Part 19 (1/2)

”Why not,” replied the judge, ”if our poverty would permit? not that we long for dyed cloth and morocco.”

”It is not allowed; the states of the country have forbidden the peasants to wear clothes fitting their masters.”

Now came the fifth question:

”Who were the people who acted contrary to the decision of the states that the peasants should exterminate the sparrows, and mocked those who were appointed to collect the sparrows' heads?”

The judge advanced humbly toward the Lieutenant:

”Believe me, my great and good lord, on account of the drought the sparrows have all left the country. Say to the Prince that we have not been able to find one single one all summer long.”

”That is a lie,” said Clement.

”It is just as I say,” persisted the judge, seizing Clement by the hand and skilfully pressing into it two silver groschen.

”It is not impossible,” said the Lieutenant, appeased. ”Finally, answer this question: Has any one of you seen wandering about in this region, foreign animals, beasts of prey from other countries?”

”Yes, indeed, my lord, we have seen them in great numbers.”

”And what kind of animals were they?” asked Clement, in joyful curiosity.

”Why, dog-headed Tartars”--

”You fool! I am not asking for them. I wish to know whether in your wanderings through the forest you have not seen a foreign, four-footed beast of prey with striped skin.”

The judge shook his head incredulously, looked at his people and answered with a shrug of his shoulders:

”We have seen no such strange animal. It may be that Sanga-moarta has seen it, for he is forever wandering through the woods and ravines in his foolish way.”

”Who is this Sanga-moarta? Summon him.”

”Ah, my lord, he is hard to find; he rarely comes into the village.

His mother may be here.”

”Here she is! Here she is,” cried several peasants, and pushed forward an old woman with sunken features, whose head was wound round several times with a white cloth.

”What kind of a foolish name[2] have you given your son?” asked the Lieutenant of her. ”Whoever heard of giving a human being the name dead-man's-blood?”

[Footnote 2: That name is the Hungarian for dead man's blood.

(Transcriber's Note: The footnote is incorrect. ”Sanga-moarta” is not Hungarian, but rather Romanian.)]

”I did not give him this name, my lord,” said the old woman, with quavering voice. ”The people of the village call him that because no one has ever seen him laugh. He never talks to anybody, and if you speak to him he does not answer. He did not weep when his father died and he never cared for any girl. He is always wandering about in the woods.”

”All right, old woman, that does not concern me.”

”I know, my lord, it does not concern you; but you must hear that the handsomest girl in the village, the beautiful Floriza, fell in love with my son. There is not a more beautiful girl in all the country round! Such black eyes, such long black braids, such rosy cheeks, such a slender figure! There was not the like far and wide. Then too, she was so industrious and loved my son so. She had sixteen s.h.i.+fts in her outfit, that she herself had spun and woven, and she wore a necklace of two hundred silver pieces and twenty gold guldens--Sanga-moarta never looked at the girl. When Floriza made him wreaths he would not put them around his hat. When she gave him kerchiefs he would not fasten them to his b.u.t.tonhole. No matter what beautiful songs the girl sang as he pa.s.sed her door, Sanga-moarta never stopped. Yet she loved him. Often she would say to him when they met on the street;--'You never come to see me. I suppose you would not look at me if I should die,' and Sanga-moarta would say:--'Yes, I should.' 'Then I will die soon,' the maiden would say sorrowfully. 'I will come to see you then,' Sanga-moarta would answer, and pa.s.s on. Are you tired of the story, my good lord? it is almost done. The beautiful Floriza is dead.

Her heart was broken. There she lies on her bier. Before the house are the branches of mourning. When Sanga-moarta sees this and learns that Floriza is dead he will come out of the woods to look at his dead love as he promised, for he always keeps his word. Then you can talk with him.”