The Strange Story of Rab Ráby

  CHAPTER XIII.

  For some days the great circuit had been in full swing in the city. Itwas a new institution, inaugurated by the Emperor Joseph, whereby thelord-lieutenant or his representative, annually had to make a tourthrough the county to procure information of all kinds, and refer thesame to the district commissioner, of whom there were ten in allthroughout the country.

  The business was easily settled in some counties. But in that of Pesth,which is as large as a German kingdom, the number of officialentertainments was so great that it demanded an ostrich's digestion.These municipal officials, like the lord-lieutenant himself, must eatand drink hard three or four days running, while, at the end, the wholeburden of the work fell on the substitute, the eldest and best qualifiedmagistrate. No one answered to this demand better than our old friend,Mr. Laskoy.

  When the circuit came to Szent-Endre, it was naturally the turn of theprefect to give an entertainment. To this the imperial court secretary,Mr. Mathias Raby of Raba and Mura, received a formal invitation in duecourse.

  As it was so great an official gathering, he put on his Viennese dress,and arrived at the prefecture by twelve o'clock, the hour appointed.

  He was received by a lordly looking lackey, who discreetly gave him tounderstand that he was somewhat early, that the gentry were still incouncil, but that till dinner-time, he might, if he would, go into thegarden where he would find Mademoiselle, the prefect's niece.

  Raby instantly conceived a high opinion of the lady of the house, who,thus immediately preceding a great banquet, could find leisure to walkin the garden. She could not be wholly wrapped up in her housewifery.

  But how find a garden he had never seen and seek out a lady who was acomplete stranger to him? However, help was nigh. Just as if it hadscented him, a black poodle came running down the corridor wagging histail, as welcoming the guest, and finally took the end of Raby's canebetween his teeth and drew him to the door that led into the garden.Raby, seeing the dog wanted to play with the cane, let him have it,whereupon the cunning little beast seized it in the middle and precededRaby down the garden path where Fraulein Fruzsinka was to be found. Thegarden was laid out in the prevalent mode, in a maze composed of trees,among which one had vainly sought for an outlet. There, indeed, Raby hadnever found the lady on his own account, for she had ensconced herselfin the innermost recess and was reading, seated on the mossy bank.

  She was no longer the Hungarian amazon who had worn the riding gear wemet her in, earlier in this story. She was now the Viennese "elegante,"whose toilette proclaimed her the lady of fashion, with herwalking-stick, her elaborate coiffure, and lace ruffles, allirreproachably correct. Nor were cosmetics and patches wanting that themode demanded, and she answered Raby's greeting with the prescribedGerman formula: "Your servant, sir."

  The poodle broke the ice, by running up with his cane and laying it athis mistress' feet.

  But Fraulein Fruzsinka picked it up gently and gave it back to Raby. Sheheld a richly bound book, Wieland's "Oberon," which she showed to herguest.

  Now with ladies who read Wieland you can talk of something else besidesordinary themes. And in the first quarter of an hour of his conversationwith her, Mathias Raby discovered that his hostess was a highlycultivated woman who could discuss the French philosophers as anordinary provincial belle might the latest fashion in head dresses, andspeak German fluently.

  And her eyes, how marvellous they were!

  They came out of the maze pursuing the talk on literature, and benttheir steps towards the flower garden. Passing the flower-beds, FrauleinFruzsinka betrayed also her knowledge of that "language of flowers"which just then was the rage in Vienna. The young lady broke off a twigof evergreen, and gave it to Raby, who well recollected the coupletwhich set forth its symbolism:

  "The evergreen is always green, although it blossoms never, So may the friendship 'twixt a man and woman last for ever."

  But there was nothing of the coquette about her; she made no advanceswhatever.

  The sound of the dinner-gong here breaking off their talk, his hostessaccompanied Raby back to the house, where the company were impatientlyawaiting them. The dinner was already on the table.

  The Fraulein presented Raby to the other guests who all greeted himwarmly.

  The meal threatened to be interminable, as course succeeded course, tillat last someone threw out a hint to the effect that a little exercisewould be good for the diners, who had a game of skittles awaiting them.

  "Skittles," indeed, was as it were the word of dismissal, and thesuggestion nearly spoiled the proposal made by another guest that afterdinner they should have a song from Fraulein Fruzsinka on theclavichord.

  But the skittle players were in the majority though there was a keenopposition.

  Finally matters were compromised by settling that they should have theirhostess' song first, and then the skittles. At first a few of the guestsloitered round the clavichord, at which Fraulein Fruzsinka, with herreally sweet voice, was commencing a ditty. But you could not well smokethere, so one by one they stole out into the garden where the skittleswere already in full swing.

  Meanwhile, Fraulein Fruzsinka remained at the clavichord alone withMathias Raby, who from his knowledge of music could turn over for her atthe right moment.

  The singer soon shut the music book, and rose impatiently from theinstrument.

  "What people these are!" she exclaimed with a little irritated gestureof her hands. "Not a lofty idea, not a noble aspiration among them, asfar as one can judge. And that is our world!"

  Raby, who had the instincts of a courtier, sought to excuse his fellowguests.

  "Their own official concerns fill their minds entirely."

  "Their official concerns indeed! Yes, I should think so! Did you hearthe anecdotes with which they regaled each other at table? Quitefrankly, with the most shameless cynicism. Yet they were all true. Amongsuch people as ours, ignorance, idleness and greed counter-balance oneanother. Not one of them knows his business: each neglects his duty. Butsee if there is anything to be got out of any official function, andeveryone is ready to seize it for himself."

