CHAPTER XIII.
_A VISIT FROM STEPHEN._
The surgeon, who could do nothing further, slipped out quietly, askingas he went if he should send any one to bear me company.
I shook my head, preferring to keep that solemn watch alone.
In truth, my heart was exceedingly sad both for the dying man and forhis dear ones in Vienna, who would await his return in vain.
The manner of his death also sorely grieved me. Certainly my hand hadnot struck him down, but Sandor had slain him to save my life.
It was foolish, perhaps, to dwell on the thought, but I could not thrustit out. I felt that but for me the baron would still have been at thehead of his regiment.
The house was very still, and even the noises from the captured townfailed to reach me.
The fires in the street had been extinguished, but now the glowingcrimson of the setting sun flooded the room, and as its light fellathwart the bed the dying man moved restlessly.
"Let it burn!" he muttered. "All the better for us. Ready? Mind youraim! Fire!"
His eyes were wide open, gazing with intense keenness across the room.
"Ach!" he continued. "They have it now! Who? The colonel? That willstop them! Sorry--knew him--Vienna. What? Again? Steady now! Herethey come!"
His brow was wet with perspiration, and, as I bent over to wipe it off,the dying glory of the sun shone full into my face.
At this the baron's excitement increased, and he muttered to himself ata great rate, while I, dipping a rag in water, bathed his foreheadcontinually.
By degrees he became calmer; the wild light died from his eyes; heceased to mutter, and presently looked into my face with a reasoningthough puzzled expression.
"George Botskay," I said, trying to help his memory. "Don't you know?You stood my friend in Vienna."
He smiled faintly, but with intelligence, and, moving his hand, pointedto the window, as if wishing to direct my attention to somethingoutside.
"The barricade?" I ventured questioningly.
He smiled again and dropped his hand in mine.
"Good lad," he murmured; "I saw and understood--afterwards."
"I am sorry," I began; but he checked me, saying,--
"A soldier's death, my boy. That is best--for me."
He was getting very weak now, and I heard him with great difficulty.
Some words I did not hear at all, and others only imperfectly; but Imanaged to understand what he wished done, and promised to do it.
His requests, poor fellow, were very simple. He desired only that theminiature of his wife, which hung round his neck, should be given toTheresa, and his massive wedding-ring to the baroness.
As I gently drew the latter from his finger, his mind wandered oncemore, and he talked to himself of bygone days and events of which I knewnothing.
From the delights of peace he passed to the horrors of the battlefield,and then right back to the time of his childhood, when he was a happy,careless boy at his mother's side.
Here he ended, and, rather to my surprise, just as the last gleam of thesetting sun faded, he died with the sacred name of "mother" on his lips.
Taking a long look at the face now so calm and still, I covered itreverently, and went away on tiptoe, as if the noise of my footstepscould disturb the dead.
Outside I met the colonel, and returned with him to the room.
"Poor fellow!" he exclaimed, after gazing a moment at the white face."What a blow for the pretty fraeulein! I'll warrant he made an idol ofher. War's an awful thing, George, when you come to strip the gildingoff. I would not like to have the responsibility of one on my shoulders,though I'm a soldier born and bred. How many thousands of widows andorphans are cursing us at this very moment! Well, well; we must givethe baron a decent funeral in the morning," and he led me away.
The town seemed very quiet after the tremendous uproar of the day.
The fires had been put out; the Austrians were in retreat; and our armywas chasing them into that very mountain district where Goergei had ledus in January.
Our own regiment, having suffered so severely, was left behind, and Ireally felt glad of the change.
The colonel had taken up his quarters in a decent house, and there atsupper we were joined by the surviving officers of the regiment.
Several of the absentees were dead, but the majority were in hospital,and, though badly wounded, expected to recover.
"Just like our luck!" said the colonel, as we sat chatting over what hadhappened. "We took the very strongest street in the town. The otherfellows had a pleasure jaunt, compared with our march."
"Who was the Austrian officer?" asked a sublieutenant. "I hope heescaped; he was a splendid chap."
"That was Baron von Arnstein," the colonel replied. "I'm sorry to say hewas killed. I mean to bury him to-morrow with military honours."
"He deserves all the respect we can show him," Dobozy chimed in.
"There's one thing puzzles me, colonel," I said, "and that is, how youescaped. I saw you fall, and thought you were dead."
