by Mór Jókai
PART IX
SATAN AND DEMON
CHAPTER I
There was a notorious troop with Napoleon's army, the sixth Italianregiment, which was called the "Legion of Demons."
The troop was made up of worthless members of society--idlers,highwaymen, outcasts, and desperate characters, who had lost all senseof respectability and morality. The majority of them had sought theasylum of the battle-field to escape imprisonment or worse.
When their commander led his "demons" to an attack, he was wont to urgethem thus:
"_Avanti, avanti, Signori briganti! Cavalieri ladroni, avanti!_"("Forward, forward, Messieurs Highwaymen! My chivalrous footpads,forward!")
A division of this legion of demons had made its way with the vice-kingof Italy thus far through the belt-line, and had been intrusted with themission mentioned in De Fervlans's letter to General Guillaume. Themarquis commanded this body of the demons, he having, as ColonelBarthelmy in the Austrian army, become thoroughly familiar with thatpart of Hungary.
* * * * *
Lisette and Satan Laczi's little son were living alone at the NamelessCastle.
When Marie, who was come in quest of her friend Cambray, rang the bell,the door was opened by the lad.
"Is there a strange gentleman here?" she asked.
"I don't know. He went to see Lisette, and I did not see him come away,"was the reply.
"Then let me come in," said the young girl. "I want to speak to Lisette,too."
"She will beat me if I let you come in," returned the boy, opening thedoor after a moment's hesitation.
The fumes of camphor were perceptible even in the vestibule; and whenMarie's little conductor knocked at the door of the kitchen, a heapingshovelful of hot and smoking coals was thrust toward him, and a scoldingvoice demanded irritably:
"What do you want again? Why do you keep annoying me, you littletorment!"
"Excuse me, Lisette," humbly apologized the lad, "but our young mistressfrom the manor is here."
At this announcement Lisette hastily shut the door again, and opened asmall loophole in an upper panel, through which she spoke in a sharptone:
"Why do you come here? Has the Lord forsaken you over yonder, that youcome back to this pest-house? Get out of it as quickly as you can. Godown and hide yourself in the Schmidt's cottage--perhaps they will notbetray you. Anyway, you can't stop here with us."
"That is just what I mean to do, Lisette,--stop here with you,"smilingly responded Marie. "Where is my friend Cambray?"
"How should I know where he is? A pretty question to ask me! He is n'tanywhere. He has gone to bed, and you can't see him."
"I shall hunt till I find him, Lisette."
"Well, you will do as you like, of course; but you will not find M.Cambray, for he does n't want to see you."
"Very well," returned Marie. Then to the lad by her side, "Come withme, Laczko; we will hunt for the gentleman."
Lisette was beside herself with terror at the danger which threatenedMarie; but before she could utter another word, the young girl and herlittle escort had disappeared down the corridor.
There was a great change everywhere in the castle. The floors werecovered with muddy foot-tracks; huge nails had been driven into thevarnished walls, and great heaps of dust, straw, and hay lay about onthe inlaid floors of the halls and salon. Marie hardly recognized herformer immaculate asylum.
She called, with her clear, soft-toned voice, into every room, "Cambray!father! art thou here?" but received no reply.
Then she mounted the staircase to her own apartment. The door was openlike all the rest, but a first glance told Marie that the room had notbeen used until now. Lisette, beyond a doubt, had lodged her respectedguest in this only habitable chamber.
Marie entered and looked about her. The metal screen was down!
She hastened toward it. There was a light burning in the alcove, and shecould see through the links by placing her eyes close to them. The nobleold knight was lying on the bare floor, with his hands forming a pillowfor his head. His glassy eyes were fixed and staring, and burning with astartling brightness. His parched lips were half-open, as if he werespeaking.
"Cambray! father!" called Marie; in a tone of distress.
"Who calls? Marie?" gasped the fever-stricken man, making a vain attemptto rise. He fell back with a deep groan, but flung out his hand as if toward off her approach.
"Let me come in, Cambray. It is I, your little Marie. Please let mecome in. There, close to your right hand, is a button in the floor.Press it, and this screen will rise."
The sick man began to laugh; only his face showed that he was laughing,no sound came from his parched throat. He was laughing because he hadprevented his favorite from coming to his pestilential resting-place.
Marie deliberated a moment, then decided to resort to stratagem:
"If you will not let me come in to you, papa Cambray," she called,simulating a petulant tone, "I shall go away, and not come back again.If you should want anything there will be a little boy here, outside;you can summon him by pressing that button. Good night, dear papaCambray!"
