THE PRINCESS
After the battle of Nagy-Szöllös John Kemény's faithful followers fled
to Hungary and transferred their allegiance from the fallen one to his
son Simon Kemény. But his sinking fortunes had few friends, and while
the faction of the younger Kemény grew daily less, Apafi's gained from
day to day. By his triumph he won over the best and most distinguished
of the town, the judges, nobility, commanders of the fortresses, in
short everybody hurried to do him homage. The State in a body
recognized him as Prince. Only a few places where Kemény had left
German garrisons, still resisted, among these Klausenburg. Kutschuk
Pasha brought Apafi with a strong force under the walls of this town.
He had a tent pitched for him in sight of the old town in Hidele. At
that time it was a place of thatched huts, and there the new Prince
received deputations. By early dawn Apafi was fairly besieged by the
hosts of visitors and place-seekers. At first the newly-chosen Prince,
carried away by the novelty of his agreeable position, was able to
fulfil the wishes of everybody and refused hardly a request. As soon
as Nalaczy and Daczo learned that he had his boots on, they were with
him and announced great crowds of people outside the tent eager for
entrance. Apafi made haste to dress that no one need wait. He could
hardly expect to satisfy everybody. Among the throng was Ladislaus
Csaki; he came to offer the Prince as page the same son who had filled
Kemény's glass a few weeks before. Apafi could hardly express his
pleasure at this offer. Then came Gabriel Haller who bowed countless
times and in the name of his two companions made an elaborate speech
to Apafi. Apafi could scarcely conceal his childish pleasure in being
called Excellency, a title used in Transylvania only for great
princes. He invited Gabriel Haller at once to dine with him. At the
back of the tent a raised seat had been placed, which the modest
Prince positively would not accept until his brother Stephen had
forcibly set him there. He received everybody standing and accompanied
each one to the door when he went. Then they came singly to present
themselves, make requests of the Prince, or swear allegiance.
At the Prince's side stood Nalaczy, Daroczy, Stephen Apafi and John
Cserei, who repeatedly urged the Prince to sit down. The oaths of
allegiance were received, the commanders of the citadels laid their
keys in the Prince's hand and then followed visits.
First came Martin Pok, the jailer at Fogara, with the humble request
that he should be made captain of this stronghold instead of the
foreign incumbent who had fled with Simon Kemény. Apafi promised to
remember him. John Szasz came next, supreme judge in Hermanstadt, to
make complaint that his fellow citizens had persecuted him and beg the
Prince for help. Apafi took him under his protection. Then followed
Moses Zagoni who begged that the Prince would most graciously set him
free from certain taxes imposed by Kemény and still in arrears. He too
went away comforted by Apafi.
Last of all came before the Prince, a Szekler of the mountains, in
short peasant coat and jacket of fur, who, he said, came sent from
Olahfalu to bring Apafi the oath of allegiance in the name of his
people, and to make his strange requests: first, that Olahfalu should
be permitted to be only two miles distant from Klausenburg (the actual
distance between the two places was more than twenty); secondly, that
there should be a law enacted that if a man had not a horse he should
go on foot.
The Prince received these strange requests with laughter. They seemed
to put him in extremely good spirits and the young student, Clement,
sought to take advantage of this. He was a crooked-nosed, high-cheeked
youth, wrapped to the chin in a foxskin, who knelt before Apafi and
handed him a roll of parchment that with the aid of his friends Apafi
took and unrolled. Within, he found a green leaved tree showing the
complete genealogy of his family. In this document he was connected
with the Bethlens and Bathorys, taken back to King Aba and on the way
connected with Huba, one of the seven leaders of the Magyars. But the
good man did not rest even here; the lineage extended even to Csaba,
youngest son of Attila. On the mother's side it went still further to
the daughter of the Emperor Porphyrogeneta, and on the father's side
to Nimrod the first king on earth. This flattery seemed to annoy Apafi
somewhat, but he had not sufficient decision to order the flatterer
out of the tent. He rolled up the genealogy, put it behind him and
undertook to satisfy the impertinent poet with a few ducats. But that
did not disturb the Prince's good-humor in the very least. It seemed
as if he must express especial thanks to each man for approaching him,
and show him the obligation that he felt; and after he had received
and listened to the various suppliants, as if this were all too
little, he turned to Nalaczy and Daczo with the question, "Is there
nothing that I can do for you? What reward shall I make you for the
fidelity with which you have stood by me from the first?"