For the first time that night Rakoczy's face lit up with his genialsmile.
"I carry a bullet-catcher," he answered pleasantly; and taking a massivegold watch from his breast-pocket, he handed it to me.
"They've spoiled it as a time-keeper," he continued, "but it will comein as a curiosity."
The watch had a double cover, and was enclosed in a bag of thick chamoisleather, a part of which had been forced into the case by the impact ofthe bullet.
The case itself was badly battered and the works smashed.
I passed it to the other fellows, who examined it in profoundastonishment and warmly congratulated the colonel on his marvellousescape.
"Yes," said he brightly; "but for that watch Goergei might have lookedfor a new colonel."
"We prefer to keep our old one, though he does wear a watch that won'ttell the time," I remarked.
Dobozy asked if it could be mended, but the colonel said he preferredkeeping it as it was, which I certainly should have done.
We did not sit long, having to rise early; and in the morning, as soonas it could be managed, Rakoczy turned out the regiment to pay the lasthonours to our valiant opponent.
We buried him in the Catholic cemetery, where I made arrangements for ahandsome stone to be erected in his memory. It stands there to thisday.
When all was over, the men marched back to the strains of martial music,while I felt as sorrowful as if we had been assisting to bury a valuedfriend.
Fortunately, a soldier on active service has little leisure in which toindulge his grief, and thus it was with me now.
So greatly had the regiment lost in officers that the survivors werecompelled to do more than double duty, and for several days I had not anhour to myself.
One event, though not exactly bearing on my story, must be chronicled,since it shows the generosity of Goergei's nature.
During the fierce fighting on the ninth of April the Austrian general,Gatz, had fallen while at the head of his men, and our chief, anxious tohonour the memory of a gallant adversary, did on a large scale what wehad done for Von Arnstein, and accorded him a magnificent militaryfuneral.
The display was of a most imposing description, and when the body of thebrave Austrian had been laid to rest, the ceremony was concluded by thedischarge of a hundred guns.
Meanwhile, grave events were taking place. Just as the battle ofIsaszeg had cut off the Austrian right wing, so now their left wascompletely broken up, and it became plain that Windischgratz mustevacuate Pesth.
"Another stroke like the last," said Rakoczy one evening as we satchatting in his room, "and the thing will be done."
"Unless Kossuth's party should try to drive too hard a bargain."
"Oh no," replied the colonel cheerfully. "The Austrians know exactlywhat we want. The emperor has only to be crowned King of Hungary, andswear to restore our ancient r
ights. He will do that as soon as ourarmy appears under the walls of Vienna."
"It isn't much, especially when--"
A loud banging at the door cut the sentence short, and in walked mybrother, looking flushed and excited.
Neither of us had seen him since the meeting at Isaszeg, and we had notthe faintest notion he was in Waitzen.
He shook hands with us warmly, drank a glass of wine which Rakoczypoured out, and sat down.
"Care to turn in?" asked the colonel. "My bed's doing nothing, and youlook tired."
Stephen shook his head. "I'm off in a couple of hours; only waiting torest my horse."
"There's nothing wrong, I hope?"
"Nothing wrong!" exclaimed my brother. "Everything's wrong! Haven'tyou heard the news from Debreczin? Here, read this!" and he drew aprinted paper from his pocket.
The colonel spread it on the table, and as he read the contents aloud Ibegan to understand the meaning of Stephen's words.
The document, signed by the members of the National Diet, proclaimed invigorous language the independence of Hungary. The House ofHapsburg-Lorraine was deposed, its members banished from the country,and Hungary, as a free state, was to be governed by Kossuth.
"What do you think of it?" asked Stephen testily, as if we had drawn upthe proclamation.
"'Twould be rather more to the point to know what Goergei thinks of it,"the colonel replied in his cool way. "I suppose he wasn't consulted overthis--waste paper?"
"Yes he was, and went dead against it. Kossuth came to Godolo, andthere was a very stormy meeting, I can tell you."
"What did Goergei say?"
"That we didn't want a republic, and wouldn't have one. That oursoldiers were royalists, and in arms to defend the constitution--not todepose the king. In short, that Kossuth's scheme would plunge thecountry into misery."
"It means a Russian invasion," remarked Rakoczy. "It means the loss ofall the Sclavonic states, and Hungary dragooned into another Poland."
