"
"Good or bad?"
"Well, mixed. Both good and bad. I will leave the good till the last. To
begin: Poor Satan Laczi was buried yesterday--may God have mercy on his
sinful soul! They fired three salvos over his grave, and the primate
himself said the prayers for his soul. If Satan Laczi himself could have
seen it all, he could hardly have believed that so much honor would be
shown to his dead body. Poor Laczi! His last words were a greeting to
his kind patron."
"His life closed well!" observed the count. "He got what he longed
for--a soldier's death. But tell me what you know about Raab."
"I know all about it. I come from there."
"Ah, did you see them? Has not the enemy besieged the city?"
"Yes; the city as well as the fortress is in the hands of the enemy, and
the baroness and the princess are both in it."
"Who told you to call her a princess?" demanded Count Vavel, his face
darkening.
"I will come to that all in good time," composedly replied Matyas, who
was not to be hurried. "Colonel Pechy," he went on, "bravely defended
the fortress for ten days against the Frenchmen; but he had to yield at
last--"
"Where are Katharina and Marie?" impatiently interrupted Vavel.
Pages:
377
378
379
380
381
382
383
384
385
386
387
388
389
390
391
392
393
394
395
396
397
398
399
400
401