The sick man turned his face toward the screen and listened in dreamyecstasy to the sweet voice. He raised his hand, waved it weakly towardthe speaker, then clasped it with the other on his breast, while hislips moved as if in prayer.
"Go fetch candles, and the tinder-box," whispered Marie to the littleLaczko. "Place them here by the sofa, then light the lamp in thecorridor."
"May I fetch my gun, too?" asked the boy.
"Your gun? What for?"
"I should n't be afraid if I had it with me."
"Then fetch it; but don't come into the room with it, for I amdreadfully afraid of guns. Leave it just outside the door."
It was quite dark when Laczko returned with the candles and a heavydouble-barreled fowling-piece. He carefully placed the latter in thecorner, then asked:
"Shall I light the candles now?"
"Certainly not. I don't want the gentleman to know that I am here. Maybehe may want something, and open the screen. I am going to lie down onthis sofa, and you are to stand close by the alcove and watch thegentleman. If he should lift the screen, and I have fallen asleep, youmust waken me at once."
Marie wrapped herself in her shawl, and lay down on the leather couch.Laczko took up his station as directed, close by the metal screen,through which he peered from time to time.
But there was no danger of Marie falling asleep. She could not even keepher eyes closed. Every few moments she would sit up and ask in acautious whisper:
"What is he doing now?"
"He is tossing from side to side."
This reply was repeated several times.
At last the answer came that the invalid was perfectly quiet, whereuponMarie decided not to inquire again for an hour.
Suddenly she heard the lad say, in a trembling voice:
"I am dreadfully frightened."
"What of?" whispered Marie.
"The gentleman lies so still. He has n't stirred for a long time."
"He is asleep, I dare say."
"If he were sleeping his breast would rise and fall; but he is perfectlystill."
Marie rose, and hastened to the screen. The smoking wick in thenight-lamp near Cambray's head illumined his ghastly face. Marie hadalready seen one such pallid countenance--that of the old servant Henrywhen he lay dead on his bier.
She shuddered, and retreated with trembling limbs, drawing the lad withher.
"You may light the candle now," she whispered; "then we will go back toLisette."
Laczko lighted the candle, then shouldered his gun, and preceded hisyoung mistress down the staircase to the lower story.
They had almost reached the door of Lisette's room when Marie, who hadbeen peering sharply ahead, stopped abruptly, and exclaimed in astartled tone:
"There is a man!"
Even as she spoke a dark form stepped from a doorway into the corridor
in front of them. Marie retreated several steps; but her little escortproved that he was made of sterner stuff. He placed himself valiantly infront of his young mistress, laid his gun against his cheek, and aimingdirectly for the stranger's breast, said, in a brave tone:
"Halt, or I will shoot you."
"That's my brave lad," commented the stranger. "But don't shoot. It isI, your father."
"Don't come any nearer, I tell you!" responded the lad, threateningly.
"Why, I am not moving a muscle, lad; don't be foolish."
"What do you want here?" demanded Laczko. "I will not let you do anyharm to my mistress."
Here Marie, who had recovered from her alarm, came forward, and laid herhand over her small defender's eyes.
"Take down your gun, Laczko," she commanded. Then turning to thestranger asked: "What do you want, my good man?"
For answer the man merely pronounced a name:
"Sophie Botta."
Without an instant's hesitation, and although she shudderedinvoluntarily when her eyes fell on the stranger's repulsivecountenance, the young girl went close to his side, and said calmly:
"What do you wish me to do?"
Satan Laczi held the thumb-ring toward her, and said:
"The person who wears this sent me to fetch you away from here. Are youready to come with me at once?"
"I am," replied Marie, who seemed unable to remove her eyes from thehideously ugly face before her.
"My master," continued the ex-robber, "also bade me fetch a little steelcasket. Do you know where it is hidden?"
"The person who had it in her care has already taken it to your master,"was Marie's response.
"Ah, she has taken it to him?" repeated Satan Laczi. "Then it is allright. I know now what I have to do. My master bade me convey you to aplace of concealment; but my face is not exactly the sort to winanybody's confidence. Besides, I know some one who can perform thiserrand as well as I. The way to Raab is clear. Instead of taking youthere myself, my wife will go with you. I think you would rather haveher for a companion?"
"Yes, I think I would rather go with a woman," diplomatically assentedMarie.
"As an additional protection, take this little lad with you." Here theex-robber laid his hand on his son's shoulder, and looked proudly downon him. "His heart is already in the right place. And then he is not awicked rascal like his father."
