Part 72 (2/2)
THE DAY OF GLADNESS
”Let us go back at once to your darling,” said Lorand next morning to his brother. ”My affair is already concluded.”
Desiderius did not ask ”how concluded?” but thought it easy to account for this speech. It could easily be concluded between Topandy and Lorand, as the former was the girl's adopted father: Lorand had only to disclose to him everything about which it had been his melancholy duty to keep silence until the day of the catastrophe, which he was awaiting, had arrived.
Nor could Desiderius suspect that the word ”concluded” referred to the visit they had paid together to Sarvolgyi. How could he have imagined that Melanie, who had been introduced to him as Gyali's fiancee, had one week before filled Lorand's whole soul with a holy light.
And that light had indeed been extinguished forever.
Even if they had not succeeded in murdering Lorand they had made a dead man of him, such a dead man as walks, throws himself into the affairs of the world, enjoys himself and laughs--who only knows himself the day of his death.
Desiderius ventured to ask ”When?”
He always thought of Czipra.
Lorand answered lightly:
”When we return.”
”Whence?”
”From your wedding.”
”Why, you said yours must precede mine.”
”You are again playing the advocate!” retorted Lorand. ”I referred not to the execution, but to the arrangements. My banns have been called before yours; that was my desire. Now it is your business to carry your affair through before I do mine. Your affair of the heart can easily be concluded in three days.”
”An excellent explanation! And your marriage requires longer preparations?”
”Much longer.”
”What obstacle can Czipra present?”
”An obstacle which you know very well: Czipra is still--a heathen. Now the first requisite here for marriage is the birth-certificate. You know well that Topandy has. .h.i.therto brought the poor girl up in an uncivilized manner. I cannot present her to mother in this state. She must learn to know the principles of religion, and just so much of the alphabet as is necessary for a country lady--and you must realize that several weeks are necessary for that. That is what we must wait for.”
Desiderius had to acknowledge that Lorand's excuse was well-grounded.
And perhaps Lorand was not jesting? Perhaps he thought the poor girl loved him with her whole soul, and would be happy to possess these fragments of a broken heart. Yet he had not told her anything. Czipra had seen him in desperation over that letter: as far as the faithful, loving girl was concerned, it would have been merely an insult, if the idol of her heart had offered her his hand the next moment, out of mere offended pride; and, while she offered him impa.s.sioned love, given her merely cold revenge in return.
This feeling of revenge must soften. Every impulse guided to the old state of things.
Meantime the marriage of Desiderius would be a good influence. He was marrying f.a.n.n.y. The young couple would, during their honeymoon, visit Lankadomb: true love was an education in itself: and then--even cemeteries grow verdant in spring.
The two young men reached Szolnok punctually at noon.
And thence they returned home.
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