Nalaczy and Daczo had for some time been puzzling their minds as to
what request they might make that should not be too small.
"I leave the reward of my trifling services to the generosity of your
Excellency," said Nalaczy, thinking that without doubt the Szeklers
would now receive a new captain instead of Beldi.
"The little that I have done for your Excellency does not now deserve
mention," said Daczo, but it occurred to him that the position of
Captain of the train bands at Klausenburg, left vacant by Banfy's
flight, would be an appropriate one.
Apafi was well-disposed toward them and perhaps might have made these
excellent but useless people his privy counsellors, but to their great
misfortune, at that very moment there was a tumult at the entrance to
the tent. When the guard drew back the curtain Kutschuk Pasha entered.
The Prince sprang from his seat and would have hurried to him, but his
brother Stephen pulled his coat and whispered in his ear:--
"Maintain your dignity in the presence of the Turk; he is only a
subordinate Pasha while you are Prince of Transylvania."
In spite of the warning Apafi was not satisfied until Kutschuk made
him a sign to be seated, and although the Turk remained standing
before the Prince, the impression on the bystanders was that Apafi
appeared amiable and grateful and Kutschuk haughty and dignified.
"How can I thank you for your exertions in my behalf?" Apafi asked
the Pasha, with true feeling.
"Not to me, but to the Sultan have you cause to be grateful," the
other replied, drily. "I was only following out his wishes when I
placed you on the throne of Transylvania. Your enemies, with God's
help, I have laid low, except for a few strongholds still in their
possession; as soon as these are won my task is at an end. The rest is
my affair. To-morrow I march to the siege of Klausenburg and shall not
rest until the city is taken at any cost; when that stronghold has
fallen the rest will go of their own accord."
"Then in your judgment it is not necessary that I should order the
country troops to horse?" said Apafi.
"I do not need them," replied Kutschuk. "Let them stay at home and
look after their own affairs. My troops will do it all."
Apafi was going to thank the Pasha for his generosity, when he
suddenly became aware that the eyes of all were turned toward a side
entrance of the tent, where somebody had entered without announcement.
The Prince looked in that direction, and what he saw caused him to
forget for the moment Transylvania, Kutschuk Pasha and Klausenburg.
There before him stood his wife, the beautiful and stately Anna
Bornemissa.
Her look was indeed princely. How well this imperious countenance
knew how to maintain a friendly and yet proud gaze! No adornment was
noticeable in her costume, but was there any need of precious stones
where such speaking eyes gleamed? Did this royal figure need velvet
and ermine to be recognized? Apafi saw her to-day for the first time
since his departure. She was as beautiful as ever. Accustomed now to
good fortune and comfort, her features had gained a transparent gleam;
her eyes, long unfilled with sorrow, were brighter than ever; the
smile of her lips that had known such joy only a short time, was all
the sweeter, and her figure formerly slight had now gained in
roundness. The gracious dignity of her figure and movements suited her
well.
When Apafi caught sight of his wife he forgot all propriety and
dignity, hurried toward her, seized her hand, drew his trembling wife
to him, as was his wont when a plain nobleman, and kissed her mouth
and cheeks in a way plainly audible to the assembled states. Anna
nestled into the embrace of her husband, offered her beautiful lips to
his kisses, and at the same time her great serious eyes, over her
husband's shoulder, seemed to be searching the faces of those
assembled in the tent, resting a longer or shorter time on each
individual. The embrace seemed on Apafi's part to have no end, until
Anna with a smile freed herself and said:
"You are lavishing all your effusions on me alone; there is some one
else here who claims his share."
