Casa p\u0103rea pustie f\u0103r\u0103 Laura. To\u0163i vorbeau mereu de ea, ghiceau
pe unde o fi ajuns \u015fi ce-o fi f\u0103c\u00e2nd, iar d\u0103sc\u0103h\u0163a \u015fi Ghighi l\u0103crimau
c\u00e2nd d\u0103deau peste vreun lucru\u015for r\u0103mas de la d\u00e2nsa.

Via\u0163a \u00eens\u0103 \u00ee\u015fi relu\u0103 chiar de-a doua zi mersul ei obi\u015fnuit,
nep\u0103s\u0103toare nici de dureri \u015fi nici de bucurn. O scnsoare
recomandat\u0103 de la avocatul Lendvay vesti data licita\u0163iei de care avea
groaz\u0103 doamna Herdelea, oric\u00e2t \u00eei explica Titu c\u0103 e o simpl\u0103
formalitate. \u00cenv\u0103\u0163\u0103torul, \u00eengnjorat \u00een tain\u0103 ca \u015fi nevast\u0103-sa \u015fi dontor
de comp\u0103timire \u015fi \u00eencuraj\u0103ri care s\u0103-i nsipeasc\u0103 temerile, c\u0103ut\u0103 \u015fi
g\u0103si un prilej s\u0103 povesteasc\u0103 \u015fi lui Belciug toat\u0103 \u00eencurc\u0103tura. De\u015fi
st\u0103ruia \u00eentre din\u0163i r\u0103ceala, am\u00e2ndoi se pref\u0103ceau c\u0103 nu \u015ftiu nimic, iar
Herdelea tr\u0103gea n\u0103dejdea acum s\u0103-l \u00eenduio\u015feze \u015fis\u0103 netezeasc\u0103
drumul spre o \u00eemp\u0103care adev\u0103rat\u0103, din ce \u00een ce mai \u00eenfnco\u015fat s\u0103 nu-i
fac\u0103 vreo pozn\u0103 cu locul casei. Belciug se mir\u0103, \u00eel comp\u0103timi cu o
p\u00e2lp\u00e2ire stranie \u00een ochi \u015fi pe urm\u0103 \u00eei spuse c\u0103 va veni \u015fi d\u00e2nsul la

mul\u0163umit c\u0103 l-a \u00eembl\u00e2nzit \u015fi astfel \u00eel va \u00eendupleca mai lesne de-
acuma s\u0103 fac\u0103 actul de dona\u0163iune a locului, cum \u00eei f\u0103g\u0103duise c\u00e2nd s-
a apucat s\u0103-\u015fi cl\u0103deasc\u0103 \u00eencrez\u0103tor casa. Totu\u015fi nu \u00eendr\u0103zni s\u0103 se
spovedeasc\u0103 nevestei sale care r\u0103m\u00e2nea neclintit\u0103 \u00een antipatia ei
fa\u0163\u0103 de \u201ep\u0103m\u0103tufuli viclean. De altfel \u00eendat\u0103 a intervenit t\u0103r\u0103boiul cu
nunta lui Ion, arunc\u00e2nd iar v\u0103lul uit\u0103ni vremelnice peste necazurile
zilei...

chp\u0103, s\u0103 comunice \u00eenv\u0103\u0163\u0103torului c\u0103, av\u00e2nd o afacere urgent\u0103 \u00een
Armadia, s\u0103-l a\u015ftepte \u00eenspre amiaz\u0103, la \u00eentoarcere, pentru
descurcarea formalit\u0103\u0163ilor.

Acuma Herdelea se v\u0103zu nevoit s\u0103 spun\u0103 \u015fi famihei, cu multe
\u00eenconjururi \u015fi menajamente, c\u0103 Belciug, pentru orice eventualitate,
are s\u0103 vie la licita\u0163ie... D\u0103sc\u0103li\u0163a \u00een\u0163elese numaidec\u00e2t c\u0103 nu poate fi
la mijloc lucru curat.

