RESPECT FOR HALINA CLOTH
It was a singular coincidence that in the same moment that Ivan said
to himself, "How long will this game last?" Prince Waldemar, meeting
Felix Kaulmann, beaming with triumph, at the exchange, put to him the
question, "How long, do you think, will this comedy last?"
"The third act is still wanting," replied the banker.
"Yes, the third instalment. Then I shall hoist you on your own
petard."
"We will see about that."
The bears could not imagine what Kaulmann had in his head. That he had
a plan was certain; what it was no one knew but the Abbé Samuel and
Prince Theobald.
The third act was not the instalment; it was the Bondavara Railway.
This question bristled with difficulties. The government was irritated
against Hungary, and in their irritation would not listen to any
proposals as to railways and the like. Even the country party was
sulky. Let the country go to the devil; what did they care? And no
doubt they had justification for their righteous indignation. Every
Hungarian who wore "broadcloth" was against them. The body of
officials, the middle class, the intelligence of the country,
preferred to lay down place and to give up government patronage sooner
than submit to the chimeras which the cabinet at Vienna indulged in
by way of government. Good! So far as officials went, men were easily
got to fill the places the others had resigned, for when a good table
is spread, needless to say, guests are not hard to find. The hired
troop pocketed their salary, took the oath, stuffed their pockets, but
did nothing to promote the government measures. Between the men who
had resigned and the newly appointed officials there was only this
difference: that one set openly declared they would do nothing; the
others pretended to do something, but found it impossible to
accomplish anything. They tried to shove, but the cart would not move
an inch. From those who wore cloth among the middle classes the
government had to expect nothing, that was evident. Formerly those who
wore silk and satin acted as a sort of counterpoise--the high and
mighty, and the magnates, the lawyers, and the priests--but now all
these held aloof. The primate remonstrated, the bishops advised the
nobility, the higher classes collected in Pesth and talked treason.
_Flectere si nequeo superos_--
Let us turn now to the Halina cloth. Halina cloth is, as every one
knows, the commonest description of cloth, only worn by the poorer
classes. This cloth was suddenly adopted in the capital of the
Austrian empire. This was no capricious freak of fashion set in motion
by some high lady who "imagined" her elegance could give dignity to
the roughest material; this was another affair altogether, inaugurated
by the legislative body of the kingdom, who were all clothed in
Halina. Well, what has any one to say against this? Why not? Are we
not democrats? It is true that these right-minded men hardly
understood a word of the language in which the legislative debates
were carried on, but this had the inestimable advantage that they
could make no long speeches, and therefore could in no way impede the
course of business. Neither did they possess any knowledge of the laws
of nations, the rights of citizens, the complicated details of
finance, nor the construction of budgets; and this pastoral innocence
entitled them to universal respect and confidence, for it placed them
above suspicion. No one could suspect these honorable deputies of
siding with the government because they held government appointments.
We repeat that the introducer of Halina cloth to be worn by the
legislative assembly was a man of talent. But in Hungary, also, the
fashion should be adopted. Were there not one hundred and eight seats
in the legislative assembly ready for so many excellent men? These
should not be left vacant. To fill these seats, however, there was one
lever necessary, and that was the influence of the clerical party.
The clergy in Hungary were such poor creatures, so ignorant and
uneducated, that they actually preferred to remain faithful to the
traditions of Rakoczy than to adopt the new-fangled ideas promulgated
at Vienna. Even such an insignificant pastor as Herr Mahok returned
the decree which had been sent to him from headquarters, with
directions to read it on Sundays to his flock, saying that it was a
mistake; he was not the village crier. If the government wished to
issue a protocol, let it be done in the market-place, by order of the
judge of the district, and accompanied by the drum and trumpet. The
pulpit was not the place for government protocols. The like refusal
came from every pastor in Hungary, and in face of this flat rebellion
the ministers resolved that the power of the clerical party should be
broken.
"Now is the time to act," said Felix Kaulmann to the Abbé Samuel.
The primate had been in Vienna; he had been refused an audience; he
had fallen into disgrace. The Bishop of Siebenburg had been elevated
to the primate's seat, and given all its honors and dignities. The
clerical party in Hungary was doomed. Against it the sword was drawn;
the moment was approaching when it would be cut in two.
The Bondavara Railway was the _gradus ad Parnassum_. If it succeeded,
if it was worked properly, the house of Kaulmann would rank with that
of the Pereires and Strousbergs; then, also, the pontifical loan upon
the Church property in Hungary could be effected. All this with one
blow! Rank in the world, power in the country, influence in the
empire, success in the money-market, and the triumph of the Church.
