When Herr Bernat Görömbölyi, in his character of emissary, arrived at
the manor, he proceeded at once to state his errand:
"My lovely sister Katinka, I am come a-wooing--as this nosegay on my
breast indicates. I ask your hand for a brave, handsome, and young
cavalier."
"Thank you very much for the honor, my dear Bernat bácsi, but I intend
to remain faithful to my vow never to marry."
"Then you send me out of your house with a mitten, Katinka hugom?"
"I should prefer to detain you as a welcome guest."
"Thanks; but I cannot stop to-day. I am invited to a betrothal feast
over at the Nameless Castle. The count intends to wed in a few weeks."
He had been watching, while speaking, the effect of this announcement on
the lovely face before him.
Baroness Katharina, however, acted as if nothing interested her so much
as the letter she was embroidering with gold thread on a red streamer
for a militia flag.
"The count is in a hurry," continued Herr Bernat, "for he may have to
ride at the head of a company of militia to the war in less than three
weeks."
Here the cruel needle thrust its point into the fair worker's rosy
finger.
Herr Bernat smiled roguishly; and said:
"Would n't you like to hear the name of the bride, my pretty sister
Katinka?"
"If it is no secret," was the indifferent response.
"It is no secret for me, and I am allowed to repeat it. The charming
lady Count Vavel intends to wed is--Katharina Landsknechtsschild!"
The baroness suddenly dropped her embroidery, sprang to her feet, and
surveyed the smiling emissary with her brows drawn into a frown.
"It is quite true," continued Herr Bernat. "Count Vavel sent me here to
beg you to answer the words he spoke to you on an eventful occasion. Do
you remember them?"
The lady's countenance did not brighten as she replied:
"Yes, I remember the words; but between them and my reply there is a
veil that separates the two."
"The veil has been removed."
"Ah! Then you saw the lady of the castle without her veil? Is she
pretty?"
"More than pretty!"
"And who is she? What is she to Count Vavel?"
"She is not your rival, my pretty sister Katinka; she is neither wife
nor betrothed to Count Vavel--nor yet his secret love."
"Then she must be his sister--or daughter."
"No; she is neither sister nor daughter."
"Then what is she? Not a servant?"
"No; she is his mistress."
"His mistress?"
"Yes, his mistress--as my queen is my mistress."
"Ah!" There was a peculiar gleam in the lovely baroness's eyes. Then she
came nearer to Herr Bernat, and asked with womanly shyness: "And you
believe the count--loves _me_?"
"That I do not know, baroness, for he did not tell me; but I think you
know that he loves you. That he deserves your love I can swear! No one
can become thoroughly acquainted with Count Vavel and not love him. I
went to the castle to ask him to join the noble militia, and he let me
see the lady about whom so much has been said. She had excellent
reasons, baroness, for veiling her lovely face, for whoever had seen her
mother's pictures would have recognized her at once. When Count Vavel
goes into battle to help defend our fatherland, he must leave the royal
maid in a mother's hands. Will you fill that office? Will you take the
desolate maid to your heart? And now, Katinka hugom, give me your answer
to the Count's words."
With sudden impulsiveness the baroness extended both hands to Herr
Bernat, and said earnestly:
"With all my heart I consent to be Count Vavel's betrothed wife!"
"And I may fly to him with this answer?"
"Yes--on condition that you take me with you."
"What, baroness? You wish to go to the castle--now?"
"Yes, now--this very moment--in these clothes! I have no one to ask what
I should or should not do, and--_he_ needs me."
When his emissary had departed, Count Vavel began to reflect whether he
had not been rather hasty. Had he done right in giving to the world his
zealously guarded secret?
But there lay the royal manifesto on the table; there was no doubting
that. The venture must be made now or never. If only d'Avoncourt were
free! How well he would know what to do in this emergency!
He seated himself at the table to write to his friends abroad; but he
could accomplish nothing; his hand trembled so that he could hardly
guide the pen. And why should he tremble? Was he afraid to hear
Katharina's answer? It is by no means a wise move for a man to make on
the same day a declaration of war and one of love.
His meditations were interrupted by Marie, who came running into his
study, laughing and clapping her hands. She snatched the pen from his
fingers, and flung it on the floor.
"She is coming! She is coming!" she cried in jubilant tones.
"Who is coming?" asked Ludwig, surveying the young girl in surprise.
"Who? Why, the lady who is to be my mother--the beautiful lady from the
manor."
"What nonsense, Marie! How can you give voice to such impossible
nonsense?"
"But the vice-palatine would not be returning to the castle in _two_
carriages!" persisted the maid. "Come and see them for yourself!"
She drew him from his chair to the window in the dining-room, where his
own eyes convinced him of the truth of Marie's announcement.
Already the two vehicles were crossing the causeway, and the baroness's
rose-colored parasol gleamed among the trees. Deeply agitated, Count
Vavel hastened to meet her.
"May I come with you?" shyly begged Marie, following him.
"I beg that you will come," was the reply; and the two, guardian and
ward, hand in hand, descended to the entrance-hall.
