CHAPTER II.
GOOD NEWS OR BAD?
Father Roger had been shown all over the house, had seen all theadditions and improvements, inside and out, and now felt as much at homein Master Peter's castle as he had done in Master Stephen's.
It had been finally settled that he should start for Pest the nextmorning, and Master Peter insisted on supplying him with a horse and anarmed escort.
"And then," said he, unconsciously betraying the curiosity which wasdevouring him, in spite of his assumed indifference, "then, when yousend the horses back, you know, you can just write a few lines and tellme what the King wants to see you about."
Peter was quite anxious for him to be off that he might hear the sooner;but it struck him that, as Father Roger would be in Pest long before theend of the month if he made the journey on horse-back, and yet could notpresent himself at Court until the time appointed, he might perhaps beglad of a lodging of his own, though, of course, there were monasterieswhich would have received him. He offered him, therefore, the use of anold house of his own (in much the same condition, he confessed, as hispresent dwelling had been in), but in which he knew there were twohabitable rooms, for he had lived in them himself on the occasion of hislast visit to the capital.
All was settled before supper-time, and Master Peter was just beginningto wonder when that meal would make its appearance, when the sharp,shrill sound of a horn gave him something else to think of.
"Someone is coming! They are letting down the drawbridge," he exclaimed,with much satisfaction at the prospect of another guest; and shortlyafter, ushered in by Talabor, there entered the hall a young man,somewhat dusty, but daintily apparelled. His black hair had been curledand was shining from a recent application of oil, and in his wholeappearance and demeanour there was the indescribable something whichtells of the "rising man."
"Ah, Clerk, it is you, is it?" said Peter, without rising from his seat."My brother is well, I hope?"
"Master Stephen was quite well, sir, when I left him three days ago,"returned the youth, as he made an elaborate bow to the master, anotherless low, but delivered with an amiable smile to Dora, and bestowed acareless third upon Father Roger.
"Well, and what is the news?"
"Both good and bad, Mr. Szirmay," was the answer, with another bow.
"Out with the bad first then, boy," said Master Peter quickly, knittinghis brows as he spoke. "Let us have the good last, and keep the taste ofit longest! Now then!"
"You have heard, no doubt, sir, what rumours the land is ringing with?"began the clerk with an air of much importance.
"We have!" said Peter, shrugging his shoulders; "let them ring till theyare tired! If that is all you have jogged here about, gossip, you mightas well have stayed quietly at home."
"Matters are more serious than you are perhaps aware, sir," said theclerk; and with that he drew from his breast a packet done up in cloth,out of which he produced a piece of parchment about the size of hisfirst finger. This he handed proudly to Master Peter, who snatched itfrom his hand and passed it on to Father Roger, saying:
"Here, Father, do you take it and read it! I declare if it does not looklike a summons to the Diet! There, there! blowing the trumpet, beatingthe drum in Pest already, I suppose!"
"Quite true, sir, it is a summons to the Diet," said Libor. "HisMajesty, or his Excellency the Palatine, I am not certain which of thetwo, was under the impression that you were still with us, and so sentboth summonses to Master Stephen."
"With _you_!" laughed Master Peter. "All right, _kinsman_, we shall obeyhis Majesty's commands, and I hope it may not all prove to be much adoabout nothing."
With kindly consideration for his host's imperfect Latin, Father Rogerproceeded to translate the summons into Hungarian.
The King never made many words about things, and his order was plain anddirect. The Diet was to be held on such a date, at such a place, and itwas Master Peter's bounden duty to be present; that was all!
"Ah, didn't I tell you so, Father?" said he gravely; "we shall belighting our fires before the cold sets in, and pitching our tentsbefore there is any camp! People are mad! and they are hurrying on thatgood King of ours too fast. Well, _kinsman_," he went on sarcastically,"tell us all you know, and if there is any more bad news let us have itat once."
"Bad news? it depends upon how you take it, sir; many call it good, andmore call it bad," returned Libor, a trifle abashed by Master Peter'smode of address.
"And pray what is it that is neither good nor bad? I don't like riddles,let me tell you, and if you can't speak plainly you had better not speakat all!"
