star now took the pleading, asked for salvation, pleaded for mediation, offered money, the lump Breaker shook his head and finally shouted:
– Get out of here and leave me alone. I don’t care, I don’t save you, I hate you because you’re a dirty pig and you compromised me. One thing I can say is that you don’t get money with Gloria, she has money, more than you. And he hates you for wanting to kill him first pedig As for the deportation, – he’s already talked to a lawyer. Nothing wrong can happen. What is he telling you? »Tu piszt ein Kavalliich!« Because this is true. You are. You’re a colleague. Isn’t that an insult?
He leaned forward and said once more:
– Tu piszt ein Kavalliich!…
The aspiring Star first wanted to slap the sneeringly smiling Breaker, but in his well-decorated soul, the consideration overcame his anger. So he begged again. That he’s in the head-15-shoot yourself if it goes that way. Now everyone knows the thing. Already his bride. And everyone says to him, “tu pist…«
The lump Breaker had a little heart on it.
“You’re a gourd,” he told him benevolently. – You’re a mean man. You deserve to kick me out… But all right, you regret it, so I can give you some good advice: get married quickly. The weakness of Gloria is the married man. In his eyes, every man is holy a little, even if he marries a girl. She thinks you marry in love too…
The aspiring Star hurried the wedding and since the deal was otherwise complete, the wedding day was soon set. It was high time because Gloria began to become unbearable. He now appeared before the bank almost daily; like a vengeful goddess, she slipped there with flashing eyes and a floating hat to the Star and smiling with white teeth, sometimes grim and dark, then with benevolence, slow nodding, motherly voice, again another time in the manner of a good buddy, confidentially, on weekly he agreed, shouted, or bounced him:
– Tu iszt piszt… ein Kavalliich…
On the day he did not come, he sent at least one postcard to Star and -16-in the last few days, attacking an excellent idea, he had called him at the apartment of his future father-in-law in the evening, calling him with a man, waiter, or servant, and when the aspiring Star picked up the phone and hurriedly and tightly said:
– This is Star.
Then a honeyed, loving, enchanted voice whispered in his ear:
– Tu iszt piszt… ein Kavalliich…
The last days were unbearable; the aspiring and diligent Star had by this time been pale and emaciated from the excitement, and if the wedding day had not come near, he would have done something foolish. Fortunately, the wedding day came and on that beautiful day, the aspiring Star awoke with a happy and relieved soul. Now this misery is over; he also travels; and if he comes home, that damned woman will leave her alone; his position is strengthened again… His fiancée remembered and thought with reassurance about the father’s excellent wealth.
First they went to the registrar, Star happily jumped out of the car here and turned briskly towards the stairs to hurry up to the building. However, his agility was paralyzed at the same time, his whole body frozen and pale-17-he stared at the stands, who were making two rows of walls at the edge of the driveway. Among the people, among the crowd, there was a heroic, reckless, and shouting hat. The Gloria…
The aspiring Star stared at him frozen and said to himself that it was going to be a scandal now. But it did not become a scandal. A star moved and trembled up the stairs. The hat also moved. He pushed forward to the front row. And when the diligent Star stumbled before him, there was a movement under his hat, on his brown face, and the diligent and aspiring Star saw rather than heard this benevolent, reverent whisper from his red lips:
– You iszt pist… ein Kavalliich!
He was inside the room. You just don’t come in here? It was a mistake: he came in there too. The door opened and Gloria came through it, hissing, perfumed and sensational. The large members of the broad family came together, the aspiring Star feverishly, convulsively trying to talk to her bride, but the bride stared at Gloria curiously and aptly. Gloria marched with a beautiful face in the background, the aspiring Star fell silent and sweat dripped from her forehead.
His forehead still had plenty of opportunity -18-to sweat, for at the beginning of the marriage ceremony Gloria hissed forward and agreed to the right-hand wall so that the advanced bride and groom could see very well. “Why isn’t someone leading you out?” Star thought desperately. “But then it would be a scandal,” he thought, immediately smashed.
The act of marriage has begun. Both the groom and the bride looked at Gloria with one eye, and as the registrar waited for the aspiring Star to say yes, there was a silent silence as the aspiring Star stared at Gloria’s red lips in enchantment.
For this red lip, with a serious face to the office and the solemn act, said silently, but articulatedly, clearly and unequivocally:
– You know Kavalliich!
The aspiring Star finally said yes, the act was over, the registrar left, and there was a general kiss among the kinship. Gloria looked at the family’s loud joy with great reverence, but when the departure began, her face motionless, she whispered to the faint Star.
– Tu piszt ein…
The wagons then scurried toward the church -19-and the aspiring Star stared out of the car window with excitement, fear, and hope, this Gloria coming.