My brother tossed his head contemptuously. "We would chance all that,"he said. "A Magyar doesn't stop to count the odds against him; but wearen't going to spill blood like water, just to make Kossuth dictator!"
"We can't draw back now," I said.
"That's just it. We must either continue fighting, or desert ourcountry when it has the greatest need of us."
"Stuff!" said Stephen. "Were I Goergei, I would settle the matter in amonth."
Rakoczy bubbled over with laughter; but, seeing how much in earnest mybrother was, he tried hard to keep a straight face, and asked how heproposed to do it.
"It's very simple," Stephen replied. "The army is devoted to Goergei,and will do what he wishes. Let him swoop down on the Austrians, winanother battle--which would be easy enough--and then offer to close thewar, on condition that our ancient rights are restored."
"And what of this?" I asked, laying my hand on the declaration ofindependence.
"Pooh! It will be useful to the people for wrapping up parcels."
"I believe the plan would work out all right," said Rakoczythoughtfully, "but we mustn't try it. Don't you see, my boy, that itwould open a civil war, and we should have to join the Austrians incrushing our own people. No, no. Rather let Hungary become an Austrianfief than that Magyar should destroy Magyar."
"The other side doesn't study that."
"All the more reason why we should. How would you like to help theAustrians burn down Pesth, because Louis Kossuth was inside it?"
Stephen turned away with a shudder. "It seems that we must tie our ownhands," he remarked gloomily.
"You've hit it exactly; but we can untie them to fight against theenemy. By the way, our acquaintance, Baron von Arnstein, is dead."
"I'm sorry to hear that. What a blow to his pretty daughter!"
"And to the baroness. But come; in the general excitement I quiteforgot to ask you to eat," and the colonel ordered supper to be laidimmediately.
We had barely finished when a clatter of hoofs was heard outside, and asoldier brought word that Captain Botskay's horses were ready.
"Then I must go," exclaimed my brother, "though that wretched paper hastaken the heart out of my work."
"Yes," said the colonel, after he had gone. "This precious documentwill work the cause more harm than the loss of a dozen battles."
Now I would not have you suppose we bore any ill-will to Louis Kossuthand his party; but we did not belong to them, their aims were not ours,and, in addition, we believed they were grasping at more than they wereable to hold.
Of Kossuth's genius and marvellous eloquence, of his untiring energy,his passionate love for Hungary and hatred to Austria, I have alreadyspoken.
He caused the raw material of armies to start from the soil; he createdmoney, manufactured guns, turned the ploughshares into swords andbayonets, stored ammunition, roused the people to the highest pitch ofenthusiasm, and was, in short, the mainspring of the revolution amongstthe civilians.
He did not profess to be a soldier, and the taunts that he neverappeared on the battle-field, except to run away, I held to be bothunjust and ungenerous. His place was at the council chamber, not in thecamp. Whether he was ambitious for himself, I know not; and it matterslittle, as the gulf between us was so vast that it could not be bridged.
We, the party of the nobles and most of the old soldiers in Goergei'sarmy, wished only to regain our ancient rights. Kossuth and his friendsopenly endeavoured to make Hungary into a republic. In the days of ouradversity the little rift was not seen; now it suddenly became a yawningchasm.
From the general to the private arose murmurs of discontent, and Iverily believe that, had Goergei done what my brother proposed, he wouldhave carried the army with him to a man.
Some even to this day blame him for not exerting his strength at thecritical moment; but when I think of the awful misery which must havefollowed, I am glad that he acted as he did. Each day now brought usnews of some further success. Everywhere the Austrians fell back, untilat length we heard that our centre had entered Pesth, which the enemyhad evacuated on the previous day.
Much to our surprise, there came with this information an order for the9th Honveds to fall back on the capital.
Rakoczy, of course, instantly set about obeying, but he was obviouslyill at ease, as Goergei was still chasing the flying Austrians toPresburg.
"It seems to me we ought to march forward to Vienna, not back to Pesth,"he exclaimed.
I pointed out that the Austrians had probably left a garrison in Buda.
"Well? What of it?" he asked. "You don't suppose we're going to wasteprecious time there, while the imperialists rally? Why, all we have todo now is to keep them running till they reach Vienna. I really thoughtyou were a better soldier than that, George."
"I daresay you will find me up to the government standard," I replied,laughing at the wry face he made.
