her. I will not tell
you, Leonora's former friend, the nature of this threat; it would revolt
your pure mind too much, for a heart like yours could form no idea of
it; but it is certain that it was fear rather than love which induced
Szephalmi to lead her to the altar. I know, however, that the marriage
was not unblessed; they have two children."

"They had."

"What! are they dead then?"

"A terrible destiny seems to oppress the whole family. The little girl,
her father's darling, disappeared one day without leaving a trace behind
her, and the other child was struck dead by lightning while the mother
was watching by its sick bed; the mother was killed at the same time."

The General was deeply affected by these words. The heart of the iron
man trembled.

"Merciful God...!"

"Old Hetfalusy had a stroke when the dreadful tidings reached him."

"No, _no_! He did _not_ deserve so much suffering. Fate has been more
rigorous towards him than he deserved."

"And as if this were not enough--you knew Hetfalusy's son who became a
soldier?"

"I knew him. He was a hot-blooded youth, warfare might have made a good
soldier of him."

"Well, he quarrelled with his captain in Poland and fired a pistol at
him."

"A misfortune, a great misfortune," said the General, pressing his fists
so tightly together that if there had been anything inside them it would
have been crushed to pieces.

"After this deed the youth fled."

"That is worse still," murmured the General, and he pressed his iron
fists still more violently together.

"And if I am not mistaken, this is the third time that he has run
away."

There were now two beads of sweat on the General's forehead; he would
have wiped it dry with his hand, but he could not, for his fists were
firmly clenched, and it never occurred to him to open them.

"My dear Cornelia," said he, "if you know where this young man now is, I
implore you to tell me nothing about it. You know that I ought not to
hear it."

"You very soon will know all about it; the unhappy youth appeared in his
father's house on the very day when his sister and her son lay in their
coffins."

"Then he has been arrested," cried the General quickly.

"What makes you think that?"

"Because his own father would be the first person to deliver him up."

Cornelia regarded her husband with amazement.

"Is it not so, I say?" he cried passionately, springing from his seat
"Hetfalusy has given up his fugitive so