Came. A scooter drove past them, he also leaned out of his car window and even had enough time to shout at the trembling shocking Star:
– Tu piszt…
Then he stumbled. But he was there in the church. He came up all the way to the young ladies in white, who stood near the altar, folded his hands together with a reverent face, but whenever the shivering Star looked there, his lips moved seriously, articulated, silently:
– Pistachio
And the aspiring Star always had to look there. The church was crowded with people. The bride’s father was an excellent choice and the aspiring Star would have had a bloated heart if she had been able to look through the nobility that had appeared. But he couldn’t look anywhere but Gloria. His well-furnished soul was cruelly entangled; all his composure was over and his aspiring and thoughtful mind, instead of his beautiful hopes for the future, turned and grinded a single question feverishly: what would Gloria do, how would she end this chase, would she make a scandal, would she shout -20-priest’s word is terrible and bullshit, vengeful and warrior password.
The ceremony began, moving forward, the aspiring Star desperately struggling to follow, but the cinematic interruptions could not be avoided either. The aspiring Star had to stare at Gloria. Gloria moved her lips quietly and reverently.
In the trembling Star, wild rage slowly ignited. Will it be a scandal? Good. But that beast won’t get out of here alive then. If all is to be lost, let him perish. The aspiring Star in the tailcoat, in the white glove, in front of the altar, with the rich bride on her side, clenched her fist and felt a soft, full brown neck crackle between her convulsive and bloodthirsty fingers.
The ceremony was over and Star looked around in amazement. What is this? Nothing happened? Where is Gloria? She was there in place, her lips moving even now as she caught the star of the astonished Star, but it was a sight to behold. What is that? Go away? Without a scandal? Were you satisfied with the torture? The flushing Star felt something resembling his gratitude.
The relieved and upbeat Star held his head outward with the well-chosen father -21-with his daughter, now with his wife in his arms. Now he could notice the notabilities and his heart swelled proudly. Yet his position…
At the end of the long row of walls, however, which formed from the crowded church audience, a reckless hat hovered, intruded, fisting forward. He fisted forward, stopped, about to land, settled, settled in one place. The aspiring Star stared at him with glassy eyes. What is that? Still not enough? Still not letting go of your claws? Do we need human death? Well, let it be human death.
Now again he did not see the notables. He accepted and returned handshakes, but stared forward with a beating heart, his eyes wide, toward the hat. They got closer and closer to him. The line wall moved, whispered, shouted, congratulated. And in the roar, the murmur, the whispering and the shouting, between the handshakes, the new husband and the new woman reached in front of the reckless hat. The hat moved. The new woman stared at him and stopped for a second.
And in that second, it happened. The aspiring Star lowered his companion’s arm, snorted, made a distant, almost roaring sound, clenched his fist, then raised his white-gloved hand and stood forward with his bloodshot, bulging eyes. Now with that glove-22-he strikes with that with his two hands… the soft, full, brown neck crackling between his bloodthirsty fingers… However, the aspiring and hard-working Star was rescued from his murder by his well-appointed soul. For in the second half of the second in question, he remembered that it would be a scandal, it could ruin him; though please who will kill; what has slightly worsened this whole thing in his position will be made up for by the well-chosen father-in-law. So in the second half of the second in question, the aspiring and hard-working Star stifled a wild snort in his throat, snatched his white-handed hand out of the air, and grabbed his companion with his arm. And in the last quarter of this remarkable second, the astonished Gloria leaned forward and in the same voice in which the others congratulated her, gladly, warmly, smiling:
– You iszt pist… ein Kavalliich!
The aspiring and hard-working Star grabbed his fellow believer out of the church. They sat in a flourishing car, the car set off with them, and the aspiring Star smiled in relief in front of him. What happened? Nothing. A snort. What then? Who had no youthful adventures. It can’t hurt your position, just…
He looked at the young woman sitting on his side and -23-who was now obviously struggling with an issue. Do you state this question? He didn’t say it.
But they went on a honeymoon. And in the second week in Paris, a city of light and greatest loves, when the aspiring and diligent Star enjoyed his present contentedly and was intoxicated with thought about his future, when the young woman wanted a lodge ticket to the theater, even though the counting and aspiring Star brought much, oh more modest tickets , when the accumulated poison of such disagreements brought about the first conversation, after the young woman also first hinted and then openly referred to the generosity with which her well-chosen father sent her into marriage, and when the thoughtful and aspiring Star was not affected by any, a bitter and angry word followed the other, when it could be felt that this was a struggle between the two spouses who wanted to enjoy the woman’s dowry and the husband’s position in quite different ways,
– You iszt pist… ein Kavalliich.!