  Raby held a brief for the accused.

  "With us, offices of that kind are ill-paid. The official's salary isscant; he has, too, a house and family to keep up."

  Fruzsinka laughed aloud. "There is not a married man among all of them.They are all a penniless lot who come to pay their court to me. Each ofthem would marry me, were they not all afraid of me!"

  "Afraid of the Fraulein? You must make a strange impression on them."

  "Yes, think of it! Can you believe that anyone is frightened at mebecause I wear a fashionable gown, read novels, am clever at music, butindifferent to kitchen and cellar; thereat the wooer shudders. He saysto himself, 'he cannot possibly tolerate that,' and takes himself offforthwith."

  "On the contrary, dainty toilettes and culture bespeak wealth, and thatalone should be one more spur for the suitors, surely."

  "Oh certainly, if they were sure that my uncle, who is rich, were goingto leave me his money. But that is a secret no one knows. There are twothings my wooer cannot find out, whether my uncle really loves me, andwhether I know how to flatter him well enough, so as not to forfeit hisaffection. And truly I do not quite know myself."

  "And that surely is not difficult to decide. For your beautifultoilettes and good education witness sufficiently to his affection foryou."

  "Ah, as far as my education goes, I have only to thank the graciousEmpress Maria Theresa, for I was educated at her Elizabeth Institute inBuda, and my education cost no one a heller. And as regards my dress, myuncle insists on my dressing well, in order to captivate each new-comer.If it is an aristocratic cavalier who appears on the scene, forthwith Imust don my pearl-embroidered bodice and lace stomacher and the plumedhat, but if it be an ordinary townsman, I wear the provincial dress ofthe simple country girl. Yes, would you know everything at this, ourfirst meeting? And, indeed, as it is the first, so will it b
e the last.But would you hear how that must be, come with me into my ownsitting-room, for here someone will overhear us."

  Raby was already under the spell of the sorceress, and he followed herwillingly into her boudoir.

  "You are not the first, dear Raby," pursued his hostess, "who has comeinto this town vowing vengeance on us, to demand that justice be done. Isay 'us,' for as you see, I too am leagued with this confederacy. Andeach of such emissaries in turn have I seen withdraw after a time, hisanger appeased. Now, once more, they hear that a man of iron has come toset his foot down with inexorable rigour; he distributes the vast bribewhich has been offered him, among the poor, while to win him over, eventhe great coffer is ransacked, but in vain. Thereupon, the authoritiesbethink them of another treasure still, the prefect's niece. And theytrick her out as a fashionable lady, and leave her alone with theincorruptible. You see I am quite frank! Do you not blush for me? I dofor myself, I can assure you. Take my advice, and fly from this place!"

  "But, Fraulein, all you tell me does but make me still more determinedto pursue the purpose for which I came hither."

  "I see you to-day for the first time; I know nothing of you but what Ihave heard from your opponents; but what I have heard of you only makesme take your side. You are no ordinary man. Go, I tell you, and saveyourself; flee from this place!"

  "I save myself?"

  "Yes, indeed! You cannot imagine how evilly disposed to you are thoseamong whom you find yourself. Indeed, they have threatened to take yourlife."

  What does she mean? Will she scare him away from the field of hislabours, so that intimidated by her words, he returns to Vienna? Or hasshe measured her man, and seen that he is to be best caught by seekingto divert him from his purpose? And does she know that for such a one,the most powerful enticement of all will be to seek to turn him fromhis goal?

  Raby responded to the signal that his hostess made him, to come closer;nay, he took the fan she held, and fanned her and himself with it.

  "That is splendid; why it will make my stay here quite a romanticexperience," he said.

  "You will rue it, however, and expose yourself to a thousand dangerswhich you have not the power to withstand. I see you are confident ofyour strength. But if you had to fight with someone, would it notdisquiet you to know your adversary was an excellent shot. Suppose themoment you entered the field, someone whispered to you: 'Be on yourguard; your second is in league with your opponent, he has placed nobullets in your pistol.' Would you not, in such a case, refuse tofight?"

  "But the case is quite unthinkable."

  "So you deem it. But to prove to you, that I am not seeking, as yourenemies would have me do, to try and entangle you in my net, I will tearasunder the snare already closing round you, and show you somethingwhich shall enlighten you once and for all."

  She went to her writing-table and took out of a drawer a letter.

  "Say, do you know this handwriting?"

  "Very well, it is that of the district commissioner."

  "The note was addressed to me, in order to awaken no suspicion. Pleaseread it."

  It was the letter which the district commissioner had written at thetheatre.

  As he read it, Raby fairly crimsoned with wrath. He was thunderstruck tofind that his official chief, who had promised to support his mission,should have a secret understanding with those whom he was pledged topunish. Whom should he trust, if this was the state of things?

  "Now will you not fly?" said Fraulein Fruzsinka. Her words urged him togo, but her eyes held him back.

  "No, indeed! now will I remain," cried Raby impetuously, as he rose togo. And as if to prove that he had determined to do and dare all, hehastily seized her hand and raised it passionately to his lips.

  And she did not withdraw hers, but vehemently returned its pressure, asif to say: "This is the man I have long been looking for!"

  "Leave me now," she whispered; but her eyes seemed to say, "Come again,soon!"

  Mathias Raby knew now that fate had led him to a kindred soul at last!