She motioned to her maid, Sarah, who with smiling countenance had
followed her mistress into the tent, and now disclosed to Apafi's eyes
a beautiful sleeping child that, covered with a silken wrap, the maid
had lulled in her arms.
Beside himself with joy, Apafi took the child in his arms and kissed
the round angel-face again and again. The child woke up, endured the
kisses and embraces without a cry, and tugged at his father's beard,
to the unspeakable joy of his parents.
The men standing about thought it fitting to congratulate the Prince
on his paternal joy.
Apafi turned to them and said:--"Do you see how serious he is? he does
not cry, because he is a man."
Anna beckoned Stephen Apafi to her and whispered to him:--"I trust the
gentlemen will not be annoyed if family joys and cares withdraw the
Prince from public affairs for a few minutes."
"Your ladyship has taken the words out of my mouth," replied Stephen.
"I was just on the point of speaking to them."
With that he turned to those present and begged them to leave the
Prince to himself for the few moments claimed by family ties, and to
withdraw to the adjoining tent. The gentlemen considered the request
natural and left the tent, Kutschuk Pasha leading.
Anna took the child from her husband's hands, gave it over to Sarah
and sent them away.
When they were alone Apafi approached his wife with new expressions of
tenderness. She took her husband by the hand, looked him earnestly in
the eye, and said:
"It is to the Prince that I have come."
This earnest look cooled Apafi a little, which did not escape Anna's
notice, and she drew toward him again affectionately.
"It seemed to me probable that the Prince might need me more than the
husband," and then she added with her irresistible smile, "I hope you
will not misunderstand my intentions in this."
Apafi put his arm around his wife and drew her to him. The throne was
quite wide enough for both.
"You are right. It is well you have come. There is always something
lacking when I cannot see you. You certainly deserve to come nearest
my heart; I am not in the least afraid to lay your mind in the balance
with any man in the circle."
"Who are all these men?" asked Anna.
"You shall know them by their names. The tall, slender man is
Ladislaus Csaki who has just offered me his son for a page."
"No time lost there. It is only a short time since the boy was serving
Kemény."
Apafi's face darkened a little.
"The man with the heavy moustache is Gabriel Haller."
Anna clapped her hands with surprise.
"Is that he?"
"What fault have you to find with him?"
"That he has always served your enemies as a spy. He brought Kemény
the first news of your coronation, and he was the one who announced
the approach of Kutschuk Pasha."
Apafi's face grew darker still.
"And I have invited the man to dine," he muttered between his teeth.
"What do Nalaczy and Daczo wish, that they are here on so friendly a
footing?"
"They are my faithful partisans who have been on my side from the
beginning."
"Do not for that reason give them the first positions in the land. In
a large sphere of activity, simple, ignorant men do more harm than
sensible antagonists. Reward them, but only in proportion to their
work."
"That I will," said the distressed Prince, and strove in every way
possible to make the rôle of husband prominent throughout the rest of
the scene, but Anna did not stop.
"What is John Szasz trying to get from you? I saw him too."
"The poor fellow is being persecuted," replied Apafi, curtly, for he
began to weary of this fault-finding.
"There are bad reports in circulation about this man. It is said, and
plainly, too, that he carried off a young girl from Saxony, and when
he had wearied of her had her poisoned. The parents have begun a
prosecution and he sees no safety except in winning your favor by
flattery."
Apafi started up furious. "If that is true I will show Szasz the door;
he shall not find protection with me."
"And for what purpose is the noble ragged Szekler here, I should like
to know? His face seemed to me to indicate subtlety, for the Szekler
is never so sly and dangerous as when he looks simple."
At this question the Prince was overcome with merriment. Fairly
choking with laughter, he said, "He was the deputy of the people of
Olahfalu."
At the mention of this name Anna too could hardly repress a smile.
"Poor people, all sorts of untrue stories are told of them; their
minds work strangely."
