CHAPTER XXXII.
The Emperor sent urgent orders to the governor to set Mathias Raby freeimmediately, so that the inquiry into the Szent-Endre frauds,established on his accusation, could be brought to an end.
The letter was laid by with the rest, as usual, unread. The governorhowever hastened to answer that the orders would be executed in duecourse--when the depositions of the municipality had been taken--anexplanation which satisfied the Emperor, who little knew what the "duecourse" extended to.
It really meant that the culprit Raby was brought out of his prison, notto be freed, but rather to be fettered hand and foot. That is usual whena prisoner is to be tried, and this was his first examination.
In the presence of the whole court, and of the district commissioner,they subjected him to an insidious cross-examination for fully fourhours, till he was ready to drop from sheer exhaustion. Only half of theaccusations brought against him would have sufficed for hiscondemnation.
Finally, he was conducted back to prison. He staggered into the room hehad left, but the gaoler called him back.
"Oho, there, Mr. prisoner, that's not your cell. Those who wear ironsdon't lodge there!"
And he led him into a neighbouring cell whose door was furnished withthree massive locks, whilst the window was protected with iron bars anda grating. The only furniture was a plank bed; of table or chairs, therewere none. The prisoner's books had not been sent in either.
Although it was dinner-time, and he had eaten nothing, no dainty mealawaited him, such as those he had been accustomed to, nor even was heallowed the ordinary prison fare allotted to well-born culprits. Aheyduke brought in a great earthen pitcher with a crust of black bread.
"Here you are, my fine sir," laughed the heyduke mockingly, but, as hebent to set it down on the stone floor, he whispered, "The bottom comesoff!"
Then he left him, carefully locking the door behind him.
Now was Raby's wish fulfilled, he was rid of unpleasant company and wasalone. But solitude had been more welcome if they had allowed him hisbooks. As it was, he only had his own thoughts for company, and thesewere not cheerful companions.
Raby's soul was full of rage against the whole world, but most of allwas he angry with his own weak body that was so sensitive to hunger andcold, that trembled at the thought of death, and felt the pressure ofits chains so keenly. Why could not he carry his body as defiantly ashe bore his soul within him?
But he knew that he needed some support, therefore he began to eatmechanically the black bread, but had it been the daintiest farepossible, it had tasted all the same to him. Only when he raised thepitcher to his lips, did he remember the words of the heyduke about the"bottom coming off." He began to examine the pitcher, and presently, bydint of close scrutiny, he found that it had a false bottom whichscrewed on, and found a cavity in which was concealed a bottle of ink,pen and paper. With them were some slices of cold meat, as well as anote containing these words: "Fear nothing; the Emperor knows all. Yourfriends will not forsake you. Write once more to the Emperor."
Now he no longer feared solitude. The phantoms and fears which hadtormented him hitherto, vanished with the sight of pen and ink. Awritten thought is a substantial friend. So he committed to paper allthat had befallen him, hid the writing again in the bottom of thepitcher, and re-screwed it on. The meat, too, revived him, and theconsciousness that he was not left to his fate, and that he could stillcommunicate with the outer world, was strangely comforting. Who hisunknown friend might be, he could not conceive. It must be some one morepowerful than the weak girl whose part in this business his own hearthad already suggested to him.
The next morning, in came the gaoler with the same heyduke, who carriedaway the pitcher, and at mid-day brought him his rations as before.
Raby could hardly wait till he had gone, to unscrew his pitcher. Sureenough, he found some writing materials therein, and the money forcovering the fee of a special courier for his letter. His friends mustbe wealthy people.
He quickly hid all again, however, for steps were approaching his cell.
The door opened, and three men came in, who proved to be Laskoy, Petray,and the lieutenant of Szent-Endre. The latter handed to Raby the bill ofhis indictment.
The prisoner immediately handed it back to him.
"It is not you who are the accusers in this matter, but rather I," hesaid haughtily. "It is for me to impeach you, not the reverse. I refuseto accept it."
"Take care," cried Laskoy. "Weigh well the consequences of thisrejection. If you do not receive the indictment, we will soon tackle youas a contumacious criminal."
"I dare you to do it," returned Raby.
"The man is a fool; he shall take it," cried Laskoy, beside himself withrage.
Raby folded his arms proudly, so that they should not force it on him.
"Mr. lieutenant, witness that he will not take it and draw up a warrantof attainder for contumacity."
The lieutenant proceeded to carry out these instructions.
"And while you are about it, certify that I threw the document out ofthe room," said Raby, suiting the action to the word.
This was an unheard-of audacity. The three men withdrew uttering violentthreats.
After a time, in came the castellan with a very long face.
"Now I would not give a cracked nut for your chances," he cried. "Theyare going to pronounce judgment immediately. The executioner has beentold to hold himself in readiness for to-morrow. We have martial law onour side, and the Emperor himself cannot gainsay it."
These words caused Raby to think over what he had done. It was, ofcourse, only too likely that their legal right could be strained beforethe Emperor had any chance of interfering; in this case, he would havelost his head before the latter could prevent it. The thought tormentedhim the whole night through. The strong soul in vain reminded the weakbody which held it that dying was not to be feared, but philosophyavailed nothing before the thought of imminent death.
