Part 9 (2/2)
”Show him up,” promptly replied the princess, without allowing her lunch to be interrupted in the least.
The handsome young man already introduced to the reader was ushered in.
The situation in which he found the princess seemed scarcely to harmonise with his plans. It rendered exceedingly difficult any approach to the sentimental.
”Set a chair for the gentleman,” Blanka commanded her attendant, speaking, as if from forgetfulness, in Hungarian, and then correcting herself with a great show of surprise at her own carelessness.
”_Grazie!_ And now, sir, pray be seated. You will pardon me if I go on with my lunch. We can converse just the same. This man will not understand a word we say. We may consider our interview entirely private.”
Vajdar misinterpreted the situation: he thought the princess feared him, as of old, and that therefore she kept her servant in the room. This belief only added fuel to his evil pa.s.sions. He who sees himself feared gains an increased sense of power.
”I come bearing the olive-branch, Princess,” he began, in smooth accents.
At this Blanka turned suddenly to her attendant. ”That reminds me,” she exclaimed; ”Beppo, the waiter forgot my olives.”
Vajdar had taken a chair and drawn up to the table. ”The prince wishes,”
he continued, ”to keep his promise and to show you all the affectionate concern of a father toward his daughter.” He produced a roll of ma.n.u.script from his pocket. ”There are certain points in your marriage contract which must be discussed. Prince Cagliari made over to you, at the time of your union, one million silver florins. If you should gain your suit you would retain this sum in full; otherwise you would lose it all. He now offers you the following compromise. The princ.i.p.al is not to be paid into your hands, but you are to receive the interest on it, at six per cent., during your lifetime. And, more than that, one-half of the Palazzo Cagliari is placed at your disposal as a dwelling.”
The princess bowed, as if in a.s.sent, but expressed the hope that she should not be obliged to stay long in Rome.
”I think you will find it advisable to remain some time, at any rate,”
said the young man.
”But I wish to return home, to Hungary, where, as you know, I have an estate of my own.”
”That will be impossible, because the Serbs have burnt your castle to the ground.”
”Burnt it to the ground? But my steward has not informed me of this.”
”And for a very good reason: the insurgents chopped off his head on his own threshold.”
Even this intelligence could not destroy Blanka's appet.i.te. She ate her sardines with unusual relish, and Vajdar could see that she gave little credence to his words.
”Stormy times are ahead of us,” he went on, ”and I a.s.sure you this is the only safe retreat for you,--the holy city, the home of peace.”
”As is proved by the iron shutters on the windows of the Cagliari palace,” remarked Blanka. ”But tell me, if I should wish to choose my own household and my own intimates, would that liberty be allowed me?”
”Undoubtedly. Nevertheless, it would be greatly to your advantage to surround yourself with persons speaking the language of the country and familiar with its ways.”
”And if I should win my cause, and should take a fancy to marry again, could I select a husband to suit myself?”
This was too much. It was like throwing raw meat to a caged tiger.
”Without doubt,” murmured Benjamin Vajdar between his teeth, at the same time casting furious glances at the servant behind his mistress's chair.
Suddenly the princess changed her tactics. She wished to show her enemy that she dared leave her entrenchments and offer battle in the open field.
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