CHAPTER XXXVII.
That year saw the appearance of a strange and new phenomenon in Vienna,namely the first Hungarian newspaper. Then for the first time did theMagyar feel he had a purpose in life, and see that by providing theworld with a certain quantity of news (whether true or otherwise itmattered not to him), he could get for that same news a certain amountof money.
Such was the _debut_ of the _Magyar Hirado_; it was edited in Vienna,and then circulated in Hungary forthwith. Little it mattered to itsreaders what were the news it contained; as long as there was somethingto read was the main concern of its eager public.
And so it was that a copy of the _Magyar Hirado_ found its way to theAssembly House in Pesth, for the head-notary, Tarhalmy, had beenextravagant enough to invest in one. His neighbours borrowed it freely,and many were the messages that Mariska received to ask her to procurefor the senders the loan of the coveted news-sheet. And even the girlherself was not without curiosity to see what this famous journalcontained, though she was too ignorant of Hungarian to be able tounderstand its contents. She fondly imagined that everything thathappened in the world would be written down there as news, and she oftentried to spell out the strange Magyar sentences.
One day, however, after more futile efforts than usual, she summoned upcourage to ask her father the question she had at heart!
"Father, is poor Mathias Raby released?"
Tarhalmy looked at her sadly, he guessed well enough the reason of herstudy of the _Magyar Hirado_.
"This time he is free, child," he answered; "but if he runs into dangeragain, he won't get off so easily."
"Is he really a bad man, father?"
"He is the best man alive, and both just and honourable."
Mariska shook her head with a puzzled air, yet she would find out stillmore now that the ice was broken.
"And the men who prosecute him--are they just also?"
Tarhalmy did not shirk the answer: "No, they are unjust men," he saidshortly.
Mariska grew bolder still, "How is it that a man who is really good canbe ruined by those who are evil?"
"Because it is the way of the world, my child," returned her father.
"Are you vexed with Mathias Raby?" she inquired in a low voice.
"No, I love him as if he were my own son," was the answer.
"And yet you cannot defend him against those who intend him ill?"
"I cannot."
"And why not?"
"Because I myself am on their side."
The girl gazed at him in astonishment.
"My father taking the part of the unjust against the just, how can thatbe?"
"It is a big question which cannot be judged by ordinary standards.Besides, how should a child like you understand?"
Yet Tarhalmy marvelled at the girl's questions; they reached their mark.But he felt he owed her an explanation.
"I will try and make it clear," he said. "Our Emperor is a verywell-meaning man who has the welfare of this country at heart. Hehonestly wants to benefit the people he rules over. But one thing hedoes not understand, and that is the love of the Magyar for his nativeland and his Hungarian institutions. If our mother is sick, do we ceaseto love her? And so it is with Hungary, we, her children, know herweakness and her wants, but we do not cease to love her the less. TheEmperor does not understand us; he wishes to civilise us before we areready for it, to mould us to his own ideals of a nation. He does notwant, as other rulers have done, to crush us, but he would have usdevelop by new and unfamiliar methods. Against force we could opposeforce, yet he does not attempt to coerce us, but seeks only to impose onus the weight of his authority. Thus it is that he sends orders which noone obeys, and there are none of his officials who dare carry them out.The whole body of Hungarian opinion in this land is dead against hisreforms, and will continue to oppose them tooth and nail."
Now all this did not trouble Mariska; she understood so little of it.Moreover, what her father said must be true. Yet she could not see whatthe Emperor's dealings with Hungary had to do with Raby's imprisonment.
"It is a bit difficult for my little girl to grasp, isn't it?" went onTarhalmy kindly. "Unfortunately the Emperor does not understand how todeal with our constitution. For instance, the members of our governingbody are chosen every three years, so that if any among them are provento be unworthy of the office, they can be rejected at the end of theirterm. But the Emperor stretches his prerogative, and rules that theseoffices are to be held for life. And as long as he persists in tamperingwith our constitution and interferes with the existing order in thestate, so long will Hungarians put every hindrance in the way of hisemissaries. Nay, they would rather condone the misdeeds of corruptofficials than reach the hand of fellowship to an idealist like Raby,who is inspired by a noble belief in the righteousness of his mission,and sincerely imagines he is going to free the people of this land fromlong-standing ills. That is why they make him suffer for his boldness,and will make him suffer yet more, if an evil chance brings him hitheronce again. He will find the anger of the entire nation aroused againsthim. Moreover, now that the whole nation is incensed with the Emperorfor carrying on the war against the Turks with his Russian allies, andis refusing him both subsidies and recruits, it is less likely than everto view those who carry out his reforms with favour. And meantime, wehonest well-meaning folk who only desire to live at peace with God andour neighbour as Christians should do, have to stand shoulder toshoulder with rogues and vagabonds to protect our country's interests."
The head-notary turned sadly away and left the room, and Mariska sunkinto a silent reverie. Her father returning, suddenly put his head in atthe door.
"Are you quite sure, little one, that you understand all I have beensaying?" he asked somewhat anxiously.
"Father dear, I am going to write it all down straight away," returnedthe girl, "and may I send it to Raby?" she added shyly.
"You may if you like," whispered Tarhalmy, strangely touched at herrequest.
And Mariska set about making herself a new pen in order to do justice tothe projected document.