eadsman," and took her by the hand. At this cold touch Madame
Banfy cried out in terror and awoke. Two men stood before her with
daggers drawn. The lady looked at them with a shudder; both were
well-known figures; one was Caspar Kornis, Captain at Maros, and the
other was John Daczo, Captain at Csik, who stood there threatening her
with the points of their bared daggers at her breast.

"No noise, my gracious lady!" said Daczo, sternly. "Where is Banfy?"

The lady, wakened from her first sleep, could scarcely distinguish the
objects about her. Terror robbed her of speech. Suddenly she noticed
through the door that the passage-way was filled with armed men and
with that sight her presence of mind seemed to return at once. She
took in the significance of the moment and when Daczo, gnashing his
teeth once more asked where Banfy was she sprang up, ran to the door
opening to her husband's room, turned the key quickly and shouted with
all her might:

"Banfy, save yourself! They want your life!"

Daczo ran forward to stop the woman's mouth and wrest the key from
her. With rare presence of mind Madame Banfy threw the key into the
coals and cried:

"Flee, Banfy, your enemies are here!"

Daczo tried to get the key out of the coals and burned his hand badly;
still more infuriated he rushed at the lady with his dagger unsheathed
intending to thrust her through, but Kornis held him back.

"Stop, my lord, we have no orders to kill the lady nor would it be
worthy of us. Let us rather break in the door as quickly as possible."

Both men pushed with their shoulders against the door, Daczo cursing
by all the devils, while Madame Banfy on her knees prayed God her
husband might escape.

* * * * *

Banfy had fallen asleep and he too had a distressing dream. He
thought he was in prison, and when Margaret's cry rang out he sprang
in terror from his couch, tore open the window of the pavilion without
stopping to think and with one bound was in the garden. Here he looked
round him quickly. The house was surrounded on all sides by armed
Szeklers and the rear of the garden was bordered by a broad ditch
filled with stagnant rain-water. Among the foot-soldiers was a group
of four or five stable boys standing beside the horses from which the
leaders had just dismounted. There was no time to plan. Under cover of
the darkness Banfy hurried up to one of the servants, struck him a
blow that made the blood flow f