n future when you speak a rough word to her that Lakatos Andor
will hear you and make you pay for every syllable. Think when you
browbeat her that Lakatos Andor can see you! For I _will_ see you, I
tell you, in spite of your turning me out of your house, in spite of
your fences and your walls. So just you ask her pardon now for your
roughness, kiss her little hand and take her to vespers. But take this
from me, my friend, that if you ever dare raise your hand against your
wife I'll pay you out for it, so help me God!"

He had sworn the last oath with solemn earnestness. Now he turned to
Elsa and took her cold little hand in his and kissed her trembling
finger-tips, then, without another look on the man whom he hated with
such an overwhelming and deadly hatred, he turned on his heel and fled
precipitately from the room.

Bela stood sullen and silent for a moment after he had gone. Wrath was
still heating his blood so that the veins in his forehead stood up like
cords. But he was not only wrathful, he also felt humiliated and
ashamed. He had been cowed and overmastered in the presence of Elsa. His
swagger and domineering ways had availed him nothing. Andor had
threatened him and he had not had the pluck or the presence of mind to
stand up to that meddling, interfering peasant.

Now it was too late to do anything; the thoughts of retaliation which
would come to his mind later on had not yet had the time to mature. All
that he knew was that he hated Andor and would get even with him some
day; for Elsa he felt no hatred, only a great wrath that she should have
witnessed his humiliation and that her obstinacy should have triumphed
against his will. The same pride in her and the same loveless desire was
still in him. He did not hate her, but he meant to make her suffer for
what he had just gone through. To him matrimony meant the complete
subjection of the woman to the will of her lord; for every rebellion,
for every struggle against that subjection she must be punished in
accordance with the gravity of her fault.

Elsa had caused him to be humiliated, and it was his firm resolve to
humiliate her before many hours had gone by. Already a plan was forming
in his brain; the quietude of vespers would, he thought, help him to
complete it.

Outside, the lads and maids were loudly demanding the appearance of the
bride and bridegroom: the vesper bell had long ago ceased its compelling
call. Eros Bela offered his silent fiancee hi