"Where is Lorand?"
Grandmother remarked my anguish.
"Leave him alone," she hinted to mother. "We are not yet in a sufficiently safe place: the driver might hear. Wait until we get home."
So I had time until we arrived home. What would happen there? How could I avoid answering their questions.
Scarcely had we returned to Master Fromm"s house, scarce had f.a.n.n.y brought us into a room which had been prepared for my parents, when my poor mother again fell upon my neck, and with melancholy gladness asked me:
"You know where Lorand is?"
How easy it would have been for me to answer "I know not!" But what should I have gained thereby? Had I done so, I could never have told her what Lorand wrote from a distance, how he greeted and kissed them a thousand times!
"I know, mother dear."
"Tell me quickly, where he is."
"He is in a safe place, mother dear," said I encouragingly, and hastened to tell all I might relate.
"Lorand is in his native land in a safe place, where he has nothing to fear: with a relation of ours, who will love and protect him."
"But when will you tell us where he is?"
"One day, soon, mother dear."
"But when? When? Why not at once? When?"
"Soon,--in ten years."--I could scarce utter the words.
Both were horrified at my utterance.
"Desi, do you wish to play some joke upon us?"
"If it were only a joke? It is true: a very heavy truth! I promised Lorand to tell neither mother nor grandmother, for ten years, where he is living."
Grandmother seemed to understand it all: she hinted with a look to f.a.n.n.y to leave us alone: she thought that I did not wish to reveal it before f.a.n.n.y.
"Don"t go f.a.n.n.y," I said to her. "Even in your absence I cannot say more than I have already said."
"Are you in your senses then?" grandmother sternly addressed me thinking harsh words might do much with me. "Do you wish to play mysteries with us: surely you don"t think we shall betray him?"
"Desi," said mother, in that quiet, sweet voice of hers. "Be good."
So, they were deceived in me. I was no longer that good child, who could be frightened by strong words, and tamed by a sweet tongue,--I had become a hard, cruel unfeeling boy:--they could not force me to confession.
"That I cannot tell you."
"Why not? Not even to us?" they asked both together.
"Why not? That I do not know myself. But not even to you can I tell it.
Lorand made me give him my word of honor, not to betray his whereabouts--not to his mother and grandmother. He said he had a great reason to ask this, and said any neglect of my promise would produce great misfortune. I gave him my word, and that word I must keep."
Poor mother fell on her knees before me, embraced me, showered kisses upon me, and begged me so to tell her where Lorand was. She called me her dear "only" son: then burst into tears: and I,--could be so cruel as to answer to her every word, "No--no--no."
I cannot describe this scene. I am incapable of reflecting thereupon. At last mother fainted, grandmother cursed me, and I left the room, and leaned against the door post.
During this indescribable scene the whole household hastened to nurse my mother, who was suffering terrible pain; then they came to me one by one, and tried in turn their powers of persuasion upon me. First of all came Mother Fromm, to beg me very kindly to say that one word that would cure my mother at once; then came Grandmother Fromm with awful threats: then Father Fromm, who endeavored to persuade me with sage reasoning, declaring that my honor would really be greatest if I should now break my word!
It was all quite useless. Surely no one knew how to beg, as my mother begged kneeling before me! No one could curse as my terrible grandmother had done, and no one knew the wickedness of my character as well as I did myself.
Let them only give me peace! I could not tell them.
Last of all f.a.n.n.y came to me: leaned upon my shoulder, and began to stroke my hair.
"Dear Desi."
I jerked my shoulder to be rid of her.
""Dear Desi," indeed!--Call me "wicked, bad, cursed Desi!"--that is what I am."
"But why?"
"Because no other name is possible. I promised because I was _obliged_ to promise: and now I am keeping my word, because I promised."
"Your poor mother says she will die, if you do not tell her where Lorand is."
"And Lorand told me he will die if I do tell her. He told me that, when I discovered his whereabouts to mother or grandmother, he will either report himself at the nearest military station, or will shoot himself, according as he feels inclined. And in our family such promises are not wont to dissolve in thin air."
"What might have been his reason for exacting such a promise from you?"
"I do not know. But I know he would not have done it without cause. I beg you to leave me."
"Wait a moment," said f.a.n.n.y, standing before me. "You said Lorand made you swear not to tell your mother or grandmother where he had gone to.
He did not forbid you to tell another?"
"Naturally not," I answered with irritated pride. "He knew all along that there has not yet been born into the world that other who could force the truth out of me with red-hot pincers."
"But that other has been born," interrupted f.a.n.n.y with wild earnestness.
"Just twelve years, eight months and five days ago."
I looked at her.
"I should tell you? is that what you think?"
I admired her audacity.
"Certainly, me. For your parole forbids you to speak only to your mother and grandmother. You can tell me: and I shall tell them. You will not have told anybody anything, and they still will know it."