"You understand everybody perfectly. Now explain the meaning of the
demand which the Szekler has made of me. He begged for two things. In
the first place that the distance between Olahfalu and Klausenburg
from this time on should be considered only two miles."
"Oh, the sly simpleton," said Anna. "They already have the privilege
of offering their lumber for sale at a distance of two miles and now
their purpose is to open a market for themselves in Klausenburg as
well."
"You are quite right," replied Apafi, convinced. "Now their second
request seems somewhat suspicious to me, although it had nothing to do
with their public affairs. They wished it to be established by law
that anybody who had not a horse should go on foot."
"I understand," said Apafi's wife, after short reflection, "Olahfalu
has recently been made a post-town, and on this ground the couriers,
as they pass through, often demand horses. The good people are weary
of the burden and for that reason wished a new law which should
enforce going on foot for the couriers."
Apafi stamped angrily with his foot.
"The villain, to allow himself such a jest. You will see how I shall
pay him for that. But it is time to admit the gentlemen again."
"One word more, Apafi," said Anna, with a winning glance, throwing her
arms around her husband's neck. "I noticed Kutschuk Pasha among those
waiting. I suppose he came to take leave."
Apafi drew back startled.
"On no account to take leave. Surely you understand that we are here
to take Klausenburg by storm? This depends on Kutschuk Pasha."
"Michael," said his wife, entreatingly, and laid her hands on his
shoulders;--"will you allow Klausenburg to be taken by the Turks? do
you forget that the Ottomans have never of their own accord given back
a Hungarian stronghold once taken by them? do you not remember that
Klausenburg is the capital of your country and that those within its
walls are your own people, of your country and of your faith? will you
expose them to the rage of assailants? they who might otherwise be
your friends are pagans and foreigners, whom you cannot allow to
prevail against your own people. Did not your heart sink when you saw
the walls of Klausenburg? could you look at these dwellings, these
towers, without remembering that they are the homes of your people,
the churches of your God into which the besiegers would throw their
firebrands? Could you look at these walls without seeing on them
mothers huddled together with their young children in their arms,
crying out to you that within dwelt your own people, an innocent,
true-hearted folk? and could you make your entry into the capital city
of your own country over the fallen bodies of these women and
children?"
Apafi stood up, his forehead bathed in perspiration. In his confused
expression were traces of involuntary repentance.
"No indeed, Anna, no indeed! do not think me so heartless. I who could
never withstand a woman's tears, could I be insensible to the sorrow
of an entire people? but what can I do? I had intended to call out the
troops of the country, to invest the city and to compel the garrison
to yield; but what could I do with Kutschuk Pasha? he is determined to
take the city by storm at once, and I can find no valid reason to
bring against it."
"Be calm. All those in command of Turkish troops now in Transylvania
have received firmans ordering them to join the army of the
General-in-chief at Neuhaüsel as soon as possible. Kutschuk has
doubtless received a firman of this character."
"I did not know that. Is that the reason he has been in such a hurry
to storm the town?"
"You too will receive such an order from the Turkish Council of State.
Under the pretext that this order has already come it will be an easy
matter to prevail on the Pasha to abandon the siege of Klausenburg."
"I will try it, Anna. I will do it," replied Apafi, pacing back and
forth in the tent. "I owe it to my people. Better abandon those walls
than force my way through with fire and sword."
"You must not do that either," answered his clever wife. "There are
ways and means of getting possession of the stronghold beside taking
it by storm."
Apafi stood still and looked at his wife inquiringly. She drew him to
her and whispered as follows: "Before you reached the walls of
Klausenburg, I commissioned Raldi and several other of our faithful
followers to try to win the garrison over to our side; this morning
our spies brought me word that the infantry are so won over to us by
promises and the force of circumstances that at the first sound of the
drum from here they are ready to open the gates and give themselves up
to you, bag and baggage. The cavalry alone cannot then offer further
resistance."
Apafi in amazement said, "You certainly were created for a prince."
Anna took her husband gently by the arm, led him to the throne and
made him take his seat.