"Sir," said Libor, "I am only telling you what other people say----" andthen, as Master Peter made a gesture of impatience, he went on, "Kuthen,King of the Kunok, has sent an embassy to his Majesty asking for asettlement for his people----"
"Ah! that's something," interrupted Peter, "and I hope his Majesty sentthem to the right-about at once?"
"His Majesty received the ambassadors with particular favour, and inview of the danger which threatens us, declared himself ready to welcomesuch an heroic people."
"Danger! don't let me hear that word again, clerk!"
"It is not my word," protested Libor, with an appealing glance at Dora,intended to call attention to Master Peter's injustice.
"It's a bad word, whosesoever it is," insisted Peter. "Well, what more?are we to be saddled with this horde of pagans then?"
"Pagans no longer! at least they won't be when they come to settle. Theyare all going to be baptized, the King and his family and all hispeople. The ambassadors promised and were baptized themselves beforethey went back."
"What!" cried Father Roger, his face lighting up, "forty thousandfamilies converted to the faith! Why, it is divine, and the King isalmost an Apostle!"
The good Father quite forgot all further fear of danger from the Kunok,and from this moment took their part. He could see nothing but good inthis large accession of numbers to the Church.
"New Christians!" said Peter, shaking his head doubtfully, as he saw theimpression made upon Roger. "Are such people Christians just becausethe holy water has been poured upon their faces? They are far enoughfrom Christianity to my mind. Who can trust such folk? And then, toadmit them without consulting the nation, by a word of command--I don'tlike the whole thing, and so far as the country is concerned, I see nomanner of use in it."
"You see, Mr. Szirmay," said Libor, with a little accession of boldness,"I was quite right. There are two of you here, and while one thinks thenews bad, the other calls it 'divine.'"
"Silence, gossip!" said Peter haughtily, "you are not in your own house,remember. Be so good as to wait till your opinion is asked before yougive it." Then, turning to Roger, he went on: "Well, if it is so, it is,and we can't alter it; but there will be a fine piece of work when theDiet does meet. It must be as his Majesty wills, but I for one shall notgive my consent, not though the Danube and Tisza both were poured uponthem. One thing is clear, we are called to the Diet and we must go, andas for the rest it is in God's hands."
So saying, Master Peter began to pace up and down the room, and no oneventured to interrupt him. But presently he came to a standstill infront of the clerk, and said gloomily, "You have told us ill news enoughto last a good many years; so, unless there is more to come, you may goon to the next part, and tell us any good news you have."
"I can oblige you with that, too," said the clerk, who evidently feltinjured by Peter's contemptuous way of speaking; "at least," he added,"I hope I shall not have to pay for it as I have done for my other news,though I am sure I am not responsible, for I neither invited the Kunoknor summoned your Honour to the Diet."
"Stop there!" said Peter, with some little irritation. "It seems to me,young man, that you have opened your eyes considerably since you left mybrother; you talk a great deal and very mysteriously. Now then, let ushave any good news you can tell us!"
"His Majesty has appointed Father Roger to be one of the Canons ofNag
yvAirad (Grosswardein), and Master Peter's long suit has terminated ina favourable judgment. The land in dispute is given back, with theproceeds for the last nine years."
"That is good news, if you will," cried Peter, both surprised andpleased; and without heeding a remark from Libor that he was glad he hadbeen able to say something which was to his mind at last, he went on:"Now, Dora, my dear, we shall be able to be a little more comfortable,and we will spend part of the winter in Pest. Young ladies want a littleamusement, and you, my poor girl, have had to live buried in the woods,where there is nothing going on."
"The HA(C)dervAirys are in Pest too," the clerk chimed in, "and you willhave a delightful visit, my dear young mistress. His Majesty's Court wasnever more brilliant than it is now; the Queen likes to see noble youngdames about her."
Dora and Peter both looked at the clerk in amazement. He had been fouryears in Master Stephen's house, without ever once venturing to makeDora such a long speech as this.
"What has come to this man?" and "How very odd!" were the thoughts whichpassed through the minds of Peter and his daughter.
