CHAPTER XXVII.
_AN AUSTRO-HUNGARIAN ALLIANCE._
"The Joyous" was certainly not acting up to his reputation.
We had just adjourned to the drawing-room after supper, and were sippingour coffee.
The light from the central lamp fell on Baron von Arnstein's ring andminiature.
"Von Theyer was wearing them, poor fellow!" exclaimed Rakoczy gloomily."See! there is a bloodstain on the miniature!"
"Poor fellow, indeed!" cried Dobozy. "I've no patience with you. He isas much to be regretted as a vicious old tusker! Besides, after such aknock-down blow, you were bound to fight."
"The general opinion; though Schlick thought that, as the emperor'sspecial messenger, I acted rightly."
"At all events, you saved my life, John," I interrupted.
"And now," Dobozy answered merrily, "he regrets it!"
"No, no!" cried John. "I would kill a hundred Von Theyers if theythreatened George's safety. Still, this hussar was a splendid soldier,and brave as a lion."
"He was the finest cavalry leader in the Austrian service," I said.
"And tried his very hardest to get you hanged," laughed Dobozy.
"That's so!" exclaimed Rakoczy. "Still, I would rather have slain himon the battlefield than in a duel."
"While he preferred that Botskay should hang," observed Dobozy.
In my dazed state at Arad I had not thought of the consequences whichmust follow Rakoczy's blow, but he and Dobozy knew the Austrian would besatisfied with nothing less than a duel to the death.
Indeed, my carriage had barely departed when several officers gallopedup with demands for the most abject apology, unless my friend wished toreceive challenges from all the officers of the regiment in succession.
To this Rakoczy replied good-humouredly that he had no quarrel with anyone save their colonel, whom he would fight, and referred them to Dobozyas his friend.
A duel was accordingly arranged, in which Von Theyer fell, whereuponGeneral Schlick forbade the officers of the regiment from carrying thematter farther.
All this had been talked over after supper, but the sight of the ringand miniature brought up the subject afresh.
At last, however, Rakoczy, shaking off his depression, settled down toexplain how my pardon was obtained from the emperor.
"In the first place," he began, "everything is owing to Mecsey Sandor,who is the best and trustiest of servants."
Dobozy caused an interruption here by his emphatic approval of theremark.
"Seeing you in the hands of Von Theyer," Rakoczy continued, "he at oncescented mischief, and returned to Gros-Wardein. There he hung abouttill I was set free, when he told me what had happened. Now, it struckme that unless the Austrian had a strong case, you would not have livedto reach the fortress. I scarcely knew how to act. Goergei was inprison, though pardoned, and I had no influence with the Austrianleaders. Here, again, Mecsey Sandor came to the rescue. 'Does not mymaster know some powerful ladies in Vienna?' he asked. That questionfurnished me with a key to undo all the locks."
"Then 'twas the fraeulein who saved my life?" I cried.
"Or her mother," answered Rakoczy slyly. "But you are in a desperatehurry to reach the end of the story, which isn't a compliment to theteller."
"Go on!" I cried impatiently. "So you reached Vienna."
"But not in a second, my friend. The journey took time. However, I didget there, and found the ladies in mourning for the baron. Poor littleTheresa was pale as a ghost, and her eyes were red with much weeping.Really it seemed cruel, to burden them with fresh sorrow. But your lifewas at stake, my boy, so I cast scruples to the winds and told them thestory. They only knew the baron was dead; and when I related how youhad nursed and afterwards buried him, even the baroness thawed andcalled on God to bless you."
"And Theresa?"
"She only spoke with her eyes, and some day you may discover foryourself what they said. To push on with the story, however--Dobozy'spositively yawning!--I told them how you had spoiled Von Theyer'sbeauty, winding up with an account of your imprisonment and almostcertain execution, unless the emperor himself would interfere."
"And they agreed to petition him?"
"Yes. At first the baroness threw cold water on the scheme, saying itcould not succeed; but Theresa wept and prayed so earnestly that hermother consented, and we all three set out immediately for the palace.
"By my advice Theresa sought an audience for herself only. Any woman indistress has influence over a man; but when one's petitioner is youngand beautiful--well, there! You know more about these things than Ido."
"Then the emperor received her?"
"Or you would not be here now. I intended to advise her what to say,but, bless you, she had it all mapped out."
"Trust a woman, old or young, for that," remarked Dobozy.
