Part 33 (2/2)

”What is this?” said Susi, stooping down and taking a double-barrelled gun from the ground; ”that's my husband's gun! take it, and keep it for his sake.”

”I will. Whenever I find him, he'll have his gun.”

”May G.o.d bless you for your good will!” continued Susi, ”to accompany me further would put you in danger. Peti will come with me to St. Vilmosh, for it is there, I am sure, my husband is.”

They separated. The Gulyash returned to his horses, while Susi and Peti hastened to St. Vilmosh, where the first burst of excitement at the capture of the robbers had by this time subsided. The justice and the attorney had gone to bed. The villagers who had taken part in the expedition had, some of them, retired to rest; while the others drowned their cares and the recollection of their dangers in the bad wine of the public-houses. Viola, whom they had put under the shed of the council-house, where he was guarded by a chosen body of haiduks and peasants, had fallen asleep.

The wretched man awoke to consciousness as they dragged him through the forest to St. Vilmosh; and looking round, by the fitful glare of the torches which the Pandurs carried, he became sensible of his desperate condition. His thoughts returned at once to Tengelyi's papers. When he left the burning hut, he was so confused, so blinded, so maddened, that he had no idea of what had become of them, or who had taken them from him. He questioned his escort; but those whom he asked refused to reply to his questions. One man only told him, when he left the hut, the persons next to him had been the justice and the attorney; and that one of them had indeed s.n.a.t.c.hed a parcel from his hand.

From the moment Viola found himself in the power of his enemies, he made no resistance to any thing they did to him. The violence and ill-treatment to which they subjected him elicited no complaint from his lips. When they came to St. Vilmosh, where they placed him under the shed, the justice stepped up and told them to bind him so as to wound his hands, to prevent his escape. Viola asked him what had become of the papers? But the justice replied, with many oaths, that he had no business to ask any questions; and what the devil he meant? Viola saw clearly that Mr. Skinner was prepared to deny any knowledge of the papers; or else that they must have fallen into the hands of Mr.

Catspaw, who, from his previous exertions to obtain them, was not likely to restore them to the rightful owner.

”For this then did I surrender! for this I am going to be hanged!”

sighed he, when they left him alone with his sentinels,--”why did I not stay in the hut? Why did I not shoot myself, as Ratz Andor did? All is over for them; but I must die an infamous death--and for no purpose too!

I could not save the notary's papers. G.o.d cursed me in the hour of my birth! Did I not often attempt to return to the paths of honesty? and when every means of doing so was taken away from me, did I not do all I could to prove my grat.i.tude for the only kindness that was ever shown me? Did I not do my best to help the notary? And what has come of it?

No, G.o.d will not allow me to be good and honest; and I must die on the gallows! Very well, what must be, must be! a man cannot oppose his fate!”

Thoughts like these, joined to that feeling of la.s.situde which follows extreme fatigue, restored Viola to his usual calmness; and a deep sleep buried the misfortunes of the day, for a time, in forgetfulness. Peti, who, leaving Susi at a distance from the village, proceeded alone to the council-house, found him in this condition. He was not allowed to enter the yard; for, by the express order of the justice, even the sentinels were forbidden to speak to Viola, or to reply to any of his questions.

But Peti conversed with a sentinel at the gate, whom he told that he was just come back from Dustbury. The man, in his turn, told him of the capture of Viola, and that the robber was to be brought to Kishlak, where the court-martial was to a.s.semble; and likewise, that a horseman had been sent to Dustbury to summon old Kishlaki, who was the president of the court-martial in this district. The gipsy cast a rueful look at the shed where Viola lay on the floor, and turning away, he hastened to the place where he had left Susi.

”Have you seen him?” said she, hastening to meet him when he approached.

”I have. He is in the council-house.”

”Is he _in_ the house?”

”No!--that is to say, not wholly. No--not in the house. Under the shed, you know.”

”In the open air!” cried Susi, wringing her hands. ”Oh, G.o.d! and the night is so cold; and he in the open air!”

”No! not in the open air--at least not quite. There's a roof to the shed.”

”Has he a bunda?” continued Susi. And as she spoke she stripped herself of her own wrapper. ”Tell me if he has not, for I wish to send him this.”

”Oh, but he has! He has a large bunda. He is asleep.” Susi grasped the gipsy's hand.

”Asleep? Did you say asleep? And do they see him sleeping? And you're sure they think it is sound, genuine sleep? They do not suspect him of pretending to sleep--do they?”

”But why should they suspect him of that?”

”What do they think of it? Can they not see that my husband is innocent?

Who ever heard of a criminal's sleeping? Speak, Peti--tell me--what do they say to it?”

Peti answered that he had not spoken to anybody, but that there were some hopes of Viola's escape. He added:

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