"You worthless rascal," roared Nalaczi, throttling the jester, "would you play your pranks with me!"

"Truly, sir, I shall not be able to bring it up again if you press my throat like that."

"Stop, I mean to search you," said Nalaczi; and he began to tear up the coat of the jester, whereupon the kalpag came tumbling out from between its folds. "You clumsy charlatan," laughed Nalaczi, "well, you hid it very well, I must say." Then he put on his kalpag again, in which were all three letters well sealed with yellow wax, but he now hastened outside as rapidly as possible in case the fool should spirit them away again.

The same night he galloped to Fogaras, though it cost him his horse to get there, summoned Cserei, and giving him the letter addressed to him said:

"You, sir, are to execute this strict command to the very letter."

The commandant took the letter, broke the seal, and then looked at the magnate in amazement:

"I know not, sir, whether you or I have been made a fool of--but there's not a sc.r.a.p of writing in this letter."

Nalaczi incredulously examined the letter. It was a perfect blank.

Hastily he broke open the other two letters. In these also there was nothing but the bare paper.

The fool, while the n.o.bleman was throttling him, had subst.i.tuted blanks for the letters sent, and sent the sentences the same evening to the Princess, who thereby had discovered all that the Prince and his councillors were doing.

In the morning the Princess went to Apafi with the three sentences in her hand, and reproached him for wanting to murder his ministers.

The worthy Prince was amazed at seeing these orders signed by himself.

He knew nothing about it, and embracing his wife, thanked her for watching over him and not allowing him to send forth such orders. As for Nalaczi, the shame of the thing made it impossible for him to show himself at Court, and he could only nourish a grudge against the fool.

This accident greatly upset the worthy Prince, and he immediately rushed to release the captives. First of all, however, they had to sign deeds in which they solemnly engaged not to seek to revenge themselves on their accusers.

Paul Beldi was wounded to the heart, but he regarded this calamity as a just retribution for having been the first to sign the league[18]

against Denis Banfy; it was a weapon which now recoiled upon himself.

[Footnote 18: See "'Midst the Wild Carpathians," Book II., Chapter VII.]

But this private grief was the least of his misfortunes, for while Paul Beldi and Nicholas Bethlen had been sitting in their dungeon the war party had had a free hand, so that when the two gentlemen were released they were astounded to learn from their partisans that only the sanction of the Divan was now necessary for a rupture of the peace.

Beldi perceived that to remain silent any longer would be equivalent to looking on while the State rushed to its destruction. He immediately a.s.sembled all those who were of the same opinion as himself--Ladislaus Csaky, John Haller, George Kapy--and consulted with them as to the future of the realm.

Beldi opined throughout that the Prince should be spared, but he was to be compelled to dismiss such councillors as Teleki, Szekely, Mikes, and Nalaczi, and form a new council of state. Kapy would have done more than this. "If we want as much as that," said he, "it would be better to declare ourselves openly; and if we draw the sword, we shall have no need to pet.i.tion, but can fight, and whoever wins let him profit by it and become Prince."

"No!" said Beldi, "I have sworn allegiance to the Prince, and though I love my country, and am prepared to fight for it, yet I will never break my oath. My proposition is that we a.s.semble in arms at the Diet which is convened to meet at Nagy-Sink, together with the Szekler train-bands, and if we show our strength the Prince a.s.suredly will not hesitate to change his counsellors, for I know him to be a good man who rather fears than loves them."

The gentlemen present accepted Beldi's proposition.

"Then here I will leave your Excellencies," said Kapy, stiffly b.u.t.toning his mente.[19] "I am not afraid of war, for there I see my enemy before me, and can fight him; but I do not like these armed appeals, for they are apt to twist a man's sword from his hand and turn it against his own neck."

[Footnote 19: Fur pelisse.]

And he withdrew. The other gentlemen resolved, however, that they would all arm their retainers. At a word from Beldi the armed Szeklers of Haromszek, Csik, and Udvarhelyszek rose at once; they were ready at an hour's notice to rise in obedience to the command of their generalissimo.

The news of this audacious insurrection reached Michael Teleki at Gernyeszeg, who was beside himself with joy, well aware that Beldi was not the sort of man who was likely to prevail in a civil war whilst the contrary case would bring about his ruin, as he had now gone too far to draw back again. He immediately hastened to the Prince and, arousing him from his bed, told him that Beldi had risen against him, and so terrified Apafi that he immediately got into his coach, and fled by torchlight to Fogaras. Gregory Bethlen, Farkas, and the other counsellors also took to their heels in a panic--only Teleki remained cool. He knew the character of Beldi too well to be afraid of him.

So the spark of ambition and rage was kindled in Paul Beldi's heart, and for some days it looked as if he would be the master of Transylvania, for nothing could resist him with the Szekler bands at his side, and all the regular troops were scattered among the frontier fortresses.

But Beldi thought it enough to show his weapons without letting them be felt. Instead of a declaration of war he sent a manifesto full of loyalty to the Prince, in which he a.s.sured his Highness that he had taken up arms not against his Highness but in the name of the state; all he demanded was that the counsellors of the Prince should be tried by the laws of the realm.

Whilst this wild missive was on its way, Teleki had had time to call together the troops from the frontier fortresses, and send orders to those of the Szeklers who had not risen to a.s.semble under Clement Mikes in defence of the Prince; and while Beldi awaited an attack, he proceeded to take the offensive against him at once.

One day Beldi was sitting in the castle of Bodola along with Ladislaus Csaky, when news was brought them that Gregory Bethlen, with the army of the Prince, was already before Kronstadt.

"War can no longer be avoided," sighed Csaky.

"We can avoid it if we lay down our arms," returned Beldi.

"Surely you do not think of that?" inquired Csaky in alarm.

"Why should I not? I will take no part in a civil war."

"Then we are lost."

"Rather we shall save thousands."

The same day he ordered his forces to disperse and return home.

The next day Gregory Bethlen sent Michael Vay to Bodola, who brought with him the Prince's pardon.

Csaky ground his teeth together. It occurred to him that he had got Denis Banfy beheaded, yet he too had received a pardon, and he inquired of Vay in some alarm: "Can we really rely on this letter of pardon?"

Michael Vay was candid enough to reply: "Well, my dear brethren, though you had a hundred pardons it would be as well if you courageously resolved to quit Transylvania notwithstanding."

Csaky gave not another moment's thought to the matter, but packed up his trunks, and while it was still daylight escaped through the Bozza Pa.s.s.

Beldi decided to remain; shame prevented him from flying.

Nevertheless, Michael Vay told his wife and children of his danger and they insisted, supplicating him on their knees, that he should hasten away and save himself.

"And what about you?" asked Beldi, looking at his tearful family.

He had two handsome sons, and his daughter Aranka had grown up a lovely damsel; she was the apple of her father's eye, his pride and his glory.

"What about you?" he asked with a troubled voice.

"You can more easily defend us at Stambul than here," said Dame Beldi; and Beldi saw that that was a word spoken in season.

That word changed his resolve, for, indeed, by seeking a refuge at the Porte, he would be able to help himself and his family much more, and perhaps even give a better turn to the fortunes of his country. There, too, many of the highest viziers were his friends who had very great influence in affairs.

He immediately had his horse saddled, and after taking leave of his family with the utmost confidence, he escaped through the Bozza Pa.s.s the same night with an escort of a few chosen servants into Wallachia, where he found many other fugitive colleagues, and with them he took refuge at the Porte--then the highest court of appeal for Transylvania.

CHAPTER XXII.