The Abbé Samuel had begun his ambitious career. The first task was to
introduce the hundred and eight Hungarian wearers of Halina cloth into
the legislative body, and thus to secure the Bondavara Railway, the
title of bishop, and a seat in the House of Peers. These three things
lay in the hollow of his hand, for he had three strings ready to pull,
which would set in motion the statesman, the financier, and the
influence of woman.
* * * * *
On one Saturday Ivan, to his surprise, received a visit from Rauné,
who, in a few words, stated the matter which had brought him. The
proprietors and inhabitants of the different parts of Bondathal wished
to send a deputation to Vienna, to lay before the government and
Parliament their request that the means of communication between their
mountainous territory and the other parts of the empire should be put
on a better footing. This matter interested Ivan equally with the
rest, and therefore it would be desirable that he and his workmen
should attend the mass-meeting which would be held on the next day.
Ivan at once refused all co-operation. "We live," he said, "under
exceptional laws, which forbid political meetings. This mass-meeting
has a political object, and therefore I refuse to disobey the law."
In spite of this protest the assembly took place next day, and the
Abbé Samuel made a brilliant speech. His dignified appearance imposed
respect, his proposal was intelligible and for the general good; its
usefulness could not be gainsaid. To insure its popularity the astute
abbé took care not to introduce into his speech the hated word
"Reichstag." The resolution was carried unanimously that a deputation
of twelve men should be chosen to proceed at once to Vienna, and there
present the wishes of the people. The twelve delegates were then
chosen by the abbé, and his choice was received with loud shouts of
approbation. The Bondavara shareholders came forward with unexampled
generosity, and presented each member of the deputation not only the
price of the journey, but a cloak made of Halina cloth, a hat, and a
pair of boots. Twelve new suits! That was worth going to Vienna for.
Still, it went against the grain. A peasant is suspicious; they don't
care to crack nuts with gentlemen; they mistrust presents that most
probably will be dearly bought. If any man in a black coat had made
the proposal it would have encountered vigorous opposition, but a
priest, a distinguished priest, his advice can safely be followed;
there is nothing to be afraid of when he is at the head of the
deputation. All will go well, even although they may have to undertake
heavy responsibilities which may some day involve loss. But what
loss? Ah! time will tell. Once on a time twelve men went to Vienna,
and sold the rights of their fellow-countrymen to the devil. God knows
what might happen, only that the priest is with them; there is the
plank of safety.
Nevertheless, the twelve men had to swear, man to man, before they put
on the new suits, upon their souls, that they would deny that they
could write. They were to sign nothing, and if they were asked if such
a one in Bondathal had houses and fields, and, above all, sons, they
were not to give any answer.
The deputation started in a couple of days after the meeting, under
the guidance of the abbé. Peter Saffran went also. He had been named
one of the twelve, for he was specially wanted in Vienna.
A day or so later Ivan was cited before the military officer
commanding the district; he was accused of having acted against the
law by causing the "Reichstag" to be lowered in the eyes of the
people, of having kept the people, especially his own workmen, from
taking part in legal demonstrations, of having insulted members of the
legislature, and of having allied himself with secret societies. He
was cautioned to avoid anything of the sort in future. The next time
things would be more serious; he was at liberty to go this time
unpunished.
Ivan knew perfectly well from what quarter this denunciation had come.
To destroy his business utterly it would be necessary to place its
owner for a year in confinement; his innocence would then be
established, and he would be allowed to go scot-free. In the meantime
his property would be ruined. It was lucky for Ivan that on this
occasion the jailer's wife was ill. It would have been necessary to
remove her from the rooms which were set apart for prisoners under
suspicion, and so Ivan was allowed to go his way.
* * * * *
Ah, it was a great day when the twelve men from Bondathal, in the
twelve new suits of Halina cloth, arrived in the metropolis. Here they
are! Here are the Hungarians, the indomitable sons of the soil. A
deputation to the Reichsrath, an acknowledgment of the February
patent, the first pioneers! They deserve three times three.
All the newspapers hastened to congratulate them; the leading articles
of all political shades were full of this new and remarkable
demonstration.
The minister gave the deputation a private audience, where the abbé
set forth their demand in a well-expressed speech, laying great stress
upon the fact that it was the people themselves who wished to free
their country from its present condition, having learned to
distinguish their real benefactors from those false prophets who
wished to condemn them to a baneful and ruinous inactivity. The abbé
dwelt expressly upon the great intelligence of the men who formed the
deputation. In return his excellency the minister pressed the hand of
the abbé, and assured him that the bishopric would soon be vacant, and
that it would be his care to see that a loyal prelate should fill the
seat. His excellency then entered into conversation with the members
of the deputation, and as none of them understood a word of his
language, they were much pleased with what he said. His excellency,
having been told by the abbé that Peter Saffran was the most
distinguished of the party, took especial notice of him. He pressed
his hand, while he expressed a hope that the members of the deputation
would attend the morning sitting; places would be reserved in the
gallery--for the present in _the gallery_.