But, forward as she thought him, Dora would not quite ignore the youngman's remark, so she turned to Father Roger, saying, "I know it is avery gay life in Pest, and no doubt there is plenty of amusement at theCourt, but I am not at all anxious to leave this place. It is not like aconvent after all, and we have several nice people not far off who areglad to see us."
But having made a beginning, Libor had a great desire to prolong theconversation.
Roger and Peter were now both walking up and down the room, while Dorawas standing at one of the windows, so the opportunity seemed to be afavourable one, and he proceeded to say gallantly that Dora was wrongingthe world as well as herself by shutting herself out fromamusement--that there was more than one person who was only waiting fora little encouragement--that her many admirers were frightened away--andso on, and so on, until Dora cut him short, saying that she was sorry heshould oblige her to remind him of what Master Peter had just saidabout not giving his opinion until it was asked for; and with that sheleft him and joined her father.
"What a haughty little thing it is for a forest flower, to be sure,"said Libor to himself; but he felt just a little ashamed nevertheless,as he was well aware that he had taken an unheard-of liberty.Conversation of any sort between the pages and the daughters of thehouse was not "the thing" in those old days; and, quite apart from theturn which Libor had been so little respectful as to give to hisremarks, Dora had felt uncomfortable at being forced into what sheconsidered unbecoming behaviour.
"Ah! well," Libor reflected, "if she never moves from here she will findherself left on the shelf, and then--why then she won't be likely to geta better castle offered her than _mine_!"
And thereupon Libor (whose eyes had certainly been "opened," as MasterPeter said) walked up to the two gentlemen, as if he were quite one ofthe company, and joined in their conversation at the first pause.
"Thunder and lightning! something has certainly come to this fellow. Letus find out what it is," was Master Peter's inward comment. He wasbeginning to be as much amused as irritated by the young gentleman'snewly acquired audacity; but it annoyed him to have him walking besidehim, so he came to a standstill and said, "Well, Libor, you have talkeda good deal about one thing and another, according to your lights; nowtell us something about your worthy self. Are you still in my brother'sservice and intending to remain permanently? or have you other and morebrilliant prospects? A youth such as you, clerk, may do and be anythingif he sets about it in the right way. Let us hear something aboutyourself."
"Sir," replied Libor, "it is true that I have been so fortunate as toshare with many noble youths the privilege of living in Mr. Stephen'shousehold, and of winning his confidence; also I have enjoyed your ownfavour in times past, Master Peter. 'Service' you call it, and rightlytoo; but to-day I have discharged the last of Mr. Stephen's commissions.He has treated me with a fatherly kindness and marked considerationbeyond my deserts, but I am now on my way to Pest to see Mr. PaulHA(C)dervAiry, who has offered me the post of governor of one of hiscastles."
"Governor! at four or five and twenty! That is remarkable, Mr. Libor,"said Peter, with evident surprise. "A governor in the service of theHA(C)dervAirys is a very important person! I can only offer my bestcongratulations--to yourself, I mean."
Libor was no fool, and he perfectly understood; but he made answer, withhis nose well in the air, "I can only thank you, sir, but I hope thetime may come when Mr. HA(C)dervAiry also will be able to congratulatehimself on the choice which does me so much honour."
"Ah! I hope so, I hope so," laughed Master Peter cheerily. He waspleased with himself for finding out how the clerk had been promoted,and he reflected that true, indeed, was the old Latin proverb: _Honoresmutant mores._
As for Libor, though he felt injured, as much by Master Peter's manneras by his words, he lost nothing of his self-complacency.Self-confidence, self-esteem, his new title, and his brilliant prospectswere enough to prevent his being put out of countenance for more than amoment by the snubs he had received both from father and daughter. Asfor Canon Roger, he, good man, was just as humble now as before hisadvancement, and either did not, or would not, see the young man'sbumptiousness; he continued to treat him, therefore, in the samefriendly way as when they were house-mates.
"And so you are on your way to Pest," said Peter; "Father Roger is alsoon his way thither. It is always safer to travel in company when thereare so many ruffians about, so I hope you will attend him."
"I shall be very willing if Father Roger has no objection; we can traveltogether."
