Part 4 (1/2)

By this time the leech had also come up with the bandages, and examining the wound, observed consolingly:

”A soldierly affair. Only the skin is pierced. In three days you will be all right.”

Tokoly, full of joy, pressed the hand of Feriz Beg.

”Henceforth we will be good friends,” said he. ”Before G.o.d, I protest I never gave you the slightest cause of offence.”

”I shall rejoice in your friends.h.i.+p,” said Feriz solemnly, ”but if you wish it to last, listen to my words: never approach a girl whom you do not love in order to make her love you, and if you are loved, love in return and make her happy.”

”You have my word of honour on it, Feriz,” replied Tokoly. ”Of all the girls whom I have seen since I knew you, not one of them have I loved, and by none of them do I want to be loved.”

Feriz Beg could not refrain from shaking his head and smiling.

”Apparently you forget that your own bride was among them.”

Tokoly bit his lips in some confusion, and answered nothing; he thought it best to pa.s.s off this slip of the tongue as a mere jest. Then the two reconciled antagonists embraced and returned to the roadside cross.

Tokoly constrained the Beg to take his coach and go on to Ibraila, while he himself mounted his horse, and taking leave of Feriz, took the road leading to the Pa.s.s of Bozza.

The soldier-courier now fancied it was high time that the urgent letters, of which he was the bearer, should be read, and accordingly asked his master about it.

”Well, where are your two letters?” asked the Count very languidly.

”There are not two, sir, but three.”

”What! have they multiplied?”

”Miss Flora gave me the third half an hour before she took coach to go home.”

”Then she has gone on before, eh? Well, let us see what they write about.”

Teleki's was the first letter which Emeric perused; he glanced through it rapidly, as if it had no very great claim upon his attention. When he came to that part of it where he was told to look after Flora, he paused for a little. ”Well, I can easily overtake her,” he thought, and he took the second letter, which was subscribed with the name of Helen. Twice he perused it, and then he returned to it a third time, and his face grew visibly redder. Involuntarily he sighed as he thrust the letter into his breast pocket just above his heart, and looked sadly in front of him, as if he were listening to the beating of his own heart.

Then he broke open the third letter.

It contained an engagement ring, nothing else. That was all--not a single accompanying word or letter.

For an instant Emeric held it in his hand in blank amazement; his steed stopped also. For some minutes his face was pale and his head hung down.

But in another instant he was again upright in his saddle, and he exclaimed in a voice loud enough to be heard afar:

”Well, it's not coming off then, so much the better!”

Then he threw away the envelope in which the ring had been, and drawing out the letter which he had thrust into his bosom, he put the ring into it and then returned it to his bosom; then, with a glowing face, he turned his horse's head and, in the best of humours, called to his soldier: ”We will not go to Transylvania. Back to Mehadia!”

CHAPTER IV.

AFFAIRS OF STATE.