Peter promised for his fellow-members. He could speak German as well
as French; he had picked up both languages during his ship
experiences.
All this time the minister had said nothing as to the grant to the
Bondathal Railway, and that was the principal thing.
At the next sitting of the Reichsrath the front row of the gallery was
reserved for the distinguished guests. They sat in arm-chairs, leaning
their elbows on the cushions, and letting their round hats hang over
the rails.
His excellency the minister gave a discourse which lasted over an
hour. The opposition maintained that during his speech his excellency
had glanced fifty-two times at the gallery, to see the effect he was
producing upon the Hungarians. One fell asleep, and let his hat fall
into the hall. The hat fell upon one of the deputies, and awoke him
from a sweet doze.
For three days this trivial circumstance gave food to the government
papers; then it became the absolute property of the accredited wit or
fun journals, which put into the mouths of the Hungarians all manner
of things which they had never said. Never mind; those excellent men
couldn't read German, so it didn't matter. They stuck fast to their
arm-chairs in the gallery as long as the sitting lasted; they were
more comfortable than their beds.
The last evening of their stay they were taken to the theatre. Not to
the Burg Theatre--that would not do for them--but to the Treumann
Theatre, where a piece was playing suitable for them, with plenty of
fun, singing, dancing, laughing; and the great joke of all was that
the principal part was to be played by the beautiful Eveline, Frau
von Kaulmann. Will Peter Saffran recognize her?
It had not been possible to get an engagement at the Opera-house for
Eveline, for there was an Italian season running. When it finished
there would be a prospect of an engagement for her if she first
learned the routine of acting at some less important theatre, and grew
accustomed to the footlights. Therefore, she played _en amateur_ on
the boards of the Treumann Theatre. Her natural gifts and her
extraordinary beauty caused a sensation. The _jeunesse dorée_ went mad
over this new favorite of the hour. The piece which was played in
honor of the peasants was one of Offenbach's frivolous operas, in
which the ladies appear in the very scantiest of costumes. The noble
portion of the audience enjoy these displays more than do the poorer;
it did not, at all events, amuse the simple folk in Halina cloth. The
ballet, with the lightly clothed nymphs, their coquettish movements,
their seductive smiles, their bold display of limbs, and their short
petticoats, was not to the taste of the Bondavara miners. It was true
that the girls in the coal-pit wore no petticoats to speak of, but
then they were working. Who thought anything of that? Chivalry belongs
to the peasant as much as to the gentleman; the former indeed practise
the motto, "Honi soit qui mal y pense" more than do their
better-educated superiors. But now as Eveline entered they felt
ashamed. She came on as a fairy or goddess, concealed in gold-colored
clouds; the clouds were, however, transparent. Peter glowed with rage
to think all the world could penetrate this slight transparency; he
burned with jealous fury as Eveline smiled, coquetted, cast glances
here, there, and was stared at through a hundred opera-glasses. Peter
forgot that this was only a stage, and that the fairies who played
their parts upon it for an hour or so were many of them most virtuous
women, excellent wives and daughters; for what happens on the stage is
only play, not actuality. The former bridegroom did not reason in this
wise. You see, he was an uneducated peasant in coarse Halina cloth,
and his ignorant mind was filled with horror, disgust, rage. That she
should allow herself to be kissed, to be made love to--shame! No, my
good Peter, it was no shame, but a great honor. Out of the boxes
bouquets and wreaths fell on the stage; there was hardly a place where
she could put her feet; it was all flowers. The house resounded with
applause. This was not shame, but honor--certainly not of the same
kind that would be offered to a saint or a good woman; it was more the
worship offered to an idol, and most women like to be worshipped as
idols.
Peter told himself all the sex are alike, and comforted himself with
the thought that not one of his companions would recognize Eveline.
But Peter took a sore heart back to his inn.
In the hall he met the abbé, and asked him, "When are we going back?"
"Are you weary of Vienna, Peter?"
"I am."
"Have a little patience. To-morrow we must pay a visit to a charming
lady."
"What have we to do with charming ladies?"
"Don't ask the why or the wherefore. If we want to attain our end we
must leave no means untried. We must beg this lady to interest herself
for us. One word from her to his excellency the minister will do more
than if we said a whole litany."
"Very good; then we had better see her."