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This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. During dinner with Hofmiller and Kekesfalva, what does Dr. Condor initially say about Edith's current condition?
(a) He says her leg strength has deteriorated considerably since his last visit.
(b) He says it's clear that she hasn't been doing her exercises as regularly as she should.
(c) He says her exercises are going well, but that her mental state seems different.
(d) He says she's improved remarkably since his last visit.

2. When telling him about the potential treatment for Edith, what does Hofmiller finally end up promising Kekesfalva?
(a) He promises that he'll marry Edith.
(b) He promises that Edith will get well very soon.
(c) He promises that he'll take care of Edith if Kekesfalva dies.
(d) He promises that he'll accompany Edith to France so she can get the new treatment.

3. What does Dr. Condor tell Hofmiller about incurable illnesses?
(a) He says that once a disease has been deemed incurable, there is no hope left.
(b) He says there is always hope because new cures are found routinely.
(c) He says Edith's condition is undoubtedly incurable.
(d) He says a cure will be found for Edith's condition within five years.

4. How does Hofmiller react when he sees Ilona in the street after taking a night away from the family to play cards with his friends?
(a) He seems embarrassed and tries to avoid her.
(b) He is upset that she has apparently left Edith alone.
(c) He is thrilled to see her on his own turf and asks her to go for a walk or to the patisserie.
(d) He is excited about the opportunity to introduce her to his friends.

5. What happens when Hofmiller arrives at the castle to thank Kekesfalva for the dinner invitation?
(a) The family is not at home.
(b) The family is offended and rescinds his dinner invitation.
(c) Kekesfalva invites him to stay for tea.
(d) He is turned away because he doesn't have an appointment.

6. What did Kekesfalva do to ensure his plan to buy Dietzenhof's estate would move forward?
(a) He took Dietzenhof to Vienna immediately to finalize the deal.
(b) He put a "for sale" sign on the front lawn.
(c) He had Dietzenhof sign a confidentiality agreement.
(d) He locked Dietzenhof in the basement until he could finalize the paperwork.

7. What does Hofmiller do when he arrives at the castle and finds Edith sleeping on the terrace?
(a) He wakes her to explain his absence the previous night.
(b) He takes the opportunity to look at her more carefully and feels an overwhelming rush of pity for her.
(c) He sits down to read a book until she wakes up.
(d) He goes quietly into the house so he won't wake her.

8. After asking Hofmiller to talk to Dr. Condor about Edith, why does Kekesfalva want to rush back to the house?
(a) He doesn't want to be late for dinner.
(b) He is expecting other guests and needs to get back in time to greet them.
(c) He is afraid Edith will be suspicious about what they'd been talking about.
(d) Edith has not been feeling well and he doesn't want to leave her alone too long.

9. When Hofmiller is training with his men the morning following his tea with Edith, why does he order them to stop galloping and trot their horses?
(a) He thinks his men aren't skilled enough to gallop.
(b) He wants to make less noise.
(c) He feels ashamed because he and his men can gallop freely while Edith cannot enjoy such pleasures.
(d) The terrain is too hilly for galloping.

10. How does Hofmiller feel after learning about Kekesfalva's past?
(a) He is appalled to learn that his friend had been so deceitful as a young man.
(b) He is bored and not very interested in learning more about Kekesfalva.
(c) He is anxious to share the information with his friends because it will increase their esteem for him.
(d) He is ashamed that he has never asked Kekesfalva about his background and how he had acquired his wealth.

11. When talking about Edith's condition over dinner at the castle, what question does Dr. Condor ask that causes Kekesfalva to become upset and defensive?
(a) He asks if it's possible that the servants have been mistreating Edith.
(b) He asks Kekesfalva if he trusts his diagnosis of Edith's case.
(c) He asks whether Kekesfalva has called in another doctor to work with Edith.
(d) He says that Kekesfalva has not paid his most recent bill and asks when he can expect payment.

12. Why does Edith not dance with Hofmiller?
(a) Her boyfriend doesn't want her to dance with another man.
(b) She is too shy.
(c) She is disabled and can't use her legs.
(d) Her father doesn't allow her to dance.

13. Is Dr. Condor actively pursuing a cure for Edith?
(a) Yes, he is trying to get in touch with a doctor who has a promising new treatment for paralysis.
(b) No, he has no hope of a cure, but has not told the family how he feels.
(c) Yes, he is planning a trip to the United States to pursue some new possibilities.
(d) Yes, he has just received funding for a new research project he is conducting in his own lab.

14. What does Hofmiller say is the most startling thing that happens to him the night of his conversation with Dr. Condor?
(a) Kekesfalva's offer of money in return for the information he'd gotten from Dr. Condor.
(b) Kekesfalva's display of gratitude.
(c) He was most startled to find Edith waiting for him in his barracks.
(d) The great flash of lightening that hit just as he is leaving Kekesfalva.

15. While riding a train one night, Kekesfalva overheard a conversation about Princess Orosvar. What had her lifestyle been like during the last years of her life?
(a) She lived in a large home in France, surrounded by her husband and children.
(b) She had been cantankerous and self-absorbed, living in luxury and ignoring the overtures of her relatives.
(c) She was known for giving away huge amounts of her fortune to deserving charities.
(d) She had been living in poverty until she married a wealthy man.

Short Answer Questions

1. According to the book's introduction by Joan Acocella, why was the author, Stefan Zweig, so interested in the inner workings of the human mind?

2. How does Edith find out that Hofmiller had been playing cards rather than inspecting a horse when he failed to show up at the castle?

3. Why is Hofmiller so pleased about Kekesfalva's request that he speak to Dr. Condor about Edith?

4. What does Dr. Condor tell Hofmiller was his initial opinion about why Hofmiller has become friends with Kekesfalva and his family?

5. Why does Hofmiller go to Kekesfalva's home three days before the date of his dinner invitation?

(see the answer keys)

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