He was silent a moment, then added: "But I intend to reform. When mymaster has spoken with the woman to whom he intrusted his treasures, andif she has not betrayed him, then I know where he will be to-morrow. AndSatan Laczi will be there, too! Then I and my comrades will show themwhat we can do. But come, we must make haste, and get on as far aspossible while the moon is shining."
"But I am not properly clad for a journey," interposed Marie.
"My wife brought a nice warm _bunda_ to wrap you in; it is in thecarriage out yonder," returned the ex-robber.
"One word first: you are acquainted with the man who made the metalscreen in my apartments. Could you see him?"
"He is in Count Vavel's service, and I can see him when I return to thecamp."
"Then tell him to come to the Nameless Castle at once. He understandsthe secret spring of the screen, behind which he will find a dead man.This man was a very good friend, and I want him properly buried."
"I will give Master Matyas your order."
Marie now took leave of the Nameless Castle, feeling that she wouldnever again come back to it. But she had not the courage to enter herapartments again.
The four-horse coach waited at the park gate. Marie entered it, wrappedthe warm sheep-skin around her, and tied a cotton kerchief over her headin peasant fashion. Satan Laczi's wife took a seat by her side; thelittle Laczko climbed to the coachman's box, where he sat with his gunbetween his knees. Then the coachman cracked his whip, and the vehiclerattled down the road amid a cloud of dust. Satan Laczi looked after thecoach until it disappeared around a turn in the road. Then he blew ashrill blast on his whistle, whereupon a number of wild-looking men,each armed to the teeth, emerged from the shrubbery and came toward him.Whispered orders were given, then the men in a body moved toward thewillow-copse on the shore of the lake. Here were two flatboats drawn upon the beach. These were pushed into the water; the men entered them,each took an oar, and the unwieldy vessels were propelled along theshore toward the marshes.
The Marquis de Fervlans had camped with his company of demons on theshore of Neusiedl Lake. The marquis himself had taken quarters at theinn in the nearest village, where, assisted by two companions ofquestionable respectability but of undoubted valor, he was testing thequality of the fiery wine of the region, when a peasant cart, drawn bythree horses, drew up before the inn, and Jocrisse, Baroness Katharina'smessenger, alighted.
"Ah, here comes a sensible fellow," exclaimed the marquis. "I wonderwhat news he brings."
He was very soon enlightened.
"Hum! '_Io non posso!_'" he repeated, after reading the brief messageJocrisse delivered to him. "Very well, madame, I think I shall know whatto do if you 'cannot'! Jocrisse, how is the country around Odenburggarrisoned?"
"A division of militia cavalry occupies every town,"
"That is exasperating! Not that I fear these militiamen might give mydemons too much work; but I am afraid I may alarm them; then they willscamper in all directions, and frighten the entire Neusiedl region, sothat when I arrive at Fertoeszeg I shall find the birds flown and thenest empty. We must take them by surprise. Have you ever before been inthis part of the country, Jocrisse?"
"I accompanied the county surveyor once as far as Frauenkirchen."
"Is the road practicable for wheels?"
"To Frauenkirchen it is good for wagons; but beyond the city it is in awretched condition."
"Very well. You will engage a post-chaise here, and follow us toFrauenkirchen, where you will wait for further orders. What time did youleave Fertoeszeg?"
"About noon."
"Listen. I suspect that your mistress will try to escape with the maid.If that is the case, we must bestir ourselves. But women are afraid totravel by night; and even if they have already left the manor, theycannot have gone very far. The water in the Danube was unusually high onthe day of the battle at Aspern; that would cause the Raab to rise, andoverflow the bridges crossing it. I shall doubtless overtake thefugitives at Vitnyed."
"It will be rather risky crossing the Hansag at night," observedJocrisse, "and no amount of money would induce one of these nativesabout here to act as guide. They are a peculiar folk."
"Yes; but I shall not need a guide. I have an excellent map of theneighborhood, which I used when I was in garrison here. I used to huntall over this region after wild boars and turkeys, and never had anydifficulty finding my way, even at night."
De Fervlans now sent orders to his troop to break camp at once, with aslittle stir as possible; and before twilight shadows fell upon the land,the demons were riding toward the Hansag.
If we assume that Marie left the Nameless Castle in company with thewife of Satan Laczi at midnight, we can easily see that she would havebut a few hours' advantage of the demons, who broke camp at sunset. Ifthe latter met with no hindrance on their way, they would overtake thecoach of the fugitives at the crossing of the Raab. As it was aftermidnight when Ludwig Vavel learned of the danger which threatened Marie,he could not, even if he had set out at once, have reached the Hansagbefore noon of the following day, by which time De Fervlans and hisdemons would have accomplished their errand. Therefore nothing short ofa miracle could save the maid.