Part 10 (1/2)
”You can make your mind easy about that,” I said, a little drily. ”I saw the attack and that he escaped.”
”He is so brave. He would have risked his life for me.”
”I saw him--get away, dear,” I replied. I nearly said run away; but could not yet undeceive her.
”If anything had happened to him, it would have killed me. I would rather have died than that.” Then with a change of manner she asked: ”Did you see his face, Christabel?”
”Yes, in the moonlight, but he pa.s.sed me quickly.”
”But you saw he was handsome?”
”One of the handsomest men I have ever seen,” I a.s.sented, to please her.
”Yes, yes. That is just it, and as good as he is handsome.”
”I could not see that, of course,” I answered; and then was silent. I was growing very anxious as I saw the problem widening and deepening.
Poor trustful little soul! How should I ever break the truth to her and not break her heart at the same time?
There was a long pause, which she broke. ”Oh, how I hope he has really escaped, as you say.”
”How came you to be where I saw you?” I asked. This reminded her, as I intended, that she had told me nothing yet.
”I said I was selfish, Christabel, didn't I? I had quite forgotten I had told you nothing. I will tell you: but you must first give me a promise not to repeat it. Our marriage is only a secret so far, you know.”
”On my honour, I will do nothing to harm you. Why is your marriage a secret?”
”My husband is afraid of his father's anger. You see, Karl--”
”Karl?” I exclaimed, involuntarily.
”That is my husband's name,” she replied, with a touch of rebuke and pride. He had taken his brother's Christian name, it seemed.
”Of course,” I agreed.
”My husband is a Count, but as yet only a poor one, dependent upon the good will of his father who wishes him to marry some one else. So we dare not let it be known yet that we are married.”
”But your own friends know?” I said.
She seemed to resent this in some way as a reflection upon her husband.
”I have no friends in Pesth except my dear father. He is alive and I know he loves me; but I don't know why, I have never lived at home for more than a week or so at a time. I did wish to tell him; but Karl would not let me--I mean, we decided it was better not until the truth could be told to all.” Then she showed me her innocent heart again.
”It is when I think of my father that I am so wretched. He will believe I have deserted him so cruelly;” and her eyes were full of tears again.
”Who is your father, dear?”
”Colonel Katona. My dear, dear father!” and her grief so overcame her that my fresh start of surprise pa.s.sed unnoticed. He had been that friend of my father's who was believed to hold the secret of the great wrong in his keeping. And it was his daughter whom I had thus saved.
Her tears pa.s.sed soon, like a summer storm. She was a creature of strangely variable moods.
”I know, of course, that Karl was right. My father is a stern, gloomy and sometimes hard man. He would have forced us to announce the marriage; and then Karl would have been ruined.”