Part 32 (1/2)
”We are taking counsel,” answered Teleki, firmly.
”You are taking counsel?” asked Anna, approaching nearer to the table.
”At the same time we would put to your Grace the question, who gave you the right to disturb us when we are making decisions about the most important affairs of the country?” continued Teleki, in a hard tone of voice.
”You are making decisions about the most important affairs of the country,” replied Madame Apafi, slowly repeating Teleki's words, while she looked at him sharply; then suddenly she broke out in a resonant voice,--”and that over your wine cups! You consult about the fate of the country while the man at its head is intoxicated, so that you may bring all to confusion.”
Teleki sprang from his seat and turned to the Prince.
”May it please your Majesty to dismiss us? Evidently a domestic scene is in progress.”
”Anna,” cried Apafi, red with shame and the glow of the wine, ”leave this hall this instant. It is our order and from this day on for a week do not appear again before our eyes.”
”Very well, Apafi. I have nothing more to say to you for you are not in your senses. But to you, my Lord High Counsellor, who are always sober, I have a word to say:--I raised you from the dust; I helped you to your present position; in grat.i.tude for this you have forced yourself between my heart and the Prince's so that whenever I would approach my husband I find you in my path. You have taken the sceptre out of the Prince's hand and in its stead you have forced into his hand the headsman's sword, so that he begins to rule by that. Now let me tell you that if I am not allowed to get to the Prince's heart yet I will stand in the way of the headsman's sword. Whenever it is to fall I shall be found between the blow and the victim; and you two choice menials,--barons--you Szekeli and you Nalaczy who cannot yourselves tell now how you so suddenly became great lords, remember that the wheel goes down as often as up and that the judgment which to-day you pa.s.s against others by to-morrow may be carried out against yourselves. And the rest of you intriguing lords, who get courage for your timid hearts out of the wine cups, remember, and shudder at the thought, that in the b.u.mpers in your hands not wine, but the blood of the innocent, foams. Shame on you all, that you give your Prince wine that you may demand of him blood! And now, your Highness, add two weeks more to my term of exile.”
With these words the Princess quickly left the hall. The lords were silent and dared not look at each other. Teleki rose, closed the door, dipped his quill and said:
”Let us continue from where we left off.”
CHAPTER XVII
DEATH FOR A KISS
Paul Beldi took the direct route from Karlsburg to Bodola. All the way he was tormented by the thought which Teleki's words had called up again. In itself a kiss is a very innocent matter but if another knows of it, has noticed it?--if this should be only one pole of the world of distrust about which the soul revolves bringing up now this, now that, which might have happened before and after,--and then too another knows of it?--The husband thought that a kiss n.o.body knew about caused no defect in his wife's virtue--but now it lived on the lips of others; perhaps still more; perhaps the world was dragging his honor in the dust while he supposed it well guarded, and the first sound of the derision to him so deadly had just reached his ear, and that too from his most hated foe. . . .
Night interrupted his thoughts. The horses were tired out, Beldi had given them no rest, had had no fresh relays,--only on and on. He wished to get home as quickly as possible--to have under his eyes that wife who had cost him such disgrace--who knows how much!-- But is it sufficient satisfaction to see a woman weep or die when a man still lives on whom he might take revenge?--a man too who had been his enemy from the time when they had both served as pages of Gabriel Bethlen and who now sought out the most sensitive spot in his heart to tear it with his ruthless hand.
”Turn about!” he shouted to the driver. ”Take the road to Klausenburg.”
The old servant shook his head, turned into a side road and soon lost the road so completely in this wandering by night that he was at last obliged to confess to his master that he did not know himself where they were. Beldi trembled with inward emotion. Looking about him he saw not far off a light, and quite out of temper he bade the coachman drive toward it. They drove into the courtyard of a lonely country house. The barking of the great house-dog brought out the master, in whom Beldi recognized old Adam Gyergyai one of his dearest friends who, as he recognized Beldi, hurried forward to embrace him, beside himself with joy.
”Good-evening, my dear friend,” said the good old man, covering his guest with kisses:--”I do not ask what good fortune has brought you to me.”
”To tell the truth, I have lost my way. I was on my way to Klausenburg. I shall go on this very night, and with your permission leave my horses here to rest.”
”What have you to do there that is so pressing?”
”I must carry some news,” said Beldi, evasively.
”If that is all, why need you hasten so? You can certainly trust it to a letter and one of my servants on horse shall carry it at once to the place while you stay here.”
”You are right,” said Beldi, after some consideration;--”it will be better for me to manage the matter by letter.” So he asked for writing materials, sat down and wrote Banfy. Writing usually brings a certain soberness to one's thoughts, so this letter was in quite a moderate tone. He informed Banfy that he summoned him to Szamos-Ujvar to adjust an affair of honor. With that Beldi sealed the letter and intrusted it to Gyergyai with the request that he be so kind as to send it.
”So you are writing to Banfy, my good friend,” said the old man, looking at the address of the letter. ”You could have talked with him a little while ago. What have you two to arrange with each other that is so urgent?”
”You remember, my friend,” replied Beldi, ”that you saw me once in the lists with Banfy, at the time of the tournament when George Rakoczi was the master?”
”Oh yes, you had overcome all other contestants but could do nothing against each other.”
”On that occasion you said that you would like to see which one of us would carry off the victory in a real engagement.”