Prince Zilah -- Volume 1

arsa perfectly calm. At first he only q

turning to the piano at which she was seated, she began to

Nemeth, is it not?

I am very fond of his

n in its

uiem-a lament, poetic, mournful, despairing, yet ineffably sweet and tender, ending i

called, Marsa?

de no

Hungarian; then, leaning over the Tzigana t

ght. The world holds

se from the piano, and g

ing to be frank with you. You love me, I know; and I also lo

you now," said the Prince.

I will give you your an

"remember that I once, took for my motto the verses of Pe

rty! O

two

osen

y love fo

fe fo

ight would almost give liberty, that passion of his whole life, for your lo

as it is of most women, was loyalty united with strength. Had she ever, in her wildest flights of fancy, dreamed t

. She was aware that Count Varhely knew the Prince's most secret thoughts, and she

e Prince if I should not marry him?"

y expected," said Yanski, gazing at her in as

eemed to him insultin

, "but I ask you what would become of t

f those men who love but once during their lives. Upon my word of honor, I believe that, if you

arsa, with an icy

hly. "He is wounded. It remains with you to

e few weeks preceding the day upon which she had promised to tell Prince Andras if she would consent to become his wife or not. It was a yes, a

o much during these weeks of doubt; bu

Varhely said to

, I

ir duels, and risk their whole existence, so be it! I accept. Y

, and covered them with kisses. And she, with trembling lip, regarded, through

whose wife she was to be. His wife! So, as in a dream, without thinking, without resisting, abandoning herself to the current which bore her along, not trying

oreign, of which he formed a part; and this marriage of the Magyar with the Tzigana was an event in aristocratic circles. There was an aroma of chivalrous roman

iastically. "Jacquemin, my dear friend, I will give you all the details of

s Zilah diamonds, which Prince Joseph had once placed disdainfully upon his hussar's uniform when he charged the Prussian cuirassiers of Ziethen, sure of escaping the sabre cuts, and not losin

ou, Jacquemin? The famo

l in, every

mantic, a little too much so; my readers will never believe it.

ational first night at the Francais, and it added decidedly to the romantic prestige of Andras Zilah. There was no

een the matchmaker; but I am proud of it, very proud. Zilah has good taste, that is all. And, as for him, I should h

where. He had still to obtain a description of the bride's toilettes, the genealogy of Genera

ding take place?" h

quemin, perfect! An idyl! All the arrangements are exquisit

ny one as an epicure. He would taste the wines, with the air of a connoisseur, holding his glass up to the ligh

ich he wrote himself under various pseudonyms: "Our compliments to our friend Jacquemin, if he had anything to do with the selection of the wines, in addition to directing the rehearsals of the Baroness's op

he menu of the Prince's fete, and declar

......

he flags waving coquettishly in the breeze, while the Tzigani musicians played with spirit the vibrating notes of the Mar