"The sceptre is no toy, Apafi," she said, earnestly. "Never forget
that posterity and eternity sit in judgment on princes. Every deed and
every word of a ruler may mean safety or destruction to millions.
Therefore consider everything that you say or do. Now I am going. Be
firm."
Anna kissed her husband on the brow and as she did so her glance fell
on the roll of parchment of the traveling student.
"What kind of campaign plan is this?" she asked, taking up the
parchment.
Annoyed, Apafi tried to take it from her hand, but he was too late.
Anna had unrolled it and as she looked at the tuft-hunting pedigree,
cast a reproachful glance at the prince who stood before her with
downcast eyes.
"Did you have that drawn up?" she asked him, quietly.
"No indeed!" answered Apafi, quickly. "An impertinent poet brought it
to me."
"Throw it into the fire," said his wife, calmly.
"That is what I meant to do. I got rid of the author by means of a few
ducats."
"He deserved a thrashing, and not gold," said Anna, angrily; then her
features grew gentle again. She looked her husband straight in the eye
and said in kindly tone;--"Be strong; be a Prince. Grant protection to
the faithful, pardon to those who return in penitence, and scorn to
the flatterer."
With these words she bowed low, kissed her husband's hand and was gone
before he could reply.
Apafi then sent for those in waiting to return. It was very evident
from the expression of their faces as they entered that they thought
they might now ask and expect everything good from the Prince, for the
happiness of the previous family scene would naturally leave him in a
state of mind in which he could not refuse anybody.
Stephen Apafi was the only one cool-headed enough to observe the
change in his brother's features during this interval. Genuine
princely firmness, dignity and energy seemed now enthroned upon this
countenance.
"Faithful comrades," began Apafi in a strong voice without waiting for
any one to speak;--"in respect to the requests with which you have
approached us, it is our wish to send you away with a just and worthy
answer. Your oaths of allegiance we have received with due
appreciation and hope you will not cease to remain constant in your
loyalty. You, Ladislaus Csaki, we hereby permit to return home to
share the peace of the family circle; as for your son we will have him
maintained in foreign lands at our expense until he seems fitted for
our service."
Ladislaus Csaki thanked him gloomily for the favor granted of
returning to the peace of his own family circle, when he would so
gladly have remained with his family at court.
Gabriel Haller the Prince passed over as if he did not see him, and
turned to Nalaczy and Daczo, who made every effort to appear humble.
"My faithful friend, Stephen Nalaczy, in consideration of your active
zeal for us we appoint you first chamberlain at our court; and you,
John Daczo, we appoint Lieutenant of Csikszerda."
Both men looked as would any one who had expected a great reward and
received a very small portion. They could hardly express their thanks
to their Prince for his favor, so great was their chagrin.
Meantime Martin Pok had pressed forward that he might not be left out,
and completely hid the worthy Cserei, who was standing modestly behind
the others.
"Why do you stand so in the background?" said Apafi, beckoning to him.
Thinking that the signal was for him, Martin Pok advanced still
farther.
"We meant you, Cserei," continued the Prince. "Do you think we do not
know how to search out our tried and faithful followers? Your fidelity
and wisdom are known to us and for that reason we deem it advisable to
appoint you Captain of the castle at Fogara."
Martin Pok was so amazed that he looked up at the ceiling to see if it
was falling.
"Martin Pok on the other hand," continued the Prince, "we confirm in
his former position. He will remain jailer of the same castle."
Martin Pok gasped. Cserei wished to remonstrate, but the Prince
motioned to him to keep quiet.
The next in turn was John Szasz.
"The charge of a great crime has been brought against you, which we
have neither desire nor power to free you from. You will be taken
under guard to Hermanstadt and we advise you to try to defend yourself
there as well as you can."
John Szasz looked in astonishment to right and left. He was utterly
unable to comprehend what had happened.
"You, Moses Zagoni, will give in your accounts to the next treasury
officers."
Zagoni considered it advisable to address words of consolation to
Szasz by way of concealing his own discomfiture.