"'There are four chief points,' she said to me. 'The attempt to saveCount Latour, which ought to count for much; his protection of my motherand myself; his kindness to my father, who was a great favourite withthe young archduke before he ascended the throne; and his steadyopposition to the scheme of separation.'"
"And the last is not the least," said I, delighted to find she hadthought about it all.
"Well, we waited in the courtyard of the palace, the baroness seated inher comfortable carriage, I on horseback. About sixty times an hour Iopened my watch--not the battered one--and wondered what was happeningin the audience-chamber. Every time a door opened or a servant of thepalace moved, my heart leaped to my mouth. The baroness, stately anddignified, sat bolt upright, as if nothing under the sun could troubleher, though I believe she felt keenly, nevertheless."
"These people," exclaimed Dobozy with an air of wisdom, "never obtrudetheir feelings in public."
"A second hour passed," continued Rakoczy, "and half of the third, whena door was opened, and Theresa, accompanied by a perfect escort of highfunctionaries, made her appearance. The first glance assured me all wasright.
"She had been weeping--the tear-stains being still on her face--but hereyes were bright and sparkling now, and she ran to my horse's head withan _abandon_ that must have shocked her mother.
"'Ride, Herr Rakoczy!' she exclaimed. 'Do not waste a second! Here isyour friend's pardon, signed by the emperor's own hand. No, don't stopto thank me. If--if--oh, it would be too terrible!' and without amoment's warning she burst into tears.
"I was going to comfort her, but she dried her eyes, declared she wasstupid, and skipped off to the carriage.
"Then I doffed my hat to the ladies, wished them farewell, and gallopedoff. Luckily for you--and others--I arrived at Arad just in time."
By his mention of _others_ I guessed there still remained something tobe cleared up. But first I wished to make sure about a little matterwhich caused me some anxiety.
"How will Theresa learn that your journey ended successfully?" I asked.
"From the palace, no doubt. However, I took the liberty of sending atrusty messenger with a letter in which I stated that, as soon as youwere strong enough, you would pay your thanks in person."
"Which I most certainly will do. Now tell me, please, whom you meant bythe _others_."
"That's Dobozy's yarn, not mine."
"Or rather Mecsey's."
"And it had something to do with a public rescue?"
Dobozy laughed.
"About the maddest idea that ever occurred to any man outside the wallsof a lunatic asylum. I never spent such a bad half-hour in my life.But for the colonel's arrival, I really can't say what would havehappened. Mecsey was in deadly earnest, and he had so worked on the menof your old regiment that they were ready for anything."
"But the plan?" I exclaimed. "There must have been at least someglimmering of a plan?"
"Well, you see, this servant of yours believes in having two strings tohis bow. According to him, the colonel's mission might or might notprove a success; so i
t was as well not to depend on it altogether.People say one fool makes many, and it was certainly so in this case.Learning that the 9th Honveds were to be dismissed, Mecsey pounced onthe men, and wheedled them into promising their help. Then he came tome, explained what was going on, and asked me to lead. I pointed outthe wickedness and folly of the scheme, but Mecsey was far superior toarguments. With a proper leader, he said, the men would win; withoutone they would fail; and if I wanted the thing to be wrecked, of courseI wouldn't join. Well, to cut a long story short, I agreed. We gottogether all the weapons we could--long knives and axes mostly, thoughsome of us had pistols--and waited.
"Mecsey was just urging me to give the signal for a rush at theplatform, when some one in the secret sighted the colonel, and we knewit was all right."
"What an awful thing it would have been!" I exclaimed with a shudder.
"Well," said Dobozy, "the colonel saved the situation by about twominutes. I really believe though that Mecsey was a bit disappointed.He had a swift horse in waiting, and all we had to do was to rush theplatform, knock over the soldiers, and carry you off before theAustrians were aware of what was taking place. Mecsey would have made agreat general."
"Now, George," exclaimed Rakoczy, when he had finished laughing at theidea of General Mecsey Sandor, "remember we haven't heard yet how youcame to fall into the hands of the Austrians. It was rumoured in camp,before the surrender, that you were killed at Debreczin."
"Rumour would probably have proved true, but for the inestimableMecsey," I replied. "He turned up as usual in the right place at theright moment, nursed me in the house of a good Samaritan, and journeyedwith me to Vilagos. There we parted, as I expect he's told you."
"Yes; and the reason," said Rakoczy warmly.
"Well, instead of helping you out of a scrape, I got into one," and Irelated my adventures while with the band of robbers.
Both my listeners expressed astonishment at the conduct of Count Beula,and Dobozy frankly praised the bandit-chief for having hanged him.