\u2015 Ai s\u0103 vezi, b\u0103rbate, c\u0103 p\u0103m\u0103tuful umbl\u0103 dup\u0103 vreo potlog\u0103rie!
zise ea c\u0103tr\u0103nindu-se. Ai s\u0103 vezi! Pe cine nu sufer\u0103 ini-ma mea, s\u0103
\u015ftii c\u0103-i suflet de c\u00e2rne!

d\u0103sc\u0103h\u0163a care bufnea f\u0103r\u0103 s\u0103 fi r\u0103spuns m\u0103car la bine\u0163ele dulcege
ale preotului. Spre a ocoli o ciocnire primejdioas\u0103, \u00eenv\u0103\u0163\u0103torul se
a\u015fez\u0103 cu Belciug \u00een pndvor la taifas, p\u00e2n\u0103 se va \u00eentoarce ungurul.
Era o zi de pnm\u0103var\u0103 minunat\u0103, cu miresme de flori de c\u00e2mp \u00een aer,
cu un cer ca o oghnd\u0103 fermecat\u0103. Peste drum, Hristosul de tinichea
st\u0103tea \u00eencremenit pe cruce, cu ochii pleca\u0163i, ca \u015fi c\u00e2nd ar fi sim\u0163it c\u0103
durerea lui nu se potrivea cu pofta mare de via\u0163\u0103 ce respira din to\u0163i
poriifirii rede\u015fteptate.

Preotul se g\u00e2ndea mereu c-ar fi mai bine s\u0103 plece, \u015fi cu toate
acestea \u015fedea parc\u0103 I-ar fi \u0163inut pe scaun. Vorbeau, dar glasul
am\u00e2ndurora suna at\u00e2t de rece, c\u0103 nu se puteau privi \u00een ochi. Ca s\u0103-l
mai \u00eenc\u0103lzeasc\u0103, Belciug aduse vorba de Laura \u015fi de famiha Pintea
cu care \u00eei pl\u0103cea lui Herdelea s\u0103 se f\u0103leasc\u0103.

\u2015 Apoi stai, frate Ioane, \u2015 zise Herdelea \u00eentr-adev\u0103r \u00eense-ninat
\u2015 c\u0103 \u00een lumea asta sunt mai multe Lechin\u0163e. A mea a fost un s\u0103tule\u0163
nenorocit pnn fundul v\u0103ii Diugului, iar a cuscrului e un or\u0103\u015fel \u00een
toat\u0103 forma...

revoltate, oc\u0103rau \u015fi blestemau pe Belciug, a\u015ftept\u00e2nd s\u0103 vie Titu,
care se repezise cu noaptea \u00een cap p\u00e2n\u0103-n Armadia s\u0103 ridice de la
percep\u0163ie un avans pe leafa \u00eenv\u0103\u0163\u0103torului, deoarece r\u0103m\u0103seser\u0103 f\u0103r\u0103
un gologan \u00een cas\u0103.

Armadia. Ungurul urc\u0103 spnnten \u00een pndvor, \u00eencep\u00e2nd vorba din uli\u0163\u0103:
\u2015 Norocul \u00eemi iese \u00een cale pretutindeni... Am ispr\u0103vit mai repede
dec\u00e2t b\u0103nuiam, a\u015fa c\u0103 acuma sper s\u0103 fiu acas\u0103 \u00een Bistn\u0163a la vremea
pr\u00e2nzului. Nevast\u0103-mea \u0163ine grozav la ora mesei \u015fi e \u00eenc\u00e2ntat\u0103 c\u00e2nd

Doamna Herdelea cu Ghighi, auzindu-l, ie\u015fir\u0103 din salon. Lendvay,
foarte reveren\u0163ios, le \u00eent\u00e2mpin\u0103 cu comphmente la care \u00eens\u0103, fiind
spuse pe ungure\u015fte, d\u0103sc\u0103li\u0163a nu r\u0103spunse, ci se mul\u0163umi s\u0103 str\u00e2ng\u0103
din buze, cu o \u00eenf\u0103\u0163i\u015fare jignit\u0103, \u00eenc\u00e2t Herdelea se gr\u0103bi s\u0103 observe,
ca s\u0103 nu se supere avocatul:

