The Strange Story of Rab Ráby

  CHAPTER X.

  When Raby went into the office, the clerk told him that the chief wasexpecting him in the "state-room" as it was called, in whichdistinguished guests were received. This apartment was much more richlyfurnished than the rest; it was therefore intended as a compliment toRaby, that the pronotary should receive him there, rather than in hisbureau.

  The pronotary was a fine-looking man of distinguished bearing. His thickgrey hair was combed straight back from his brows, and except for hisshort moustache, he was clean-shaven. His short embroidered dolmanreached to his hips, and was confined by a costly girdle, wherefromdepended a little pouch containing pen and ink, while his watch-chaindangled from his breeches' pocket.

  Raby was rather doubtful as to what sort of greeting he should ventureon. The French style exacted a solemn posturing with sundry bows andcurtseys; the German fashion demanded you should shake your neighbour'shand as lustily as possible, but old-fashioned Hungarian etiquetteprescribed that the younger should kiss the hand of the elder. Rabybethought him of the kiss he had received in coming thither, and thatdecided him. He would pay it back now to the father. The face of the oldgentleman brightened at this greeting.

  "Look you, my friend," he exclaimed in a clear deep voice, "in formertimes, I would have patted you on the head, but I cannot do that now forfear of dishevelling the coiffure your friseur has arranged. Don't youregret, by the way, wasting so much flour?"

  His guest was glad to catch the old man in such a good temper, anddetermined to profit by it, so he kept up the jest.

  "Yet it is far better surely, that I should tumble into flour thanbran?"

  "I think not, my boy, besides you are not so far from tumbling into branas you seem to think."

  Raby looked at him with astonishment.

  Tarhalmy's face became suddenly grave.

  "I know well enough why you are here!"

  (How could he know why he had come? wondered his guest.)

  "Not at my house, but why you are in this country. And if you willpermit me, I will tell you what I think about your mission."

  "Oh pray do!" exclaimed Raby.

  "Well, my young friend, you know I have always loved you as my own son.I recognised all your capabilities, and always said 'that boy will someday do great things!' A better brought-up, better disposed youth thanyou were, with a higher sense of honour, could not be found. I wouldnot hesitate to entrust you with untold millions--or an innocent maiden.But I warn you, if you persist in the way you have marked out foryourself, you will soon be rotting in one of our prisons; and I shallhear your chains clanking, without being able to stir a finger to setyou free."

  "And all that because I am a friend of the people?"

  "Rather an enemy of the nation, say!"

  "Are not the people and the nation one and the same?"

  "No, not at all: the nation is the state. You idealists cannot see thewood for the trees; you cannot see the nation for the people. Only makethe people believe that they fare better under a despotism than under aconstitution, and you are the right side of the hedge."

  "So you think it's a choice of being ruled by one tyrant or five hundredthousand."

  "Wait, young man, the five hundred thousand are the defenders of thecountry on the field of battle, judges, commanders, pastors of souls andteachers."

  "Yes, it was like that formerly. But time does not stand still, even ifconditions remain the same. The new age demands a better system ofdefence, a more enlightened code of justice and government, as well asbetter methods of instruction."

  "But you can't get all that in Hungary by just speaking the word! Noranywhere else, for that matter. We defend our much abused Asiatictraditions, only through passive resistance."

  "Yet the question which once was asked of old from the oracle of Dodona,is still the pressing problem for us: which is the most desirable, aflourishing Hungarian nation according to the ancient idea of it, orpopular freedom?"

  At these words, the pronotary shook the young man cordially by the hand.

  "That was a pertinent question. I honour you for your candour. So manyproselytes of the Emperor that I have come across so far, will insist onit that between these two antagonistic ideals a compromise is possible:that, after the abolition of the privileges of the nobles, with anequalisation of taxes, and a mutual obligation to bear the commonburden, the country can remain the same as it was. But you openly admitthere are only two alternatives, in the face of which we must needschoose. You have chosen your part, I too have made up my mind. I believethat in our part of the world it is more necessary for theconstitutional, patriotic Hungarian nation to endure, than for thepeasants to have one day a week more for idling; that it is better forthe aristocracy to give orders to the mob, than that the mob should giveorders to the aristocracy."

  The young man laughed aloud.

  "No, no, my honoured friend, I do not come here with the intention oftouching our hereditary constitution with my little finger. In this doesmy whole mission consist--in rectifying abuses which cry aloud toHeaven for redress in the Court of the County Assembly."

  "And pray who entrusts you with it?"

  "Firstly the Emperor, and then the oppressed people themselves."

  "That's just where the fault lies: neither the Emperor nor the peoplehave the right to lay such a duty on you. That right belongs alone tothe Pesth Assembly."

  "But the Crown has the right to demand that such a right be exercised."

  "Very likely. The Assembly will do whatever it be called upon to do."

  "And if the Assembly acquit itself badly? For its own officials areguilty of the misery of the people."

  "Oh, that is no secret. Our officials are in a body quite ready tofleece the folk in the very way that has aroused your indignation. Butup till now, we have elected these officials ourselves, and we wouldrather have them over us, even if they were stained with the sevencapital sins, than have the Emperor's nominees, were they angels fromheaven. This is no legal quibble, but a question of actual conditions.Whatever the people suffer, they will recover sooner or later; if a mandies, another is born in his place; but the constitution can neithersuffer nor die. You stand for the Emperor, I stand for the voice of thenation. Both are mortal. We shall see which of the two survives. But Iwarn you to reckon on no one's support in the work you have undertaken,for everyone will regard you as an enemy."

  "Thank you," said Raby. "Also, there is a satisfaction in rememberingthat there is at least one man I can reckon on who won't desert me."

  "And who is that, pray?" asked Tarhalmy smiling rather grimly, for hethought it was the Emperor he meant.

  "Why myself."

  The pronotary embraced him, exclaiming tenderly as he did so: "Poorfellow, poor fellow!" Then he said gently: "Farewell, in case I neversee you again!"

  And Mathias Raby went away without mentioning even a word of Mariska.What a horrible thing these politics are, to be sure!