Teleki advanced toward the Emir with an earnest, dignified expression, looked him fixedly in the eye, and said firmly:
"Your lord is indeed the ruler of Tartary, and my lord the Prince of Transylvania, and his Majesty, the Sultan is one lord of us all. Know then that his Majesty the Sultan did not make your lord Khan of Tartary to dwell at Vienna, nor did he set Michael Apafi on the throne of Transylvania to support your lord. Go back to your land and do not come here any more to wonder that a town burned down by you one year is not built up the next. We will take care that the houses are rebuilt and also that the bastions are made high enough to keep you off. If you have any desire to pay us a visit in Klausenburg we will take care that you do not have your trouble for nothing, and shall know how to greet you from afar with our good cannon."
The Emir fumed with rage; his eyes were bloodshot, his hand felt for his dagger and he stammered out:
"If a slave should make such a speech in the presence of my lord he would have his head cut off at once."
Apafi now touched Teleki on the shoulder and said:
"Good, Teleki! you spoke like a man."
The Emir turned on his heel and hurried out of the room, shaking his fist.
This scene put Apafi into a good humor, especially toward Teleki. The minister read this in the Prince"s face and took advantage of it at once. Taking one of the bystanders by the hand he brought him up to Apafi and introduced him in these words:
"My future son-in law, your Excellency."
An introduction under any other t.i.tle would probably have been evaded by Apafi, but in this form it was impossible not to accept it. He found himself compelled to look at the young man. He was a fine-looking, slender youth and had no trace of a beard. With his feminine features the only sign of the man was his independent bearing. Apafi was pleased with him.
"What is the name of your son-in-law?" he asked Teleki.
The latter answered with a peculiar smile:
"Emerich Tokoli, son of Stephen Tokoli."
At mention of this name Apafi grew serious and said:
"Your father was a good friend of mine." But he did not offer him his hand.
"I know that," replied the young man, "and for that reason I sought your Highness."
"If only he had not been such a disturber of the peace. It is well that you have not followed his counsel. I remember well the contest between the defeated and half-crazed David Zolyomi. Both had married daughters of Bethlen, who had received as dowry in common the castle of Bajda-Hunyad; one had one-half, and one the other; after the two men had taken counsel together they gathered their servants in their respective castle-yards, began battle and shot at each other from the opposite windows; both had a great love for war. Your father was in battle just before his death. In the very hour of death he needed the thunder of cannon and the tumult of the siege. It is well that you are not like him. You look gentle."
"That is praise undeserved," said Tokoli, proudly. "I too was in the stormed castle and defended it until my father fell."
Apafi heard this with displeasure. However he wished to show interest in the youth and so after a pause he asked:
"And how did you happen to save yourself?"
At that Emerich turned red and did not answer at once.
Teleki told the truth as if excusing the youthful fire of the young man.
"He is so young that in woman"s clothes he easily escaped the notice of the besiegers."
This amusing explanation put Apafi in good humor again. He stroked the bright red cheeks of the boy and motioned to Teleki to introduce the rest of the men. They were all of them Hungarian fugitives. The Prince exerted himself to meet them kindly. Just then an official entered and announced,
"His Excellency, the amba.s.sador of France wishes to be admitted."
Evident confusion came over Apafi. He drew Teleki to him and whispered in his ear,
"I will not, I cannot receive him. Go out and speak with him and explain the matter to him."
Apafi slipped quickly out of the reception-room, rejoiced that this time he had rolled off the burden on Teleki. However he stood and listened at the door thinking that there might be some sudden outbreak after his back was turned. And something did happen, though not of a character to make one"s hair stand on end. The amba.s.sador uttered a jovial laugh, and with that all in the room burst out laughing as if at a word of command.
"Something strange must have happened," thought Apafi, "to force these men to such offensive laughter," and he opened the door part way. But he could not fully open the door, for the learned Pa.s.sai, renowned for his gravity, had fallen into such a fit of laughter that he leaned against the door of the private office.
"Let me in, Pa.s.sai," said the curious Prince; and when the door was opened the cause of the general laughter became clear. The worthy minister stood in the middle of the room clad in Hungarian costume.
You cannot imagine anything more comical! the good man, aside from the fact that he was quite stout, was smooth-shaven and wore always a friendly smile; but this unusual costume gave him an appearance so ridiculous that only a Hungarian can appreciate it. Everybody knows that the Magyar costume for men shows the figure very plainly. Then too the worthy Frenchman moved about so helplessly in his tight hose and spurred boots that it seemed as if he might lose his footing any moment. He had forgotten to put on his scarf, which added to the comical effect of his costume, his long curled wig, making him look for all the world like a lion, and his round hat with a long heron"s feather completed his droll appearance. Apafi saw no reason why he should not join in the laughter.
With the French ease in mingling jest and earnest the amba.s.sador tripped up to him and said,
"Your Highness, you have so many times refused me admittance that the idea occurred to me that perhaps I did not come in appropriate costume, and as your Highness sees, results have proved the wisdom of the idea for now that I have approached you in Hungarian costume I have been so fortunate as to see you."
"Parbleu!" replied Apafi, with difficulty, suppressing his desire to laugh. "I am always glad to see you. The only condition I impose is that politics shall not enter into our conversations. But you have no sash, and without the sash the Hungarian costume is as incomplete as the French costume without culottes."
Saying this the Prince took a jeweled sash and himself fastened it about the figure of the amba.s.sador.
"And what does this mean? who told you to stick your handkerchief in your trousers? only a haiduk does that, a n.o.bleman puts his in his calpac. But what a fine handkerchief that is of yours!"
"Is it not a beauty?"
"It is, indeed, with its silk wreaths and gold and silver embroidery around the hem. Paris alone can furnish the like."
"But the truth is it was made in Transylvania."
"Incredible!"
"And what is more in Ebesfalva."
Apafi looked at the Reverend gentleman in astonishment.
"And I am not to know the skilful hands that busy themselves in this way!"
"Your Highness does know them. The name of the maker is in one corner of the handkerchief embroidered in beautiful Gothic letters."
Apafi looked at each corner of the handkerchief in turn; no two were embroidered alike; in one was a wreath of oak leaves, in one a trophy, in the third a Turkish, a Hungarian and a French sword fastened together with a ribbon, in the fourth under a Prince"s crown was embroidered the name Apafi.
The Prince read the name aloud. The bystanders looked at him timidly expecting an outburst of anger. To the astonishment of all a smile played over the Prince"s lips; he put the handkerchief in the Reverend gentleman"s hat, put this on the amba.s.sador"s head, and said with very good humor:
"So you have succeeded in winning over my wife?"
The minister laughed at the ambiguous joke.
"But you will not win me," added Apafi, laughing.
The minister bowed low; then held his head erect and said significantly:
"Those mightier than I will accomplish it."