The next morning found the prisoner restless and wakeful. It was hardlyday ere he heard a number of footsteps approaching his dungeon. The irondoor was thrown open, and a whole crowd burst into his cell, themagistrate and the lieutenant among them, whilst following them, came aman he took to be the public executioner of Pesth.
A sudden faintness overcame him; all seemed to swim before his eyes,and he heard nothing of what they said. The man who looked like theexecutioner began to undress and roll up his shirt-sleeves. Rabyimagined they were going to execute him in prison. Theforbidding-looking wretch then called for assistance, and bid them bringhim his tools.
Raby heaved a deep sigh and folded his arms across his breast, whereatthe whole company burst out laughing. The tools which the man had askedfor were a hammer, a trowel, and a tub of mortar. He was, in fact, noexecutioner, but an ordinary mason, who was going to block up the windowin Raby's cell which overlooked the street, and bore an air-hole in theceiling. They were going to shut out the prisoner from the outside worldaltogether. Henceforth his cell would receive no light but what fellfrom the tiny opening over the door which gave into the court, and wasdarkened with a narrow iron grating.
Moreover, from this day forward, Raby was subjected to dailycross-examination, and every means was tried to entangle him and makehim contradict himself.
The twenty indictments first formulated against him rapidly lengthenedto treble that number. And so it went on for a month, nor did they eversucceed in incriminating him. But it was a painful process for theaccused.
One day the gaoler brought a bird into Raby's cell, a magpie, who by hischattering mightily cheered the captive. The feathered guest sat on hishand, and pecked his finger in a playful way as if it had been an oldfriend. And Raby stroked the soft plumage tenderly, and he guessed itwas Mariska who had sent it to cheer his loneliness which had becomewell-nigh unbearable, and he welcomed it as a comrade. Whilst helistened to it, as it sat on his hand, he would almost forget the ironsthat fettered them, and would, on his return f
rom the court each day,whistle to his little friend on re-entering his cell.
But one day there was no answer to his greeting; all was silent. Rabysought for his pet in every corner of the cell, and at last found thebird strangled, tied to the iron grating, killed by his enemies becauseof the pleasure it had given him.
Had Raby seen one of his own kith and kin dead before him, he could nothave grieved more than he did for this feathered friend. Nor did he getany sympathy from the gaoler, who only laughed when he heard of it. ButRaby implored him not to tell Mariska of the fate of her pet.
That official, however, promptly reported the whole affair to Mariska,and took care to carry her the dead bird. Bitterly she wept over herfavourite, but remembering her father might see she had been crying, shesoon dried her eyes.
But Raby must not be alone; that was the main thing. So she did not longdelay in sending another feathered pet, a titmouse this time, in acage, which she intrusted to the gaoler to carry to the prisoner, but onno account to let him know who sent it. As if Raby would not guess!
The warder placed the cage on the prisoner's bed, murmured some excusefor bringing it, and left him. He did not see Raby fall upon his kneesbefore the cage in a transport of almost hysterical joy. And the littlebird soon became as dear to him as the magpie had been.
But one evening, when he came in from the wearisome cross-examinationthat seemed as if it would never end, lo, and behold, there lay thetitmouse dead in his cage. Someone had fed him with poisoned flies.
Raby implored the gaoler not to bring him any more birds. Henceforth hedetermined not to have these feathered friends sacrificed to him.
All the same, he soon found another pet in the shape of a little mouse,which, like himself, lived in captivity. At first it only timidly putits head out of its hole, and glided shyly and warily along the side ofthe wall; gradually, however, it perceived that the cell's occupant hadstrewn bread-crumbs on the floor, and furtively yet nimbly it pickedthem up. And by degrees it came nearer to the prisoner, and presentlyventured to run up his knees and dared to eat the crumbs that thestranger hand held, and finally, in that same hand, sat on its hindlegs, looking at Raby with the most whimsical expression imaginable onits diminutive face.
Poor Raby! The mouse might well look at him; perhaps it wondered whothis haggard, unkempt man was, with the tangled growth of unshaven beardand lank hair drooping over the hollow eyes, framing a pale, lean face,disfigured by suffering.
This was the beginning of their strange friendship. The mouse wouldsport round him the whole day, or gambol about on his shoulder, and atnight, would, as he lay on his plank bed, watch him from the ceiling,with bright, friendly eyes. Did Raby call to it, it would answer himwith a little responsive squeak, and try to gnaw the links of the chainthat bound the prisoner, with its tiny teeth. But did anyone enter, themouse would hurry back into its hole.
But alas, there came a time when he had to lose even this humblecompanion. One evening he missed him, and only found the poor littlebeast dead in a corner--someone, apparently, having placed rat-poison inits hole. What the prisoner's feelings were, words do not express; hiswhole heart welled over with bitterness at this fresh proof of themalice of his enemies. They were, indeed, evil hearts that could findtheir pleasure in thus tormenting their victim.