by Mór Jókai
CHAPTER XXVII.
THE MYSTERIOUS LETTER.
A-dA?n could not persuade himself that Boksa had done him a kindness inbringing him home. It was a time of torturing suspense for all thefamily. The Austrian general had been duly informed where A-dA?nBaradlay could be found, and a summons from him was daily expected.Poor Aranka could not hear a door open, or the sound of a strangestep, without starting and turning pale. Every day, when the mailcame, they all ran to look over the letters and make sure that thedreaded call to A-dA?n was not among them.
One day a suspicious-looking letter came to view addressed in Germanto "Herr Eugen von Baradlay."
_Eugen_--why, that was German for _JenA'_. He opened the letter, readit, and put it in his pocket. All the family were present, and hismother asked him from whom his letter came, and what news it brought.But JenA' only answered, "I must go on a journey."
"Whither and for what purpose?" asked the baroness.
"I can't sit idle here any longer," he replied. "One of my brothershas vanished from our sight, and the other daily expects to be takenprisoner. Such a life is more than I can bear any longer. It is myturn now to try what I can do."
"But what can you do?" asked his mother.
"That is my secret."
"But I have a right to share it. No member of my family shall adopt acourse which affects us all, which I have not first approved."
"You will learn all in due time."
"But what if I then refuse to give my sanction?"
"Your refusal will be too late to be of any avail."
"Then I forbid you to go on."
"I cannot obey you. I am no longer a child, but am responsible tomyself alone for my actions."
"But," interposed A-dA?n, "you are still a son and a brother."
"As you shall soon see," answered JenA', with significant emphasis.
The baroness took her youngest son by the hand. "You have some planfor saving our family," said she. "I can read your soul; you are anopen book to me. I have studied you from your infancy. You think nowto rescue us by leaving us and resuming your old connections, thusexerting an influence in our favour upon our enemies. I see that youare planning to return to the Plankenhorsts."
JenA' smiled sadly. "Do you read that in my heart?" he asked.
"You wish to marry that girl in order to save your brother through thepowerful influence of her family,--that girl whose dower will be myhatred, and on whom her country's curse and God's anger rest."
Aranka threw herself on her mother-in-law's breast. "Mother," shecried, "do not speak of her like that; he loves her!"
A-dA?n led his wife back to her seat. "Do not interpose, my dear," saidhe, firmly. "We are here concerned with matters of which your innocentsoul can have not the slightest conception. To purchase life andproperty by swearing fidelity to the woman who was the inspiring demonof all the woe that so lately befell our poor country; who has nursedthe hatred of one people against another; who has played the part oftraitress, spy, slanderer; who has stirred up men against the throneonly for the purpose of delivering them over to the hangman; whoharbours such fiendish plots in her bosom that, if she had her way,she would embitter for ever one country against its neighbour,--tobring such a woman as wife into his father's house is what noBaradlay shall do, or if he should do it I know one who would refusethe gift of his life at such a price."
The baroness sank weeping on her eldest son's bosom. He had voiced thecry of her own proud soul. JenA' said nothing; he smiled sadly, andwent about his preparations for departure. Aranka regarded him withcompassion in her eyes.
"And do you, too, condemn me?" he asked softly.
"Do what your heart bids you," she sighed.
"Yes, with Heaven's help I will!"
His mother would not let him leave the room; she threw herself on herknees before him and blocked the way. "My son," she cried, "I beg younot to go. Let misery, torture, death itself overtake us; we will bearthem all without complaint. Have not ten thousand already died for thecause? But our souls we will keep unsullied. Oh, do not close againstus the way to heaven!"
"Mother, I implore you, rise."
"No; if you go, my place is here in the dust,--crushed to the earth."
"You do not understand me, mother; nor is it my will that you should."
"What!" cried the mother, joyfully; "you are not planning to do as Isuspected?"
"That question I must refuse to answer."
"One word more," interrupted A-dA?n; "if you would relieve our anxiety,show us the letter you have received."
JenA' put his hand to his breast, as if fearful lest some one might tryto take the letter from him by force. "That letter you shall not see,"he declared.
"I am determined to read it," returned the other.
At this JenA''s face flushed hotly. "A-dA?n Baradlay," he exclaimed, "theletter is addressed to Eugen Baradlay. I am Eugen Baradlay." Sosaying, he turned proudly away.
"Then our mother was right, after all," said his brother bitterly.
The baroness rose to her feet. Tears coursed down her cheeks. "Go,then," she cried, "whither your obstinate will leads you. Leave ushere in despair and in tears. But know that, though two of my sons arelikely to die on the scaffold, I shall not mourn those that are taken,but the one that is left."
At these hard words JenA' looked with a gentle smile at the speaker."Mother," said he, "remember that my last words to you were, 'I loveyou.' Farewell!" And he was gone.
The contents of his letter were as follows:
"HERR COMMISSARY-GENERAL EUGEN VON BARADLAY:--You are hereby summoned before the military tribunal in Pest."
The judge-advocate's signature followed.
By a slight mistake in translation, "A-dA?n" had been rendered in Germanby "Eugen" instead of "Edmund." Such mistakes were not uncommon inthose days.