Part 20 (1/2)
But Kalman was not the man to be either cajoled or intimidated; and old Kishlaky himself would have been at a loss to say whether he wept tears of joy or of sorrow when his generous son exclaimed:
”What alliances? what do I care for engagements? they are nothing to the duty which I owe to every honest man and to myself! I cannot, and I will not, allow anybody to be treated with injustice, if I can help it!”
”But, _domine spectabilis_, I must humbly implore you to consider that this is the council-house!” groaned Shaskay.
”Thank you for reminding me of it I!” roared Kalman. ”This house--yes!
it was built for the maintenance of public order and safety, and it is here that honest men are in danger of being knocked down. Men come here to seek justice, but, confound you all! they don't find it. We look for judges and find cudgels. G.o.d knows, to look at you all, one would fancy that this place is a robbers' den!”
”D--n him, he abuses us!” cried a leader of the Cortes. ”He attacks the n.o.bility. Actio! Actio!” And the crowd roared, ”Actio! Actio!”
”Actio? Very well, you wors.h.i.+pful gentlemen!” sneered Kalman; ”make it an action if you please, and put it on record that it is enough in the county of Takshony for such a fellow”--here he pointed at Mr.
Skinner--”to calumniate an honest man, to rob the latter of all his rights.” And flinging his ring on the table, he took Tengelyi's arm.
”Come along, dear sir. I myself will drive you to Tissaret. I promise you I will bring you back before the day is over.”
The n.o.ble mob groaned, and Slatzanek said to Kishlaki, ”If Mr. Kalman is not elected, you will not accuse us, I am sure.” Old Kishlaki sighed.
CHAP. XI.
The notary's house was now indeed the abode of care and sorrow. Young Rety's wound was not dangerous, for only his arm was hurt; and at his own entreaty, and with Vandory's consent, he had that very night been removed to the Castle: but the theft, Vilma's state of excitement and despondency, and the consciousness of having disobeyed her husband's orders in receiving Akosh in her house,--all this plunged Mrs. Ershebet into the lowest depth of misery and remorse. The whole place was in confusion. Vilma had gone to bed; and the servants ran to and fro, scared and gossiping. Mother Liptaka was scarcely able to reply to and send away the crowd of curious inquirers who entered the house, thus adding to its confused and cheerless aspect. Vandory was the only friend the family had; and it was owing to his gentle persuasion that Vilma became gradually calmer, and that even Mrs. Ershebet mustered up some courage against her husband's return. Vandory had been sent for immediately after the accident, and he had not left the house since. He examined the safe, and ascertained the loss of his own papers and of most of Tengelyi's. He knew, therefore, the extent of his loss; but his pious confidence, and his firm conviction that G.o.d will not abandon the righteous, imparted itself to those who surrounded him, and s.h.i.+elded poor Ershebet from despair.
”She is asleep,” said she, entering the room in which Vandory sat; ”the poor girl is asleep. Oh, G.o.d! what will Jonas say when he sees her looking so pale! When he left us she was fresh and blooming; and now----”
”Vilma will be all right before Tengelyi comes home. Akosh has given orders that none of the people of the house are to go to Dustbury; you need not expect your husband until the election is over.”
”Oh, I am miserable! I am ruined!”
”Now pray be calm, my dear Mrs. Ershebet,” said Vandory, taking her hands. ”Rety's wound is not dangerous; and the loss of the papers is not so serious a matter as you seem to think. They will be restored.”
”Perhaps; but my husband's confidence--will that, too, be restored? I have lost his love, his respect--in short, I am ruined! How often did he not intreat me, 'Pray do not allow Akosh to come to our house! Do not allow him to speak to Vilma,--the girl's peace of mind and her honour are at stake!' And I promised to--but I did not obey!”
”It is a sad case; but I know Tengelyi is kind; he will pardon you: I know he will. And do not be concerned about your daughter's reputation.
Vilma and Akosh are betrothed. Who knows but that his wound will be of use to him? for neither the Retys nor Jonas can oppose the marriage after this.”
”Oh, these Retys!” sobbed Mrs. Ershebet.
”These Retys! dearest Mrs. Ershebet. I am afraid you take them to be worse than they really are. Rety is weak, but good and kind; and his wife----can there be any _woman_ who would not, after such an event, urge her son to act the part of an honest man?”
”And to consider,” said Mrs. Ershebet, ”that it is Viola who did all this to us, and that we took pity on his wife and children when no one else would pity them!”
”I have my doubts whether it was Viola.”
”There can be no doubt. When the Jew recovered, he told us that, pa.s.sing our house on his way to his home, he saw our gate open; and, knowing that my husband was at Dustbury, he thought that something must be wrong; he entered for the purpose of inquiring whether my husband had come back. At that very moment Viola left the room with his booty; and, meeting the Jew, he knocked him down. The smith, who went in pursuit of the robber, tells me the man whom he saw was Tzifra, one of Viola's men: and the Liptaka, too, has confessed that Viola was in the village, and even in her house.--There can be no doubt.--Besides, you may ask the Jew, who is still suffering from Viola's violence.”
”The Jew is a liar!” said a female voice in the room. Mrs. Ershebet and Vandory turned round, and saw Viola's wife, Susi, who had entered during the latter part of their conversation. ”Ay,” continued Susi, ”it is I who say it. Viola did not steal in this house; he'd never do it, though he were to live for a hundred years!”
”Thank G.o.d that it is so!” said Vandory, who was loth to lose his faith in his fellow-creatures. He was happy to see the effect which Susi's words produced on Mrs. Ershebet.
”Trust me, so it is!” cried Susi. ”Viola is a poor, ruined man, driven from house and home, hunted from place to place like a wild beast; but I know that he has not done this. Cut him to pieces!--tear his heart out!--you will never find him ungrateful!”