"If we were down there together--you and I--we should not have to stop long there; some one with her prayers would very soon win our release."
Count Vavel suddenly beat his palm against his forehead, and exclaimed:
"I never once thought of her! Wait, my brave Henry. I will return immediately. I cannot allow you to have a priest, but I will bring an angel to your bedside."
He hastened to Marie"s apartments.
"You have been weeping?" she exclaimed, looking up into his tear-stained eyes with deep concern.
"Yes, Marie; we are going to lose our poor old Henry."
"Oh, my G.o.d! How entirely alone we shall be then!"
"Will you come with me to his bedside? The sight of you will cheer his last moments."
"Yes, yes; come quickly."
A wonderful light brightened Henry"s face when he saw his young mistress. She moved softly to the head of his bed, and with her delicate fingers gently stroked the cheeks of the trusty old servant.
He closed his eyes and sighed when her hand touched his face.
"Is he smiling?" whispered Marie to Ludwig, gazing with compa.s.sionate awe on the distorted countenance. Then she bent over him and said:
"Henry--my good Henry, would you like me to pray with you?"
She knelt beside the bed and in a feeling tone repeated the beautiful prayer which the good Pere Lacordaire composed for those who journey to the other world, pausing from time to time to let the dying man repeat the words after her.
Henry"s tongue became heavier and heavier as he repeated, with visible effort, the soul-inspiring words.
Then Marie repeated the Lord"s Prayer. Even Ludwig could not do otherwise than bend his knee upon the chair by which he stood, and bow his skeptical head, while the innocent maid and his dying servant prayed together.
When Marie rose from her knees, the painful smile had vanished from Henry"s lips; his face was calm and peaceful; the distortion had disappeared from his countenance.
After Henry"s death, life for the occupants of the Nameless Castle became still more uncomfortable. Ludwig Vavel had lost his only friend--the only one who had shared his cares and his confidences. He was obliged to hire a servant to a.s.sist Lisette, and, remembering what Henry had advised, took the old soldier with the wooden leg into the castle. For the old invalid, the change from hard labor to comfortable quarters and easy work was certainly an improvement. Instead of cutting wood all day long for a mere pittance, he had now nothing to do but brush clothes which were never dusty, polish the furniture, receive the supplies from and deliver orders to Frau Schmidt every morning, to place the newspapers on the library table, and convey the victuals from the kitchen to the dining-room.
But two weeks of this easy work and good wages, and the comforts of the castle, were all that the old soldier could endure. Then he took off his handsome livery, and begged to be allowed to return to his former life of hardship and poverty. Afterward he was heard to aver that not for the whole castle would he consent to live in it an entire year--where not one word was spoken all day long; even the cook never opened her lips.
No, he could not stand it; he would rather, a hundred times over, cut wood for five groats the day.
No sooner did Baroness Katharina learn that Count Vavel was again without a man-servant than she sent to the castle Satan Laczi"s son, who was then twelve years old, and a useful lad.
Two leading ideas now filled Count Vavel"s entire soul.
One was an enthusiastic admiration for a high ideal, whose embodiment he believed he had found in the lovely person of his young charge. All the emotions that a man of deep and profound nature lavishes on his faithful love, his only offspring, his queen, his guardian saint, Count Ludwig now bestowed on this one woman, who endured with patience, renounced with meekness, forgave and loved with her whole heart, and who, even in her banishment, adored her native land which had repulsed and cruelly persecuted her.
The second idea encompa.s.sed all the emotions of an opposing pa.s.sion: a boundless hatred for the giant who, with strides that covered kingdoms and empires, was marching over the entire eastern hemisphere, marking his every step with graves and human skeletons; an enmity toward the t.i.tan who was using thrones as footstools, and who had made himself a G.o.d over a greater portion of Europe,
Count Vavel was not the only one who cherished a hatred of this sort; it was felt all over Europe. What was happening in those days could be learned only through the English newspapers. Liberty of speech was prohibited throughout the entire continent. Only an indiscreet correspondent would trust his secret to the post; and Ludwig Vavel only by the exercise of extreme caution could learn from his banker in Holland what was necessary for him to know. Through this medium he learned of the general discontent with the methods of the all-powerful one. He learned of the plans of the Philadelphia Club, which counted among its members renowned officers in the army of France. He heard that a number of distinguished Frenchmen had offered their services and swords to the foreign imperial army against their own hated emperor. He heard of the dissatisfied murmuring among the French people against the frightful waste of human life, the never-ending intrigues, the approaching shadows of the coalition.
