to the capital
from whence he was only to return on the day before the installation.

Meanwhile the two ladies, with the utmost forethought, were arranging
everything for the approaching festivities, and whatever one of them
forgot was sure to occur to the other. Fanny began to find her position
more and more natural; every day she began to gain a greater command
over her tender emotions, and indeed life, practical life, makes
possible and comprehensible much which poetical logic and the
imagination label--absurd.

On the day of the installation, Lady Szentirmay and Madame Karpathy
drove over to the county town where lodgings had been provided for the
former's husband as Governor-General, at the town-hall.

Szentirmay wished his installation to be conducted with as little pomp
and ceremony as possible. The most eminent ladies of the county watched
the procession from the balcony, and Madame Karpathy also was among
them. It was difficult to recognize any one in particular among all
those holiday faces, such a different aspect did their Oriental gravity
and splendid Oriental _Koentoeses_ give them. Several of the younger
cavaliers saluted the ladies with their swords.

At length the carriage of the _Foispan_ came in sight with a clattering
escort of twelve knightly horsemen. He himself was sitting bareheaded in
the open carriage, and something like emotion was visible on his
handsome noble face. Loud cries of "Eljen! eljen!" announced his
approach. Every one knew of him by hearsay as the noblest of men, and
every one rejoiced that the best of patriots and the most excellent of
citizens should have attained the highest dignity in the county. Madame
Karpathy looked at him tremblingly, better for her if she had never seen
him like this.

The procession passed across the square to the gate of the town-hall,
and half an hour later Rudolf was standing in the large assembly-room
filling it with his sublime impassioned words, till all who heard felt
their hearts leap towards him. Madame Karpathy also heard him, she was
in the gallery. Ah, it would have been better had she neither seen nor
heard him there. Now she not merely loved, she adored him.

All at once she began to notice that somebody in the assembly-hall below
was making frantic signs to her with hands and head, and using every
available limb to attract her attention; nay, he even got upon a chair
in order to be able to see her better. At first she did not recogni