Part 63 (1/2)
”For G.o.d's sake, tell me what _has_ happened?” cried he, as he rushed into the room.
”My dear Akos.h.!.+” cried Mrs. Ershebet, taking his hand, ”we are lost. Our name is dishonoured. My husband is accused of murder. They are going to take him to the county gaol.”
”And I am the cause of my father's ruin!” cried Vilma. ”Save him, Akosh; if you ever loved me, save him!” And the wretched girl fell fainting to the ground.
They took her away. The notary looked after them in silence; and, turning to Vandory, said: ”Be a father to them when I am gone!”
Rety, the sheriff, though deeply moved, was a silent spectator of this scene; for the cold politeness with which Tengelyi deprecated his interference whenever he attempted to advocate his cause, prevented him from expressing his sympathy. He now came up to the notary and a.s.sured him, with a trembling voice, that, come what might, he would use the whole of his influence to extricate his former friend from his present painful position.
”I thank you, sir,” said Tengelyi, coldly, as he turned to the speaker.
”I must confess I was not aware that we were still honoured by your presence under my roof. I thought you had accompanied Mr. Skinner; for, as I take it, the transaction which excited your interest is now over.
Everything is in the best order, and the crime, it appears, is fully brought home to me.”
”Tengelyi,” said the sheriff, with deep emotion, ”do not treat me unjustly. What brought me to this house, was my wish to a.s.sist you by my presence, and to induce Skinner to treat you with kindness and moderation.”
”If that was your intention,” retorted Tengelyi, ”it would have been wise not to have used your influence for the election to that post of a man whom the presence of his chief does not prevent from abusing the powers of his office.”
The sheriff was confused.
”I will not argue that point with you,” said he; ”but what I wish to a.s.sure you of is, that, however circ.u.mstances may speak against you, I still am convinced of your innocence. I a.s.sure you, you can rely upon me!”
”Sir!” said the notary, ”there was a time when I did place my trust in my friends; but they have since been kind enough to convince me that friends.h.i.+p is far too pure and lofty to descend to this poor world of ours, I shall shortly be called upon to appear before my judges; and if you, sir, think you have strength enough to forget the friends.h.i.+p which you have hitherto shown me, it will give me pleasure to see you on the bench. Pardon me, if I leave you, I have but two hours to myself, and I wish to spend them with my wife and daughter.”
And, bowing low to the sheriff, Tengelyi seized Vandory's hand and led him from the room. Rety sighed, and left the house.
CHAP. III.
The notary's position was critical, his future doubtful, and his separation from his family painful in proportion. Tengelyi wanted all his strength of mind to speak words of consolation and hope to his weeping family. The despair of his daughter in particular filled his heart with the deepest, bitterest grief.
”Do not weep, dear girl!” said he, embracing poor Vilma, whose pallid face showed more than her tears what agonies she felt. ”You know your father is innocent. Things will clear up, and I shall be allowed to return to you. Won't you be my good, happy girl, when I come back!”
”Oh, father!” cried Vilma, ”to think that you should go to prison, to be confined with those wicked people though but for a day, though but for an hour! And to think that I am the cause of it, dear father, it drives me mad!”
”You, my daughter? What makes you think that your confession of Viola having been hid in the house can do any thing to make my case worse than it is?”
”Father!” said she, sadly, ”don't talk to me in that way! I am undeserving of your love. Will they not say you were aware of Viola's being in the house, and that you wished to deny it? And even if this were not so, are not all our misfortunes owing to our having taken in Susi and her children? And that was _my_ doing!”
”And since _that_ is the cause of your misfortune,” interposed Vandory, ”I am sure G.o.d will not abandon you in your trials. His ways are indeed unaccountable; but I never heard of a good action having led a man to utter ruin!”
Tengelyi sighed, but Vilma felt comforted; and even Mrs. Ershebet's sobs ceased when the curate told her that this unjust accusation was possibly the means to defeat their enemies, and to lead to the recovery of the doc.u.ments. The notary added to the comfort of his wife by a.s.suring her that his incarceration was not likely to continue for any length of time, and that Vandory would be their friend and adviser during his absence.
Again Mrs. Ershebet entreated him to allow her and Vilma to accompany him to Dustbury; but the notary felt that he wanted all his strength for the moment in which he must cross the threshold of the prison; and, with Vandory's a.s.sistance, he prevailed upon his wife to desist, at least for the present.
”If my captivity were indeed to be of long duration,” said he, ”I would of course send for you. But in the first days I must devote myself exclusively to an examination of my position, and of my means of defence. Volgyeshy is an honest man. I intend to retain him as my counsel; and Akosh, I know, will find means of informing me how you are going on. Where is Akosh?”
Mrs. Ershebet replied, that he had left the room with the sheriff; and Tengelyi turned to arrange his papers and books, when the young man entered. He looked excited, and his eyes showed traces of tears.
”Have you spoken to your father?” cried Mrs. Ershebet.