\u2015 Aa? Se poate? \u015ei cu toate astea ziarele dumneavoastr\u0103 \u0163ip\u0103 ca
din gur\u0103 de \u015farpe c\u0103 sunte\u0163i asupri\u0163i, teronza\u0163i, unguriza\u0163i...
Interesant!... Ei bine, crezi dumneata c\u0103 \u00een Germania sau \u00een Fran\u0163a s-
ar tolera un \u00eenv\u0103\u0163\u0103tor al statului a c\u0103rui so\u0163ie s\u0103 nu cunoasc\u0103 hmba
oficial\u0103? Nu \u0163i-o spun ca o imputare, c\u0103ci pentru mine pohtica nu

exist\u0103. R\u0103spundeam \u00eens\u0103 unui coleg rom\u00e2n care adineaon, \u00een
Armadia, se pl\u00e2ngea c\u0103 de pe-acum au \u00eenceput presiunile \u015fi
samavolmciile fa\u0163\u0103 de s\u0103rmanii rom\u00e2ni \u00een vederea alegem de

Vorbea foarte repede, rotindu-\u015fi ochii ca un uhu, spre a nu-\u015fi
neghja \u00eentre timp afacerile. Lui Belciug ise p\u0103ru c\u0103 avocatul vrea s\u0103-l
loveasc\u0103 \u015fi pe d\u00e2nsul, \u015fi r\u0103spunse rom\u00e2ne\u015fte, umfl\u00e2ndu-\u015fi gu\u015fa:

\u2015 Altele sunt \u00eemp re j ur\u0103rile \u00een Germama\u015fiaiurea, domnule
avocat!... Noi aici suntem o na\u0163iune b\u0103\u015ftina\u015f\u0103, despuiat\u0103 de drepturi
\u015fi \u00eempov\u0103rat\u0103 numai de datoni...

Herdelea, \u00eenfnco\u015fat s\u0103 nu se \u00eenvenineze lucrurile pe spina-rea lui,
c\u0103ut\u0103 \u015fi izbuti s\u0103 schimbe vorba \u015fi conduse pe Lendvay \u00een odaia
\u00eent\u00e2i, unde erau dou\u0103 paturi l\u00e2ng\u0103 perete, o mas\u0103 de sufragene, o
canapea de lemn, toate vechi \u015fi hodorogite.

\u2015 Aci n-avem nimic de seam\u0103, nu-i a\u015fa? zise avocatul trec\u00e2nd,
f\u0103r\u0103 s\u0103 se opreasc\u0103, \u00eentr-o od\u0103i\u0163\u0103 \u00eengust\u0103 \u015fi lunguia\u0163\u0103, cu o fereastr\u0103
spre uh\u0163\u0103 \u015fi un geam spre gr\u0103din\u0103. Vas\u0103zic\u0103 s\u0103 \u00eencepem aici!...
\u00cencepem, stimate domn! strig\u0103 c\u0103tre copistul care se a\u015fez\u0103 ursuz la
biroul lui Herdelea \u015fi scoase dintr-o geant\u0103 roas\u0103 ni\u015fte h\u00e2rtii.

Din mobila \u00eempricinat\u0103, aici se afla o mas\u0103 l\u0103cuit\u0103, cu pi-cioarele
strunjite, acoperir\u0103 cu o fa\u0163\u0103 tncolor\u0103, lucrat\u0103 de \u00eens\u0103\u015fi doamna
Herdelea pe c\u00e2nd era fat\u0103, \u015fi un pat frumos, perechea celui din
salon \u00een care dormiser\u0103 fetele.

ale d\u0103sc\u0103h\u0163ei din odaia dint\u00e2i.
\u2015 Amator, amator? \u00eentreb\u0103 deodat\u0103 Lendvay, ironic.
\u2015 \u015ei pneten! murmur\u0103 preotul.
\u2015 Desigur, pneten care cump\u0103r\u0103 ce poate de la pnetenn \u00een

copist: Ei, merge?
\u2015 Gata. Vas\u0103zic\u0103 avem... morm\u0103ifunc\u0163ionarul \u00eentreb\u0103tor.
\u2015 Masa \u015fi patul, sf\u00e2r\u015fi Herdelea pu\u0163in r\u0103gu\u015fit \u015fi cu ochii la

\u015fov\u0103ire, strig\u0103:
\u2015 Treizea!
\u2015 Treizea \u015fi dou\u0103! zise preotul cu ochiilipi\u0163i pe mas\u0103.
\u2015 Depune\u0163i banii imediat, nu-i a\u015fa? bufni acuma avocatul