| I saw in his eyes something of that gathering... 267 |
[Jan. 26th, 2010|11:51 am] |
I saw in his eyes something of that gathering wrath which was manifest when he hurled that fair woman from himHe explained to me that posts were few and uncertain, and that my writing now would ensure ease of mind to my friendsAnd he assured me with so much impressiveness that he would countermand the later letters, which would be held over at Bistritz until due time in case chance would admit of my prolonging my stay, that to oppose him would have been to create new suspicionI therefore pretended to fall in with his views, and asked him what dates I should put on the letters
He calculated a minute, and then said, "The first should be June 12, the second June 19, and the third June 29
I know now the span of my lifeGod help me!
28 May-There is a chance of escape, or at any rate of being able to send word homeA band of Szgany have come to the castle, and are encamped in the courtyardI have notes of them in my bookThey are peculiar to this part of the world, though allied to the ordinary gipsies all the world overThere are thousands of them in Hungary and Transylvania, who are almost outside all lawThey attach themselves as a rule to some great noble or boyar, and call themselves by his nameThey are fearless and without religion, save superstition, and they talk only their own varieties of the Romany tongue
I shall write some letters home, and shall try to get them to have them postedI have already spoken to them through my window to begin acquaintanceshipThey took their hats off and made obeisance and many signs, which however, I could not understand any more than I could their spoken language?
I have written the lettersMina's is in shorthand, and I simply ask MrHawkins to communicate with herTo her I have explained my situation, but without the horrors which I may only surmiseIt would shock and frighten her to death were I to expose my heart to herShould the letters not carry, then the Count shall not yet know my secret or the extent of my knowledge
I have given the lettersI threw them through the bars of my window with a gold piece, and made what signs I could to have them postedThe man who took them pressed them to his heart and bowed, and then put them in his capI stole back to the study, and began to readAs the Count did not come in, I have written here?
The Count has comeHe sat down beside me, and said in his smoothest voice as he opened two letters, "The Szgany has given me these, of which, though I know not whence they come, I shall, of course, take careSee!"--He must have looked at it-"One is from you, and to my friend Peter HawkinsThe other,"--here he caught sight of the strange symbols as he opened the envelope, and the dark look came into his face, and his eyes blazed wickedly,--"The other is a vile thing, an outrage upon friendship and hospitality! It is not signedWell! So it cannot matter to us And he calmly held letter and envelope in the flame of the lamp till they were consumed
Then he went on, "The letter to Hawkins, that I shall, of course send on, since it is yoursYour letters are sacred to meYour pardon, my friend, that unknowingly I did break the sealWill you not cover it again?" He held out the letter to me, and with a courteous bow handed me a clean envelope
I could only redirect it and hand it to him in silenceWhen he went out of the room I could hear the key turn softlyA minute later I went over and tried it, and the door was |
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