s had already
offered me sixteen thousand ducats for the two, but I would not let
them go at any price and sent word to the Palatine that if he wished
to call a Bey his own, he must crawl out from behind his wife's shadow
and catch one for himself. I had caught mine for my own use."

Apafi laughed loudly. "You gave him the right answer."

"At that the Palatine became angry and by the Emperor's command sent
troops against me who were to take my prisoners by force. His
Excellency your brother-in-law, Dionysius Banfy, had at that time
found refuge in my house and I introduced to him this woman who had
completely befooled me. He was to flee with her to my castle, Ecsed.
But when I saw that the Palatine interfered with every attempt of mine
to deliver Corsar Bey over to the Turks for the offered ransom, and
yet all he wanted of him was to cut his head off like any other
freebooter's, I gave the Turk poison, which he took gratefully for the
sake of escaping justice. Then when the Palatine's troops came they
found only the dead body which the Turks took off my hands for a
thousand ducats."

"Naturally the Palatine was angry with you for that," said Apafi.

"I had good cause to be angry with him, for I had lost fifteen
thousand ducats by him; yet he succeeded in getting a writ of arrest
against me from the minister. I scented it in time and got together my
valuables, intending to flee to Transylvania until the affair had
been forgotten. Then I hurried to my castle Ecsed where, as I have
said, Banfy had been sent before me with the Turkish woman. On the way
I learned that Banfy had been pardoned by your Highness and restored
to his former position. I rejoiced not a little that in him I should
find a powerful protector here. Imagine my astonishment when I reached
Ecsed to find the woman gone without a trace, and I learned from my
castle warden that Banfy had taken her with him and left a letter for
me. In the letter was written: 'My friend: Learn from this that a man
should never trust another with his horse, his watch, nor his love.'"

"What!" cried Apafi. "Is that the truth?"

"Your Excellency can see his writing," replied Balassa, and drew from
his pouch the letter referred to. "The woman must be hid somewhere in
his forest of Banfy-Hunyad, I suppose."

"That is monstrous!" said Apafi, glowing with anger. "Can a man with
such a beautiful, noble wife, my own wife's sister, so far forget his
duty as husband! I'll not for