Baroness Katharina's countenance beamed with a magical charm--the result
of the union of opposite emotions; as when shame and courage, timidity
and daring, love and heroism, meet and are blended together in a
wonderful harmony--a miracle seen only in the magic mirror of a woman's
face.
While yet several paces distant, she held out her hand toward Count
Vavel, and, with a charming mixture of embarrassment and candor, said:
"Yes, I am."
This was her confirmation of the words Vavel had spoken in the forest in
the presence of the three dragoon officers: "She is my betrothed."
Vavel lifted the white hand to his lips. Then Katharina quickly passed
onward toward Marie, who had timidly held back.
The baroness grasped the young girl's hands in both her own, and looked
long and earnestly into the fair face lifted shyly toward her. Then she
said:
"It was not for his sake I came so precipitately. He could have waited.
They told me your heart yearned for a mother's care, and it must not be
kept waiting."
After this speech the two young women embraced. Which was the first to
sob, which kiss was the warmer, cannot be known; but that Marie was the
happier was certain. For the first time in years she was permitted to
embrace a woman and tell her she loved her. Ludwig Vavel looked with
delight on the meeting between the two, and gratefully pressed the hand
of his successful emissary.
When the two young women had sobbed out their hearts to each other, they
began to laugh and jest. Was not the mother still a girl, like the
daughter?
"You must come with me to the manor?" said Katharina, as, with arms
entwined about each other, they entered the castle. "I shall not allow
you to stop longer in this lonely place."
"I wish you would take me with you," responded Marie. "I shall be very
obedient and dutiful. If I do anything that displeases you, you must
scold me, and praise me when I do what is right."
"And I am not to be asked if I consent to this abduction of my ward?"
here smilingly interposed Count Vavel.
"Why can't you come with us?" innocently inquired Marie.
The other young woman laughed merrily.
"He may come for a brief visit; later we will let him come to stay
always." Then she added in a more serious tone: "Count Vavel, you may
rest perfectly content that your treasure will be safe with me. My house
is prepared for assault. My people are brave and well armed. There is no
possible chance of another attack from robbers like that from which you
delivered me."
"Ludwig delivered you from robbers?" repeated Marie, in astonishment.
"When? How?"
"Then he did not tell you about his adventure? What a singular man!"
Here the vice-palatine interposed with: "What is this I hear? Robbers? I
heard nothing about robbers."
"The baroness herself asked me not to speak of the affair," explained
the count.
"Yes, but I did not forbid you to tell Marie, Herr Count," responded
Katharina.
"'Baroness'--'Herr Count'?" repeated Marie, turning questioningly from
her guardian to their fair neighbor. "Why don't you call each other by
your Christian names?"
They were spared an explanation by Herr Bernat, who again observed:
"Robbers? I confess I should like to hear about this robbery?"
"I will tell you all about it," returned the baroness; "but first, I
must beg the vice-palatine not to make any arrests. For," she added,
with an enchanting smile, "had it not been for those valiant knights of
the road I should not have become acquainted with my brave Ludwig."
"That is better!" applauded Marie, hurrying her "little mother" into the
reception-room, where the wonderful story of the robbery was repeated.
And what an attentive listener was the fair young girl! Her lips were
pressed tightly together; her eyes were opened to their widest
extent--like those of a child who hears a wonderful fairy tale. Even the
vice-palatine from time to time ejaculated:
"_Darvalia_!" "_Beste karaffia_!"--which, doubtless, were the proper
terms to apply to marauding rascals.
But when the baroness came to that part of her story where Count Vavel,
with his walking-stick, put to flight the four robbers, Marie's face
glowed with pride. Surely there was not another brave man like her
Ludwig in the whole world!
"That was our first meeting," concluded Katharina laughingly, laying her
hand on that of her betrothed husband, who was leaning against the arm
of her chair.
"I should like to know why you both thought it best to keep this robbery
a secret?" remarked Herr Bernat.
"The real reason," explained Count Vavel, "was because the baroness did
not want her protégé, Satan Laczi's wife, persecuted."
"Hum! if everybody was as generous as you two, then robbery would become
a lucrative business!"
"You must remember," Katharina made haste to protest, "that all this has
been told to the matrimonial emissary, and not to the vice-palatine. On
no account are any arrests to be made!"
"I will suggest a plan to the Herr Vice-palatine," said Count Vavel.
"Grant an amnesty to the robbers; not to the four who broke into the
manor,--for they are merely common thieves,--but to Satan Laczi and his
comrades, who will cheerfully exchange their nefarious calling for the
purifying fire of the battle-field. I myself will undertake to form them
into a company of foot-soldiers."
"But how do you know that Satan Laczi and his comrades will join the
army?" inquired Herr Bernat.
"Satan Laczi told me so himself--one night here in the castle. He opened
all the doors and cupboards, while I was in the observatory, and waited
for me in my study."
It was the ladies' turn now to exhibit the liveliest interest. Each
seized a hand of the speaker, and listened attentively to his
description of the robber's midnight visit to the castle.
"Good!" was Herr Bernat's comment, when the count had concluded. "An
amnesty shall be granted to Satan Laczi and his crew if they will submit
themselves to the Herr Count's military discipline."