LEAVE-TAKING.
Every one in the castle retired to rest early except Rudolf, who
remained up for a long time. The fire burnt cosily on the hearth, and
there he sat before the fire till past midnight, reflecting on the past
and on the future. To speak of his thoughts would be treachery. There
are secrets which are better left at the bottom of men's hearts.
Towards midnight a great hubbub arose in the castle, and servants began
rushing up and down stairs. Rudolf, who was still half dressed, went out
into the corridor, and came face to face with old Paul.
"What is the matter?" said he.
The old servant would have spoken, but his lips were sealed; he shivered
convulsively, like one who would fain cry and cannot. At last he came
out with it, and there were tears on his cheek and in his eyes--
"He is dead!"
"Impossible!" cried Rudolf; and he hastened to the Squire's bedroom.
There lay the Nabob with closed eyes, his hands folded across his
breast, in front of him his wife's portrait that he might gaze upon it
to the last. That countenance looked so venerable after death, it seemed
to have been purified from all disturbing passions, only the old
ancestral dignity was visible in every feature.
He had died so quietly that even the faithful old servant, who slept in
the same room with him, had not been aware of it: only when, struck by
the extraordinary stillness, he had gone to see if his master wanted
anything, did he perceive that he was dead.
Rudolf at once sent for the doctor, although one glance at the quiet
face assured him that there was no need of doctors here.
By the time everything was ready for the funeral--for indeed everything
necessary therefor was already at hand in the bedroom, the coffin, the
pall, the escutcheons, the torches--he had no longer had that fear of a
coffin which he had felt on his birthday. Everything was done as he had
planned it.
They attired him in his wedding garments, and so placed him in the
coffin. They sent for the very same youths who had sung the dirges over
his wife so sweetly, and they sang the selfsame hymns for the dead over
his coffin likewise.
The news of his death had spread all over the county, and the courtyard
of Kárpátfalva was thronged once more with the bizarre mob which had
filled it before on that day of rejoicing, except that sad faces came
now instead of merry ones. Not one of his old acquaintances remained
away; every one hastened to see him once more, and every one said that
they could not recognize him, so greatly had death changed him.
A tremendous crowd followed the coffin to the grave. The most eminent
men in the kingdom carried torches before it, the most distinguished
ladies in the land were among the mourners that followed after it.
Custom demanded that the heir, the eldest son, should accompany his
father's coffin. But as the heir was only six months old, he had to be
carried, and it was Lady Szentirmay who carried him in her bosom. And
every one who saw it maintained that she embraced and protected the
child as tenderly as if she were really its mother.
Happy child!
The good old Nabob was committed to his last resting-place by the
selfsame priest who had spoken such consolatory words over the body of
his wife. There was much weeping, but the one who wept the most was the
priest himself, who ought to have comforted the others.
Then they lowered him down into those silent mansions where the dead
have their habitation, and they laid him by the side of his departed
wife as he had desired. The last hymns sounded so ghostly down in the
vault there as the wailing chant ascended up through the earth, even
those who wept made haste to depart from thence and get into the light
of day once more. And the heavy iron door clanged thunderously on its
hinges behind them.
And the Nabob? Ah, now he is happy indeed, happy for evermore!
THE END.
LIST OF THE HUNGARIAN WORDS USED IN THIS VERSION.
ALFÖLD, the great Hungarian plain.
ATTILA, the short, fringed pelisse of the Hungarian national
costume.
BÁCSI, uncle, a term of familiarity between a young and an old man.
BETYÁR, a vagabond, a loafer.
BUNDA, a mantle.
CSÁRDA, a country inn.
CSIKÓS, a guard or keeper of horses in the steppe.
CSIZMA, a boot
EGRI, a red wine of the claret kind produced near Eger.
ÉLJEN, _vivat!_ hurrah!
FOISPÁN, a lord-lieutenant.
FOKOS, a hand-axe.
FRISS-MAGYAR, an Hungarian country-dance.
GUBA, a shaggy mantle of coarse wool.
GULYÁS, a herdsman.
GUNYA, a peasant's jacket.
HEGYALJA, the Tokay district.
KACZAGÁNY, a fur over-mantle.
KALPAG, the Hungarian tall fur cap, mostly plumed, part of the
national costume.
KANTUS, a short under-garment.
KÖNTÖS, a gown, or robe.
MÉNES, a stud of horses.
MENTE, a short fur pelisse.
MESZELY, a white Hungarian wine.
PÁLINKA, Hungarian brandy.
PRIMÁS, the conductor of a gipsy band.
_PUSZTA_, the wilderness, a wide-spreading heath.
SZILVORIUM, a spirit made from plums.
[Transcriber's Note: Several typographical errors in the original
edition have been corrected. The following sentences are as they
originally appeared, with corrections noted in brackets.]
Chapter III
There was a pipe in Master Jack's [Jock's] mouth, and he was
engaged at that moment in filling it with tobacco.
Chapter VIII
Where is he now--the unknown, the unnameable, the unforgetable
[unforgettable] ideal?
Chapter IX
Abellino was constantly attended by a spy in the service of the
genial banker, who had immediately hastened to acquaint his
principals in Paris with the latest tidings from Kárpáthfálva
[Kárpátfalva], notably of what had happened on the night of Squire
John's birthday.
Chapter X
Kárpáthy inquired after his friend Rudolf, Lady Flora's husband,
expressing the hope that he would not forget his promise to honour
Kárpáthfalva [Kárpátfalva] with his presence on the occasion of the
entertainment that was coming off there in honour of the young
bride.
Chapter XI
I have tried it, and never known it to fail.["]
"And now comes Count Sarosdy [Sárosdy], the _foispán._
Chapter XII
Mr. Malnay [Málnay] dreamt of parties
Chapter XXI
I have got them together as rapidly as I could, and they are all
honest fellows.["]
Chapter XXII
Ah, now he is happy indeed[,] happy for evermore!
Glossary
FÖISPÁN [FOISPÁN], a lord-lieutenant.