All this he heard there in the Nameless Castle, while he waited for his watchword, ready when it came to reply: "Here!"
And while he waited he interested himself also in what was going on in the land in which he sojourned. He had two sources for acquiring information on this subject--Herr Mercatoris in Fertoszeg, and the young attorney, who was now living in Pest. The count corresponded with both gentlemen,--personally he had never spoken to the pastor, and but once to his attorney,--and from their letters learned what was going on in that portion of the world in the vicinity of the Nameless Castle.
However, as there was a wide difference between the characters of his two correspondents, the count was often puzzled to which of them he should give credence. The pastor, who was a student and a philosopher, and a defender of the existing state of affairs, affirmed that there was not on the face of the globe a more contented and peace-loving folk than the Hungarians. The young lawyer, on the other hand, a.s.serted that the existing system was all wrong; that general dissatisfaction prevailed throughout Hungary. His irony did not spare the great ones who swayed the destiny of the country. In a word, resentment against oppression, and discontent, might be read in every line of his epistles.
Count Vavel was rather inclined to believe that the younger man expressed the temper of the nation. In reality, however, it was only the discontent of a small social body, which found quite enough room for its meetings in the sleeping-chamber of one of the sympathizers. Within this circ.u.mscribed s.p.a.ce, and amid a lively interchange of opinions, originated many a daring project that was never carried beyond the threshold of the hall of meeting.
Ludwig Vavel, on reading the young man"s letters, had come to the conclusion that Hungary awaited his (Vavel"s) enemy as its liberator.
The Diet, it is true, had authorized the "recruit contingent," but the recruits were not taken from those who were inspired with love for the fatherland, and who would do battle for an idea. The enlisted men were chiefly homeless wanderers. This "cannon-fodder" would go into battle without enthusiasm, would perform what was required of them like obedient machines.
Of what good would be such a crew against a host that had called into being a great national consciousness, a host that was made up of the best force of a vigorous people, a host whose every member was proud of his ensign with its eagle, and who held himself superior to every other soldier in the world?
Vavel well knew that the giant of the century could be conquered only by heroes and patriots. A hireling crew could not enter the field against him.
CHAPTER II
When a sacrifice is demanded by one"s fatherland, it becomes the duty of every true patriot to offer himself as the victim.
Consequently, Herr Vice-palatine Bernat Gorombolyi von Dravakeresztur did not hesitate to immolate himself on the sacrificial altar when his attention was directed by his superior to Section 1 of Article II. in the laws enacted by the Diet in the year 1808. Said clause required the vice-palatine to call in person on those "high and mighty persons" who, instead of appearing with their horses at the _l.u.s.trations_,--according to Section 17 of Article III.,--preferred to send the fine of fifty marks for non-attendance.
Among these absentees from the county meetings was Count Ludwig Vavel.
The Vice-palatine"s task was to teach these refractories, through patriotic reasoning, to amend their ways. The sacrifice attendant upon the performance of this duty was that Herr Bernat would be obliged, during his official visit to the Nameless Castle, to abstain from smoking.
But duty is duty, and he decided to do it. He preceded his call at the castle by a letter to Count Vavel, in which he explained, with satisfaction to himself, the cause of his hasty retreat on the occasion of his former visit, and also announced his projected official attendance upon the Herr Count on the following day.
He arrived at the castle in due time; and Count Vavel, who wished to make amends for his former rudeness to so important a personage, greeted him with great cordiality.
"The Herr Count has been ill, I understand?" began Herr Bernat, when greetings had been exchanged.
"I have not been ill--at least, not to my knowledge," smilingly responded the count.
"Indeed? I fancied you must be ill because you did not attend the l.u.s.trations, but sent the fine instead."
"May I ask if many persons attended the meeting?" asked Count Vavel.
"Quite a number of the lesser magnates were present; the more important n.o.bles were conspicuous by their absence. I attributed this failure to appear at the l.u.s.trations to Section I of Article III. of the militia law, which prohibits the n.o.ble militiaman from wearing gold or silver ornamentation on his uniform. This inhibition, you must know, is intended to prevent emulation in splendor of decoration among our own people, and also to restrain the rapacity of the enemy."
"Then you imagine, Herr Vice-palatine, that I do not attend the meetings because I am not permitted to wear gold b.u.t.tons and cords on my coat?"
smilingly queried the count.
"I confess I cannot think of any other reason, Herr Count."