"Yet he bore himself like a thorough soldier in the field," saidRakoczy, who rarely looked at the dark spots, even in the sun. "You maydepend his nerves were overstrung. As to this Batori Gabor, I knew himwell years ago. He belongs to a good family, but he fell foul of theAustrian police over some political matters, and took to the plains. Iunderstand he did the enemy no end of damage during the war."
"He must be a daring fellow," exclaimed Dobozy with enthusiasm. "Thatwas a bold venture, to creep into the kitchen amongst all thosehussars."
"Almost as bold as Mecsey," I answered with a laugh; "but it is perhapsas well neither of them succeeded."
"Better," said Rakoczy, "as success in either case would have made youan outlaw; whereas you are now a free man."
"With liberty to visit Vienna whenever you like," laughed Dobozy; "butisn't it almost bed-time?"
Here, practically, my adventures with the red, white, and green flagcome to an end. From that night in my old home with Dobozy and "Johnthe Joyous" I date the beginning of a new life.
Gratitude, of course, and my promise to the dying baron took me toVienna, where my reception encouraged me to pay several further visits,and in process of time my old friend's forecast was fulfilled. Theresabecame my wife after her mother's death, and now there is no keenerMagyar in all Hungary than Madame Botskay.
Every year we spend a couple of months in beautiful Pesth, and generallyanother month with the paralyzed Count Arnim and his wife, with both ofwhom Theresa is a great favourite, as indeed she is with most people.
The redoubtable Mecsey Sandor, who makes as faithful a steward as asoldier-servant, fairly worships her; and this is the more wonderful,because the honest fellow heartily detests the whole German race.
Mecsey is perfectly happy and comfortable, and spends his leisure timein describing over and over again the stirring events of the greatcampaign.
Occasionally Arthur Goergei--now a poor man living in retirement--comesto see us, and I need hardly say that no one save "John the Joyous"himself is ever more heartily welcomed.
Some men--but none on my estates--call him a traitor, and assert that hesold our country to the Russians. If Goergei betrayed his country, weof his army were accomplices in his treachery, and this is the proof.
We marched hundreds of miles, often bare-footed, over rough and stonyground; we half froze in the winter's cold, and fainted beneath thescorching heat of summer; for weeks together we lived on a scanty rationof black bread and water; we stormed fortresses and fought terriblebattles when the odds were all against us; and the man whose spirit,courage, and leadership made these things possible was Arthur Goergei.
If such deeds as these were acts of treachery, then indeed were we alltraitors, and our leader was far and away the greatest.
But the men who spoke thus wildly applauded Louis Kossuth as the mostglorious patriot in history, and Kossuth was a fugitive in the land ofthe Turks!
It is the usual rule that the losers should be called on to pay for thegame, and our opponents adhered to it closely.
With the exception of Goergei and Klapka, our chiefs were seized by theAustrians, and, after a mock trial, sentenced to death. Aulich,Damjanics, Nagy Sandor, with ten others, all perished on one day; whileat Pesth the high-spirited Batthiany, the true leader of the nationalparty, was shot in the presence of several thousands of his sorrowingcountrymen.
Hungary indeed lay crushed under the heel of her Russian and Austrianconquerors, but since that day many events have happened. Our libertieshave been restored, and now our country takes its rightful place as theally and not the vassal of the haughty Hapsburg dominion.
A quarter of a century later, when my own boys, Stephen and John, werespringing into early manhood, we all journeyed to Pesth to see theEmperor Francis Josef crowned King of Hungary.
"John the Joyous" was with us, and though his hair was sprinkled withwhite streaks, his heart had never felt lighter.
The boys were chiefly occupied in gazing at the gorgeous spectacle--theermine-trimmed velvet cloaks of the councillors, the flashing mail ofthe nobles, the sparkling diamonds and precious stones, the magnificenthorses, the robes and mitres of the officiating priests.
To them it was a splendid procession; to us it was the fruition of hopeslong deferred.
We thought of Goergei, of my brother Stephen, and of all the gallant menwho had laid down their lives for the cause, and I think it wassomething more than the sun's rays which brought the water to our eyes.
And when the Austrian Emperor, robed in the embroidered mantle of St.Stephen, and crowned with the sacred crown, swore as King of Hungary toguard her rights and liberties against all foes, our hearts were full.
We felt that in the years long past our loyalty to the red, white, andgreen flag had not been altogether in vain.
THE END.
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