"I wish you all good.
"So you have become very well acquainted indeed with your neighbours! and we suspect that you have spent more time tied to their apron-strings than in exercising the garrison. We shall therefore give you something to do.
"We shall expect you to be at Visegrád by eleven o'clock to-morrow morning, and we will there give you our orders. Be prepared for three months' absence from Buda.
"You will not see your neighbour again; she is to be the bride of Aggtelky Mihály, one of our best-beloved and most trusty counts. God be with us.[15]
"Matthias."
[15] Equivalent to our "adieu."
The note was written in the most formally polite style. There was no "gossip" or "little brother," there was not even a "thou" in it—nothing from beginning to end but "your grace," answering indeed to our "you," but a good deal more chilling to those accustomed to the friendly "thee" and "thou."
Michael smothered his wrath as best he could, feeling how much he owed to the king, and that it would be the blackest ingratitude to show passion and resentment because he now crossed his will.
"I will obey His Highness's commands," said he to the page, who at once withdrew.
Then he embraced Esther, and said with a heavy sigh, "All is not lost yet. The king is good, and—God is better. Keep up your heart."
The next morning the young lieutenant-general was at Visegrád by the appointed time, and went at once to the governor, who told him that the king had arrived a couple of hours previously, very irritable and out of humour, as it seemed.
"What can have happened to His Highness?" asked Michael, grieved to hear of the king's ill-humour, and fearing not only that his petition would come at a most unfortunate time, but that the king would not perhaps let him have speech of him at all.
"Eh!" said the governor, "who knows what our good king has to worry him? There's trouble enough in the country just now, that's certain, and he has both his hands full. But I am sure I am not afraid of him; and as for those who vex him, may they suffer for it as they deserve!"
A long hour passed, and still the king did not send for Michael, though the governor had lost no time in announcing his arrival. But at last, after he had waited what to him seemed a very long time, the summons came. The page who brought it looked grave, but beyond that his face betrayed nothing, and Michael hastened with a beating heart into the presence of the master whom he adored, but now, perhaps for the first time in his life, feared to meet.
When he entered the beautiful, well-lighted room, whose painted windows looked out upon the Danube, he found King Matthias seated near an open window, in an arm-chair covered with yellow velvet, and looking more gloomy than he had ever seen him before. He was very plainly, almost carelessly, attired, and near him was his favourite scholar, the librarian Galeotti, who also looked melancholy and stood gazing at vacancy, as if he were trying to peer into the future.
"Is it you?" said Matthias coldly; "you have kept me waiting a long time."
"Mr. King," answered Michael, "I have been here for the past two hours, as you commanded."
"Ah! true, I was forgetting; of course they announced you. Are you prepared for a long journey?"
"A soldier is ready to march without much preparation," said Michael, with a great want of his usual alacrity. "I am ready to receive your Highness's orders."
"Good," said the king. "You will start for Vienna in an hour's time then, with Mr. Galeotti here. He is going on a mission for me to the Emperor Friedrich; and until my friend has completed his business, which may perhaps take six months, you are not to leave him."
Michael said nothing.
"Well?" the king went on, in a tone of impatient annoyance. "Perhaps you don't fancy such an errand; you would prefer, no doubt, to be sent against Axamith,[16] who has effected a lodgment again in the north, as we hear, and is thieving and plundering like a swarm of grasshoppers."
[16] One of the Bohemian freebooters.
"Why should I deny it?" said Michael humbly, well knowing that the king liked the truth even when he was angry. "If Your Highness were disposed to send me on active service somewhere, I should prefer it. But wherever you please to order me, I shall go with a good will; for my life belongs to my king."
"Hm!" said Matthias, fixing his searching eyes upon the speaker; "may be so, but just at present your tongue does not speak the thoughts of your heart."
"Sir! Your Highness!"
"'Highness' I may be, but 'gracious' I am not to-day, am I, Mr. Michael Tornay? You have yourself to thank for it, for you have been putting bad wood on the fire,[17] and you have been going very near what is forbidden fruit."
[17] That is, you have been up to mischief.
"Forbidden fruit?" said Michael, exceedingly cast down by the king's cold treatment of him.
"It is true I did not distinctly forbid it you, but I could not suppose you would take fire so quickly."
