Count Ludwig hurried on toward the adjoining room, whence came the faint light of a lamp. The light came from another room still farther on. It was the sleeping-chamber of the lady of the house. There were no robbers here, but on the table lay jewelry and articles of silver which had been emptied from the cases lying about the floor. In an arm-chair which stood near the bed-alcove reclined a female form, the arms and hands firmly bound with cords to the chair.
What a beautiful creature! The clinging folds of her dressing-robe revealed the perfect proportions of her figure. Her hair fell like a golden cataract to the floor. Modest blushes and joy at her deliverance made the lovely face even more enchanting when the knightly deliverer entered the room--a hero who came with a cudgel to do battle against a band of robbers, and conquered!
"I am Count Vavel," he hastened to explain, cudgel in hand, that the lady might not think him another robber and fall into a faint.
"Pray release me," in a low tone begged the lady, her cheeks crimsoning with modest shame when he bent over her to untie the cords.
The task was quickly performed; the count took a knife from his pocket and cut the cords; then he turned to look for a bell.
"Please don"t ring," hastily interposed the baroness. "Don"t rouse my people from their slumbers. The robbers are gone, and have taken nothing. You came in good time to help me."
"Did the rascals ill-treat you, baroness?"
"They only tied me to this chair; but they threatened to kill me if I refused to give them money--they were not content to take only my jewelry. I was about to give them an order to the steward, who has charge of my money, when your arrival suddenly ended the agreement we had made."
"Agreement?" repeated the count. "A pretty business, truly!"
"Pray don"t speak so loudly; I don"t want any one to be alarmed--and please go into the next room, where you will find my maid, who is also bound."
Count Vavel went into the small chamber which communicated with that of the baroness, and saw lying on the bed a woman whose hands and feet were bound; a handkerchief had been thrust into her mouth. He quickly released her from the cords and handkerchief; but she did not stir: she had evidently lost consciousness.
By this time the baroness had followed with a lighted candle. She had flung a silken shawl about her shoulders, thrust her feet into Turkish slippers, and tucked her hair underneath a becoming lace cap.
"Is she dead?" she asked, lifting an anxious glance to Ludwig"s face.
"No, she is not dead," replied the count, who was attentively scanning the unconscious woman"s face.
"What is the matter with her?" pursued the baroness, with evident distress.
The count now recognized the woman"s face. He had seen her with the lad who had been his protege, and who was now a member of the baroness"s household. It was the wife of Satan Laczi.
"No, she is not dead," he repeated; "she has only fainted."
The baroness hastily fetched her smelling-salts, and held them to the unconscious woman"s nostrils.
"Peasant women have strong const.i.tutions," observed the count. "When such a one loses consciousness a perfume like that will not restore her; she needs to be bled."
"But good heavens! What are we to do? I can"t think of sending for the doctor now! I don"t want him to hear of what has happened here to-night."
"I understand bloodletting," observed Vavel.
"You, Herr Count?"
"Yes; I have studied medicine and surgery."
"But you have no lance."
"I brought my chirurgic instruments with me."
"Then you thought you might find here some one who had fainted?"
exclaimed the baroness, wonderingly.
"Yes. I shall require the a.s.sistance of a maid to hold the woman"s arm while I perform the operation."
"I don"t want any of the servants wakened. Can"t I--help you?" she suggested hesitatingly.
"Are not you afraid of the sight of blood, baroness?"
"Of course I am; but I will endure that rather than have one of my maids see you here at this hour."
"But this one will see me when she recovers consciousness."
"Oh, I can trust this one; she will be silent."
"Then let us make an attempt."
The result of the attempt was, the fainting maid was restored to consciousness by the skilfully applied lance, while the face of the a.s.sisting lady became deathly pale. Her eyes closed, her lips became blue. Fortunately, she had a more susceptible nature than her maid. A few drops of cold water sprinkled on her face, and the smelling-salts, quickly restored her to consciousness. During these few moments her head had rested on the young man"s shoulder, her form had been supported on his arm.
"Don"t trouble any further about me," she murmured, when she opened her eyes and saw herself in Vavel"s arms; "but attend to that poor woman"; and she hastily rose from her rec.u.mbent position.
The woman was shivering with a chill--or was it the result of extreme terror? If the former, then a little medicine would soon help her; but if it was terror, there was no remedy for it.
To all questions she returned but the one answer: "Oh, my G.o.d! my G.o.d!"
The baroness and Count Vavel now returned to the outer room.
"I regret very much, baroness, that you have had an unpleasant experience like this--here in our peaceful neighborhood, where every one is so honest that you might leave your purse lying out in the court; no one would take it."
The baroness laughingly interrupted him:
"The robber adventure amused more than it frightened me. All my life I have wanted to see a real Hungarian robber, of whom the Viennese tell such wonderful tales. My wish has been gratified, and I have had a real adventure--the sort one reads in romances."
"Your romance might have had a sorrowful conclusion," responded Count Ludwig, seriously.
"Yes--if Heaven had not sent a brave deliverer to my rescue."
"You may well say Heaven sent him," smilingly returned the count; "for if there had not been an eclipse of the moon to-night, which I was observing through my telescope, and at the same time taking a look about the neighborhood, I should not have seen the masked men enter the manor."
"What!" in astonishment exclaimed the baroness; "you saw the men through a telescope? Truly, _I_ shall have to be on my guard in future! But,"
she added more seriously, lifting from the table the count"s walking-stick, toward which he had extended his hand, "before you go I want to beg a favor. Please do not mention the occurrence of this night to any one. I don"t want the authorities to make any inquiries concerning the attempted robbery."
"That favor I grant most willingly," replied Count Vavel, who had not the least desire for a legal examination which would require him to tell who he was, what he was, whence he came, and what he was doing here.
"I can tell you why I don"t want the affair known," continued the baroness. "The woman in yonder is the one of whom I wrote you some time ago--the wife of Ladislaus Satan, or, as he is called, Satan Laczi.
Should it become known that a robbery was attempted here, the villagers will say at once, "It was the wife of the robber Satan Laczi who helped the men to rob her mistress," and the poor woman will be sent back to prison."
"And do you really believe her innocent?"
"I can a.s.sure you that she knew nothing about this matter. I shall not send her away, but, as a proof that I trust her entirely, shall let her sleep in the room next to mine, and let her carry all my keys!" To emphasize her declaration, she thumped the floor vigorously with Vavel"s iron-ferruled stick.