Now the Prince came to the messenger from Olahfalu, and it was high
time; for while the Prince had been portioning out these different
favors the smile had gradually vanished from his countenance and the
comical old countryman was now at his own expense to restore
cheerfulness to the company.
"What I promised you,"--said the Prince turning toward him, and in
doing so he could scarcely conceal his amusement;--"remains pledged to
you. Olahfalu shall be just two miles from Klausenburg, if that is of
any advantage to you; and also everybody who has not a horse shall go
on foot if you wish it; but I make this condition; that you shall not
bring any timber to Klausenburg to sell, and that you furnish the post
couriers the necessary teams."
The Szekler shook his head, scratched it and raised his eyes to the
Prince as if to ask with a look how Apafi had found out his dodges.
The Prince could not keep from laughing at the embarrassed expression
of the Szekler and at that the others laughed unrestrainedly. But the
Szekler who had thus far smiled confusedly, now grew serious at the
general outburst, tossed his head back defiantly, looked furiously at
the lords, drew up his coat and hurled these words at those standing
around:
"Listen to me, you lords! I will stand it from the Prince that he
makes fun of me, but I will ask you not to laugh at my expense."
The Prince motioned them to be silent, and to turn their attention
called up the traveling student, Clement, who slouched in on his long,
thin legs, looking as if he would fall on his knees at any moment.
"We have given orders to our treasurer," said the Prince, "to pay you
from our own private purse for the work which you have done, three
groschen."
"Your Excellency says"--stammered out the poet.
"You heard perfectly well. Three groschen, I said; that is the price
of the writing material you have spent on the work. Hereafter employ
your time more profitably."
Then the Prince signified that the audience was over. They left the
tent with low bows. Kutschuk Pasha alone remained. During the entire
scene the Pasha had shaken his head in surprise, as if he would not
have expected this from Apafi, and when he was left alone with him he
noticed that it was no longer necessary to urge Apafi to maintain his
princely bearing toward others. Apafi wore a friendly look, but in his
friendliness one saw princely condescension.
"With regret we have learned," he began, turning to the Pasha, "that
we must shortly lose you, whose bravery we so admired and whose
friendship we so honored."
The Pasha hurriedly drew near in surprise.
"What does your Excellency mean?"
"In consequence of those firmans which order the Transylvania guards
to assemble in the camp of the Grand Vizier, it will be our misfortune
not to see you in our circle longer."
Kutschuk bit his lips angrily. "Whence could he get his information so
soon?" thought he.
"We would gladly retain you, for your person is more precious to us
than any other. We know that the commands of the Sublime Porte demand
immediate obedience, and therefore that you may not for us draw down
the displeasure of the Sublime Porte, we have so conducted the taking
of Klausenburg that we shall march in without any assault; in that way
you will be relieved of the burdensome task of maintaining your
troops here any longer. As for your services in establishing our
position as Prince, we will settle this in person with the Vizier, as
we too have been summoned to Neuhaüsel."
During this speech Kutschuk Pasha with folded arms stared in wonder at
the Prince's firm glance, and when the Prince had concluded still kept
the same position without answering a word.
Apafi went on calmly:
"However, to express even in a slight degree the gratitude which we
owe you individually, accept from us this slight remembrance, more as
a token of our high esteem than as reward."
And the Prince took from his neck a gold chain set with beautiful
jewels, and hung it about the neck of the Pasha. Kutschuk stood still
riveted to the spot. He watched the Prince closely, and wrinkled his
forehead gloomily. Then suddenly he began to laugh and said:
"Well done, Apafi, very well done! I observe you are in the habit of
giving your intelligence over to your wife for safe-keeping. Salem
Aleikum."
And the Pasha went off shaking his head.
Apafi with lightened feelings hurried to his wife.
Gabriel Haller waited for some time at the door, until an attendant
informed him that the Prince was dining with his family and then he
stole away.
* * * * *
A few days later Apafi made his entry into Klausenburg with fife and
drum.