Michael said nothing, and the king went on,—
"Don't deny it, for I know everything. You have fallen in love with Esther. It is just fortunate that the girl has more sense than you, and does not trust your fine words."
"I humbly beg your pardon," said Michael, unwilling to let the opportunity slip, "I believe, on the contrary, Your Highness, that Esther—"
"Esther is going to marry Aggtelky Mihály, the Supreme Count," said the king decidedly; "and now that you know this, it will be as well for you to give up thinking of her. To make it easier for you, and to impress it upon your mind, it will not be amiss for you to spend a few months away from Buda."
"Your Highness," Michael began again in an imploring tone.
"Enough!" said the king in a stern voice. "Now both follow me to the castle chapel. You will receive your instructions after service, and then—to Vienna!"
Michael was in the utmost consternation, but he did not venture another word. It was so strange to see the gay, good-natured king thus unlike himself, that he thought he must either be ill, or must have had very bad news from somewhere, or—was it possible?—that some one had been trying to set him against himself, by telling malicious tales. His rapid advancement, and the favour which the king showed him, had, he knew, excited some envy and jealousy. Had some secret enemy then been at work?
But then King Matthias was not given to listening to tales, and if he had heard anything to Michael's discredit, he would have told him of it plainly, and given him the opportunity of clearing himself.
He glanced interrogatively at Galeotti; but the Italian merely shrugged his shoulders to express his entire bewilderment. They were walking behind the king now, towards the chapel, which they found dressed with lovely flowers as if for a festival; but Michael was so engrossed in his own thoughts, so sore at heart, and so hurt by what he felt to be the just king's injustice, that he had no attention to spare for anything else.
They took their places; the shrill tones of a bell were heard, and the service began and proceeded quietly to its close.
The king rose up, and was about to leave the chapel, when he stopped short, saying, "So—I was forgetting! Another little ceremony takes place here to-day, of course. Follow me."
With that he turned towards the vestry, Michael following him with listless steps.
The door was opened by some one within; but Michael's eyes were bent upon the ground, and he saw nothing but the marble floor, until Galeotti twitched him by the sleeve and made him look up. Then he saw what filled him first with amazement and next with passionate indignation.
For there before him, like a beautiful dream, stood Esther—his Esther as he felt her to be, in spite of kings and counts—his Esther, robed in white, with a bridal wreath on her head, and looking as fair and pure as a dove!
Michael turned almost as white as the bride's dress. He had been brought to Visegrád to see her married to the count! That was his first collected thought. Could the king, the master whom he had so loved—could he be so cruel, so heartlessly cruel?
For a moment or two Michael was so torn in pieces between his love for Esther and his love and reverence for the king, that he felt as if he were losing his senses, and might say or do something outrageous.
The king stopped and turned towards him, as if he were about to speak; but Michael did not notice it, for his eyes were fixed upon the bride, and he was trying to master himself.
"Mr. Michael Tornay!"
Michael started at the sound of the king's voice, and looked at him mechanically.
Matthias held in his hand a heavy gold case, with a piece of parchment from which hung a large seal. The clouds had vanished from his face as if by magic, and he was apparently quite himself again, for he looked as bright and pleasant as possible.
"Mr. Michael Tornay," he said in a gay tone, which completed Michael's bewilderment, "you have answered all our expectations. If we have been the making of you, you have given us complete satisfaction in return. You have won our heart by your faithful affection, your valour, and your love and devotion to your country. And now, see, we herewith endow you with an estate for which we have chosen the name of Aggtelky, from one of the properties included in it. We also entrust you with the administration of the county of Szathmár; and that you may not be lonely, and find the time hang heavy on your hands, we propose to give you this naughty little daughter of Eve to torment you.
"What have you to say to this? Will it suit you better than going to Vienna, little brother—eh? Ah! I thought so," as Michael and his bride fell upon their knees, unable for the moment to utter a word. "Then, if the bride is pleased to accept you after all, Mr. Supreme Count Michael Aggtelky, the wedding shall take place at once."
THE END
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Transcriber's Note: The following typographical errors present in the original text have been corrected.
In Chapter I, a period was added after "To be sure".
In Chapter IV, a period was added after "better to be beforehand with them".
The name Zokoli/Zokoly is spelled inconsistently in the original text.