"The Canon of Grosswardein, remember," said Peter a little sharply.
"And Mr. HA(C)dervAiry's governor," concluded Libor boldly and withoutblinking.
"Well, Mr. Governor, in the meantime you may like to look round theplace a little before it is too dark; I may perhaps ask you to do acommission or two for myself by-and-by, but for the present will youleave us to ourselves?"
This was such an unmistakable dismissal that Libor actually lost hisself-possession. Hesitatingly, and with a bad grace enough, he advancedtowards the door, but there he stopped, recovered himself, andexclaimed:
"Dear me! how forgetful I am! But perhaps the reception I have met withmay account for it."
"Reception!" burst forth Peter, whose gathering wrath now boiled over atthis last piece of insolence. "I don't know, gossip, or rather Mr.Governor, I don't know what sort of reception you expected other thanthat which you have always found here! Hold your greyhounds in, clerk.If Mr. Stephen and Mr. HA(C)dervAiry are pleased to make much of you, thatis their affair. For my own part I value people according to theirworth, and the only worth I have as yet discovered in you, let me tellyou, is that at which you rate yourself."
Master Peter was not the man to be trifled with, and for a moment Liborfelt something of the old awe and deference usual with him in thepresence of his superiors. But a deep sense of injury speedily overcamehis fear, and after a short pause he made answer:
"As you will, sir. Since you assign HA(C)dervAiry's governor a place amongthe dogs, I have nothing further to do save to take my leave."
With that he again turned to the door.
"If there is any message which you have forgotten, boy, you don't stirfrom here until you have given it. That done, you may go when you like,and where you like, and no one will detain you."
Master Peter spoke as one who intended to be obeyed, and Libor wasimpressed, not to say cowed. He was very well aware that, as they wouldsay in these days, it was "not well to eat cherries from the same dish"as the Szirmay nobles. (At the time of which we are writing a dish ofcherries was a sight rarely to be seen.) He held it, therefore, wiser toyield, and mastering himself as well as he could, he said:
"Mr. Stephen wished me to inform you that Bishop WAincsa has beeninquiring whether you would be disposed to let your house in Pest to hisMajesty."
"The King? Let it? Is Mr.
WAincsa out of his mind? Do their Majestieswant to hire a great heap of stone like that, where even I have neverbeen comfortable!"
"That is my message, but I can explain it. His Majesty wants the houseprepared for the King of the Kunok and his family. You are at liberty toagree or not, but in any case Mr. Stephen will expect your answer bymessenger, unless you are pleased to send it direct to the Bishop bymyself, or the Canon, as we shall find him in Pest and it will reach himthe sooner."
"What! Matters have gone so far that they are getting quarters ready forKuthen, and the nation is still left in ignorance."
Libor merely shrugged his shoulders and said nothing, as the questionwas not particularly addressed to himself.
"Hem!" said Peter thoughtfully. "I should have liked to spend part ofthe winter in my own house in Pest, but it is in a bad state, very bad,and if the King is willing to repair and put it in order, he shall haveit free for three years. It will be time enough to talk about rent afterthat."
"May I take the answer to Mr. WAincsa?" inquired Libor, who was stillstanding at the open door.
"Yes, Governor, you may!" answered Peter, really at heart one of thebest-natured men, who was always and almost instantly sorry when he hadlost his temper and "pulled anyone's nose."
"You may, Libor, and we will not let the sun go down upon our wrath, soyou will remain here, if you please, sup well and sleep well. Talaborwill see that you have all you want, and then you will travel on withthe good Father and some of my men-at-arms."
Then turning, and giving his hand to Roger, he added:
"I am sorry, Father, that as things are you see I can't give youquarters in my house; but the King comes before all."
As for Libor, he chose to consider that Peter had made him some sort ofamends by his last speech; it pleased him much to play the part of aninjured person who has accepted an apology, and he therefore at onceresumed his polite manners, and bowing and smiling he replied with alldue deference:
"As far as I am concerned, sir, nothing can give me greater pleasure,and since you permit me to do so, I will remain."
With another bow he left the room, not the house, which indeed he hadnever intended to leave, if he could help himself.