Topandy interrupted kindly.
"How could I jest with G.o.d now, when I am preparing to enter his presence?"
"How could I jest with your heart?" said Lorand.
"And with a dying girl," panted Czipra.
"No, no, you will not die, you will get well again, and we shall be happy."
"You say that now when I am dying," said the girl with sad reproach.
"You tell me the whole beautiful world is thine, now, when of that world I shall have nothing but the clod of earth, which you will throw upon me."
"No, my child," said Topandy, "Lorand asked your hand of me yesterday evening, and was only awaiting his mother"s approval to tell you yourself his feelings towards you."
A quick flash of joy darted over the girl"s face, and then it darkened again.
"Why, I know," she said brushing aside her tangled curls from her face, "I know your intentions are good. You are doing with me what people do with sick children. "Get well! We"ll buy you beautiful clothes, golden toys, we"ll take you to places of amus.e.m.e.nt, for journeys--we shall be good-humored--will never annoy you:--only get well." You want to give the poor girl pleasure, to make her better, I thank you for that too."
"You will not believe me," said Lorand, "but you will believe the minister"s word. See last night I wrote a letter to mother about you: it lies sealed on my writing-table. Reverend sir, be so kind as to open and read it before her. She will believe you if you tell her we are not cajoling her."
The minister opened the letter, while Czipra, holding Lorand"s hand, listened with rapt attention to the words that were read:
"MY DEAR MOTHER:
"After the many sorrows and pains I have continuously caused throughout my life to the tenderest of mothers" hearts, to-day I can send you news of joy.
"I am about to marry.
"I am taking to wife one who has loved me as a poor, nameless, homeless youth, for myself alone, and whom I love for her faithful heart, her soul pure as tried gold, still better than she loves me.
"My darling has neither rank nor wealth: her parents were gypsies.
"I shall not laud her to you in poetic phrases: these I do not understand. I can only feel, but not express my feelings.
"No other letter of recommendation can be required of you, save that I love her.
"Our love has. .h.i.therto only caused both of us pain: now I desire happiness for both of us.
"Your blessing will make the cup of this happiness full.
"You are good. You love me, you rejoice in my joy.
"You know me. You know what lessons life has taught me.
"You know that Fate always ordained wisely and providentially for me.
"No miracle is needed to make you, my mother, the best of mothers, who love me so, and are calm and peaceful in G.o.d, clasp together those hands of blessing which from my earliest days you have never taken off my head.
"Include in your prayer, beside my name, the name of my faithful darling, Czipra, too.
"I believe in your blessing as in every word of my religion, as in the forgiveness of sins, as in the world to come.
"But if you are not what G.o.d made you,--quiet and loving, a mother always ready to give her blessing with the halo of eternal love round your brow,--if you are cold, quick to anger, a woman of vengeance, proud of the coronet of a family blazon, one who wishes herself to rule Fate, and if the curses of such a merciless lady burden the girl whom I love, then so much the worse, I shall take her to wife with her dowry of curses--for I love her.
"... G.o.d intercede between our hearts.
"Your loving son, "LORAND."
As the minister read, Czipra at each sentence pressed Lorand"s hand closer to her heart. She could neither speak nor weep: it was more than her spirit could bear. Every line, every phrase opened a Paradise before her, full of gladness of the other world: her soul"s idol loved her: loved her for love"s sake: loved her for herself: loved her because she made him happy: raised her to his own level: was not ashamed of her wretched origin: could understand a heart"s sensitiveness: commended her name to his mother"s prayers: and was ready to maintain his love amidst his mother"s curses.
A heart cannot bear such glory!
She did not care about anything now: about her wound: about life, or death: she felt only that glow of health which coursed through every sinew of her body and possessed every thought of her soul.
"I believe!" she said in rapture, rising where she lay: and in those words was everything: everything in which people are wont to believe, from the love of G.o.d to the love of man.
She did not care about anything now. She had no thought for men"s eyes or men"s words: but, as she uttered these words, she fell suddenly on Lorand"s neck, drew him with the force of delight to her heart, and covered him with her kisses.
The wound reopened in her breast, and as the girl"s kisses covered the face of the man she loved, her blood covered his bosom.
Each time her impa.s.sioned lips kissed him, a fresh gush of blood spurted from that faithful heart, which had always been filled with thoughts of him only, which had beat only for him, which had, to save him, received the murderer"s knife:--the poor "green-robed" faithful girl.
And as she pressed her last kiss upon the lips of her darling, ... she knew already what was the meaning of eternity....
CHAPTER x.x.xI
THE BRIDAL FEAST
"Poor Czipra! I thought you would bury us all, and now it is I that must give you that one clod of earth the only gift you asked from the whole beautiful world."
Topandy himself saw after the sad arrangements.
Lorand could not speak: he was beside himself with grief.
He merely said he would like to have his darling embalmed and to take her to his family property, there to bury her.
This wish of his must be fulfilled.
It would be a sad surprise for his mother, to whom Topandy only the day before had written that her son was bringing home a new daughter-in-law.
When Lorand had asked Topandy for Czipra"s hand, he immediately wrote to Mrs. aronffy, thinking that what Lorand himself wrote to his mother would be in a proud strain. He antic.i.p.ated his nephew"s letter, told his mother quietly and restrainedly in order that Lorand"s letter might be no surprise to her.
Now he must write again to her, telling that the bride was coming, and the family vault must be ready for her reception.