Baroness Orczy

“ She cannot meet that man here.”
“Stuff and nonsense! He is her husband; is he not? You are not going to imagine that they will for ever live apart, like this. And if they do, all I can say is that Ilonka must have aggravated him beyond measure, just as you aggravate me. He had no gout, so he ran away.”
“Gyuri, I do believe that vulgar peasant has bewitched you, as he has bewitched that stupid old priest. Talk about aggravation! I endure a perfect martyrdom, from hearing his praises sung by all. A horrid brute I call him, after the way in which he has behaved to your daughter. ”

“ Kemény András came to me. He stopped the Jew’s mouth with gold, bought back all those papers for me, paid the mortgage on this house, from which Rosenstein was threatening to turn us all out. The land was his anyway. You, I, your mother were beggars, like the gipsies without a home. He told me he loved you. He wanted to marry you. The land, he said, would thus be secured to you and your children. What could I do? ... The knife was at my throat. ... I consented.”
Ilonka did not speak. She was very pale and her eyes were fixed, staring at her father, in hopeless bewilderment. ”

“ He did not quite trust me, you see,” added Bideskúty, with a smile, “he does not consider me a good manager. But he is a splendid one, himself, Ilonka,” he exclaimed enthusiastically, “you see yourself in what princely style this house is being kept up, and there is always plenty of money, in good hard cash, besides; plenty of corn to sell, and the beasts fatten and prosper like anything: I never had so many colts and calves to sell, such quantities of corn and maize. ”

“ At times I quite forget, that I am not really the owner of the land, and give him my orders, which he always carries out. He once told me, that he was only your administrator. ... He has more heart, that man,” added Bideskúty, bringing his fist heavily down on the table, “than anyone I have ever known, he ...”
“Please, papa,” interrupted Ilonka, “tell me only the facts. Do not overwhelm me with shame, more than you need.”
“You never told your mother why you left your husband. He has told me nothing. The day after your marriage he sent me a paper. ”

“ As she gave her orders in kitchen and stables, saw to the decoration of the tables, the tapping of the wine casks, the airing of the guest chambers, she hardly realised that there had been any great change in her life, since, when two years ago, after that terrible and mysterious fire, the guests all left hurriedly, leaving sorrow and desolation behind. ”

“ We must try to make her as happy as we can, and get her to forget the past. She is very young; he is close on middle age, I believe. There is every chance that she will be a widow, perhaps, before she is thirty. Then, she will be very rich; she can make what marriage she pleases, and she will be the first one to be thankful to us for the way we arranged her life for her. In the meanwhile I must try to keep her out of this part of the house. To-day I ...”
The door had been gently opened, and Ilonka came in, with a pretty smile, which gave her a look of her former self. ”

“ He is such a good fellow. Your mother says it is no concern of mine, but ... András ... is coming here, presently ... and ...”
“I must join my mother,” interrupted Ilonka quietly, “she must be waiting for the verbenas.”
And before Bideskúty could say another word, she had slipped quickly out of the room.
Good old Gyuri did not understand his daughter. It seemed to him as if a great deal of fuss was made about nothing. The peasant had turned out to be a very decent sort of fellow, and Bideskúty had a certain uncomfortable feeling that András had not been granted fair play ”