Hungarian Heritage Review, 1985 (14. évfolyam, 12. szám)
1985-12-01 / 12. szám
DECEMBER 1985 HUNGARIAN HERITAGE REVIEW 17 They both laughed. “On the bare ground—on the snow—under the open sky,” they replied. Oh, heavens! íven our servants would have died, had they been obliged to pass one winter’s night out of doors. I begged them to follow me, and showed them our best room, in which there were two beds. As the servants were all out, I was going to make down the beds myself. “Oh, we cannot allow that!” they both exclaimed. “We can do that ourselves,” and, seeing they had need of rest, I bowed and hastened to leave them alone. Scarcely had I reached my own room when I heard a terrible shriek which seemed to proceed from the apartment I had just left, and cries of “Help! Robbers! Murder!” 1 knew the voice, but in my terror I could not remember whose it was, and still the cries continued: “Help! Murder!” If you can imagine my situation, you may suppose that I never moved from the spot on which I stood till the voice, echoing through the rooms, at last approached my apartment. It was my dear mamma—but in what a plight. Her clothes all crumpled, her cap over her eyes, one of her shoes off, and her whole face as red as if she had come out of an oven. It was a long time before I could make out where she had been or what had happened to her. Well, only fancy: she had hidden in the very room where I had quartered my two guests, and where, do you think? In one of the beds, under all the feather quilts! Now you may imagine the rest, and the surprise of the National Guard officer when he threw himself down, half-dead with fatigue. Poor mamma had good reason to cry out, but what an idea, to hide there! After much trouble, I calmed her a little, and endeavored to persuade her that these National Guards had not come to rob or kill us; and finally I succeeded so far that she promised not to hide again, and I undertook to explain to the officers that mamma had the rheumatism and was obliged to get under all those feather beds by way of vapor bath! Meanwhile, our guests had scarcely time to fall asleep when an orderly arrived who desired to speak with them. “You cannot see them at present,” I replied. “They are both asleep; but you may wait, or come again.” “Where are they sleeping?” he asked. I showed him the room, and without the slightest consideration as to whether it was proper to wake them, after being two whole days without rest, he walked coolly into the room. I expected they would have immediately cut the man in pieces for disturbing them, instead of which, in a few minutes, they both appeared, completely dressed, and followed the orderly without the slightest sign of displeasure. The Major had sent for them. How strange this military life must be! How people can submit without the least resistance! I should be a very bad soldier indeed, for I always like to know beforehand why I am ordered to do a thing. In about half an hour the officers returned—no ill-humor or sleepiness was visible; they did not even return to their rooms, but asked for mamma and me and announced to us in very flattering terms that the officers’ corps had improvised a ball for that night, to which we were invited, and then they immediately begged to engage me for a Francaise, a Czardas, and Polonaise (there was to be no waltzing), and I naturally promised everything. It was our first ball since the Carnival, and they seemed to enjoy the thoughts of it as much as I did, for they would not hear of sleeping any more. Mamma, however, never ceased making every objection and difficulty she could think of. “You have no ball-dress.” “My white dress, dear mamma. I only wore it once.” “It is old-fashioned.” “A little bow of national ribbon, and you will have the prettiest of new fashions,” interrupted the dark officer. “But my foot aches,” persevered mamma. “There is no absolute necessity for your dancing, dear mamma.” The officers did not laugh—out of politeness, and for the same reason mamma did not scold me until they had gone away. “You foolish child,” she said angrily, “to rush openly in the face of danger, and ruin yourself intentionally.” I thought mamma was afraid I should take cold, as she always was when I prepared for a ball, and to calm her fears I reminded her that there was to be no waltzing. This made her still more angry. “You have no sense,” she exclaimed. “Do you suppose they are giving this ball that they may dance? Not at all! It is all finesse—all a plot of the National Guards to get the young girls of the town together, when they will probably seize them and carry them off to Turkey.” “Ah, mamma, why officers are not allowed to marry in time of war,” I reminded her, laughing. On this, she scolded me still more, called me a little goose, and told me I should find out to my cost; and with this threat she left me to prepare for the ball. 1 was busy enough until evening, getting everything ready. According to the officer’s advice, I wore a broad, red-white-and-green ribbon as a sash, and my coiffure was a simple bouquet of white and red roses, to which the green leaves gave the national color. I never observed before how well these colors blend. The two officers waited on us en pleine parade, and paid us so many compliments I could not imagine how they learned them all. I was obliged to laugh to put off my embarrassment. “Well, you will see, tears will be the end of all this,” said mamma, but nevertheless she continued arranging and altering something or other about my dress, so that if they did carry me off, they should at least find everything in order. The officers accompanied us to the ball-room. I was already enjoying the idea of the effect which my national ribbon and our two beaux would produce, and entre nous, I could not give up the hope that if all the others really had square heads, we should have the only two round ones in the room! But great was my mistake and surprise. There was not one of my companions who had not had least twice as much national ribbon on her dress as I had, and as to the officers, our two cavaliers held but the third rank among them. None was more agreeable, more fascinating, handsomer, livelier than the other. How was it possible that men like these can shed so much blood! There was one in particular who attracted my attention—not mine alone, but everybody’s. He was a young captain—his strikingly handsome face and tall graceful figure became the braided attlila so well, it seemed to have been molded on him. And then, his dancing! With what animation he went through the Mazur and Czardas! One could have rushed through the crowd to enbrace him—I do not talk of myself. And, what was more than dancing, more than compliments, a je ne sais quoi in the large dark dreamy eyes. You cannot imagine that! It is not to be described—it bewildered, inspired, overpowered, and enchanted at the same moment. In less than an hour every girl in the room was in love with him. I do not except myself. If they are as irresistible in the field of battle, 1 do not know what could withstand them. Imagine my feelings when all at once he stepped up to me and requested —continued next page