Several of the officers and many of the men were by this time fit toresume duty, but numerous familiar faces were still missing when theregiment started on its way to Pesth.
We found the capital filled with citizens and soldiers in a state ofhigh glee. Now that the Austrians had really disappeared, they thoughtthat the war was over and done with.
Our regiment, which received quite an ovation from the crowd, wasquartered in the barracks, and during several days we had leisure toroam about the bright and beautiful city.
The red, white, and green stripes fluttered proudly from the tops of themagnificent palaces. Nobles and ladies rode by in handsome carriagesdrawn by fine Hungarian horses. The streets were crowded by soldiers inuniform and citizens dressed in the national costume. Every one was inthe highest spirits and the utmost good-humour.
One blot existed on the pleasant scene--the black and yellow flagfloating from the Buda fortress (on the other side of the river), whichsheltered General Hentzi with 3,000 veterans and 90 guns; but for themoment it was ignored.
"What a magnificent spectacle
!" exclaimed Rakoczy, as we strolled onemorning along the river embankments, and gazed at the blue waters of themighty Danube. "I sometimes think there can scarcely be a finer sightin the world than the twin cities present. Look at the Blocksberg onthe other side of the river."
"A fine place to batter the fortress from," I said.
"Oh! let us forget the war a bit; we shall soon be in harness again."
"Very well. We'll talk about the feats of civilization. There's a fineexample!" and I pointed to that triumph of engineering skill, the noblesuspension bridge built by an Englishman named Clarke; it joins the twocities by spanning the river.
I had rarely seen my friend so strangely moved. His face became quitesad, his eyes were dim, and when he spoke his voice was husky.
"Hungary owes that, as she owes almost everything else in modern years,to as true a patriot as ever lived," he said softly. "You did not knowCount Stephen Szechenyi?"
"Only by repute," I answered.
"No; his best work was done before your time. He was Hungary's greatman, George. Kossuth, Batthiany, and Goergei have simply entered intothe fruits of his labour. He built the foundations sure, and firm, andstrong. It was in '25 that he rose in the Diet, and addressed theassembly in the Magyar tongue; till then the debates had been conductedin Latin. He toiled early and late, in season and out of season. Hegave his fortune, his brains, his leisure, to his country; even hisreason was sacrificed; and now, a broken and helpless wreck, he is aninmate of an Austrian lunatic asylum. Patriot and martyr, he has beencast aside like a broken reed. The people have a fresh hero now--onewho can tickle their fancies and flatter their vanity by his burningeloquence--a brand-new hero, my boy. Let the old one go rot."
We walked on a little way in silence, and then with his usual cheerysmile my companion added,--
"The fit doesn't come often, and is soon over, but it's hot while itlasts. Really, though, when I think of Count Stephen's ruined life, andhow he was tossed aside at last, I feel awfully wild. Now let us turnback; there's still time for a stroll in the town before we are due atthe barracks. Hallo! there's Count Beula. Pass him with a nod if youcan; I don't like that fellow."
However, the count, whom we had not seen since the revolt in Vienna, hadno mind that we should pass unrecognized.
He was dressed in the uniform of a staff officer, and walked with amilitary swagger that was not without a certain grace.
At first he affected astonishment at seeing us in the Honved uniform,saying he thought we had joined the Austrians. Then he congratulated uson the declaration of independence, and hoped we should have a part inthe capture of Buda.
All this he spoke in the smoothest tones, choosing his words so thatthey might wound and yet afford no handle for offence, smiling when hehurt us most, pretending he thought we were pleased, and inquiring forStephen, whom he hated, as if the two were the closest friends.
I, being young, could not conceal my annoyance; but Rakoczy gave thecount smile for smile, jest for jest, praise of Kossuth in return forpraise of Goergei, and, in fact, as the French say, a Roland for hisOliver every time.
"A clever, smooth-tongued rascal," exclaimed he, when at length thecount took himself off. "I wonder where he has been."
"At Debreczin, most likely; he's just the sort of man to do hissoldiering in the drawing-room."
"I'm not so sure of that. A boaster isn't always a coward. Did youhear what he said about the taking of Buda?"
"Yes."
"That comes from Kossuth, you may depend; and if so, all is lost."
"Unless Goergei interferes."
"Ah!" said the colonel, "he loves his country too much for that," and wewalked on without further conversation.