Part 25 (1/2)

”By the Lord, Leo!” she said, with a little forced laugh, ”you have given me the creeps, looking as you do. How dare you frighten me like that? With your clenched hands, too, as if you wanted to murder me.

There, now, don't be such a silly fool. You have got a long journey before you; it's no use making yourself sick with jealousy just before you go.”

”I am not going on a journey,” he said, in a toneless, even voice, which seemed to come from a grave.

”Not going?” she said, with a frown of puzzlement. ”You were going to Fiume to meet your brother, don't you remember? The s.h.i.+p he is on is due in the day after to-morrow. If you don't start to-night you won't be able to catch the express at Budapesth to-morrow.”

”I know all that,” he said, in the same dull, monotonous tone; ”I am not going, that's all.”

”But . . .”

”I have changed my mind. Your father is going away. I must watch over you to see that no one molests you. Thieves might want to break in . . .

one never knows . . . anyhow, my brother can look after himself . . . I stay to look after you.”

For a moment or two she stood quite still, her senses strained to grasp the meaning, the purport of the present situation--this madman on the watch outside--the young Count, key in hand, swaggering up to the back door at ten o'clock, when most folk would be at supper in the barn, her father gone, the village street wrapped in darkness!

Leopold, by a violent and sudden effort, had regained mastery over the muscles of his face and hands, these no longer twitched now, and he answered her look of mute inquiry with one of well-feigned quietude.

Only his breath he could not control, it pa.s.sed through his throat with a stertorous sound, and every now and then he had to pa.s.s his tongue over his dry, cracked lips.

Thus they stood for a moment eye to eye; and what she read in his glance caused a nameless fear to strike at her heart and to paralyse her will. But the next instant she had recovered her presence of mind. With quick, febrile movements she had already taken off her ap.r.o.n and with her hands smoothed her unruly dark hair. Then she made for the door.

Less than a second and already he had guessed her purpose: before she could reach the door he had his back against it and his nervy fingers had grasped her wrist.

”Where are you going?”

”Out,” she said curtly.

”What for?”

”That's none of your business.”

”What for?” he reiterated hoa.r.s.ely.

”Let go my wrist,” she exclaimed, ”you are hurting me.”

”I'll hurt you worse,” he cried, in a broken voice, ”if you cross this threshold to-night.”

But he released her wrist, and she, wrathful, indignant, terrified, retreated to the other end of the room.

”Go out by the back door,” he sneered, ”if you want to go out. You have the key, haven't you?”

”My father . . .” she began.

”Yes!” he said. ”Go and tell your father that I, Leopold Hirsch, your affianced husband, am browbeating you--making a scene, what?--because you have made an a.s.signation with my lord the young Count, here--at night--under your father's roof--under the roof of a child of Israel!

You! An a.s.signation with a dirty Christian! . . . Bah! Go and tell your father that! And he will thrash you to within an inch of your life! We are Jews, he and I, and hold the honour of our women sacred--more sacred than their life!”

”Don't be a fool, Leopold,” she cried, feeling that indeed, between her father and this madman, her life had ceased to be safe. She looked round her helplessly. Three or four besotted fools lying helpless across the tables, and all the village dancing and making merry some two hundred metres away, her father--implacable, as she well knew, where her conduct was concerned--and this madman ready to kill to satisfy his l.u.s.t of vengeance and of hate--she felt that indeed, unless Heaven performed a miracle, here was the beginning of an awful, an irredeemable tragedy.

”Leopold, don't be a fool,” she reiterated, trying with all her might not to appear frightened or scared or confused. ”I have promised Kapus Elsa to go to her dance for half an hour. I had forgotten all about it.