Baroness Orczy

“ It comes peeping in at the tiny leaded windows of the church, and alights gaily on the holiday attire of the eager, curious throng of worshippers; on the bevy of pretty girls on the left, in the smartest of gay-coloured petticoats and embroidered corselets, with black hair smoothly held back underneath the gorgeous head-dress, with eyes no less bright than the glittering beads which encircle their pretty round necks, hang down on plump bosoms, and glisten in tiny ears. ”

“ Outside the day is warm—one of those early May days when the earth gives forth its first promises of coming vintage and harvest, when the air is filled with many cries of innumerable bird throats, when the stork calls loudly to its mate, the swallow is busy in perfecting his nest, the sparrow and the finch twitter in gladness at the warmth, the radiance of the sun. ”

“ An infinite peace is in his heart, forgotten are the torrents of passion which had well-nigh overwhelmed him, in these last weary weeks, he only thinks of her, as he does of the Madonna, serene, pure, the fountain of happiness, she, sitting on a throne aloft dispensing joys to the homestead, he, worshipping, devoted, at her feet. ”

“ Everyone strained their necks to watch the critical moment. In true time-honoured Hungarian tradition András, with a hand which visibly trembled, lifted the veil from his young bride’s face, and, stooping down towards her, his face as pale as death, he imprinted the first kiss on the pure forehead of his newly-made wife. ”

“ Kemény András, the peasant lad whom as a tiny boy, many a homely mouth had kissed, who, older in years had been buffeted and beaten by a tyrannical lather, had toiled on farm and field as any labourer, who was one of themselves, like them, born and bred on the good Hungarian lowlands, was now and for ever, the rightful lord and master of a noble high-born lady, the daughter of him, who owned the land, the descendant of those who had owned the very peasants as their goods and chattels, to sell and barter at will, to maltreat, or even to kill. ”

“ But now, Pater Ambrosius is descending the altar steps, my lord has also left his seat, and is standing erect and very pale, close to the communion rails, while one of the ministrants holds a small plate in his hands on which two gold circlets glisten.
A sound, which is like a long sigh, seems to come from the hundred throats in the church, a sigh of intense, eager expectancy. András and Ilonka are standing before the priest, about to finally become man and wife. Neither of them hears what the priest says. Both feel as in a dream. ”

“ All eyes are turned to where, by the communion rail, on a pair of well-worn crimson cushions, there kneel a man and a woman. He, tall, erect, his dark head, towering above all others, his great mantle worked in gold and silver threads, falling from his broad shoulders like the regal mantle of some barbaric chieftain ”

“ It smiles at the crowd of handsome young men, in all the barbaric splendour of their holiday attire, with great bunches of spring flowers fastened to their heavy mantles, their round hats held respectfully in their hands, and adorned with streaming ribbons of national tri-colour. ”

“ He stumbles and almost falls, causing a titter among the giddy young folk, at the back, while old ones shake their heads, and make the sign of the Cross, for the omen forebodes nothing good. The tension of suspense, of excitement, is so acute, that the most trivial occurrence calls forth nervous merriment, or flood of tears. ”