rt. The
next moment he rushed passionately to her and cried,

"My wife! Margaret!"

The lady, speechless, threw herself in her husband's arms and sobbed
violently.

"They did not set you free?" asked Banfy, turning pale.

"Of my own accord I did not go," replied Margaret. "I could not leave
you in the prison."

Tears gushed from Banfy's eyes. He sank down at her feet and covered
her hands with kisses.

"So long as the world believed us happy we could avoid each other,"
said Margaret, with stifled voice. "Misfortune has brought us together
again." . . .

She bent over to kiss her husband's brow; Banfy was completely
overpowered; his feelings were all at once so mightily overcome that
even his strong heart could bear no more.

CHAPTER XIX

THE JUDGMENT

The Diet assembled at Karlsburg opposed the secret procedure against
Banfy. Paul Beldi himself was the first to say distinctly that even if
Banfy's arrest through conspiracy had been permitted his judgment must
be given in the presence of the Diet and not before any secret
tribunal, and demanded that personal safety should be assured him.

The Prince appeared in the assembly, angry, with heavy head and red
eyes; the usual sign with him of perplexity. As Teleki had no
authority over the Diet he had the Prince dissolve it, making him
believe that Banfy if brought before the national assembly would
escape on the way, or would know how to turn his two-edged sword in
such a way as to overpower the Prince.

In the presence of the judge the opposition made by Kozma Horvath to
the illegal procedure was in vain. The conspiracy brought thirty-seven
indictments against Banfy, advanced by Judge Martin Saros-Pataki.

Banfy stood indicted. The greater number of the counts were so
unimportant that no answer needed to be brought against them. They
did not dare to introduce among them his pretensions to the
throne--that remained a secret indictment.

Banfy answered in manly fashion to every charge. It was in vain.
Defend himself as he would those who had arrested him knew too well
how great a wrong they had done him, now to let him live. The case
came to a verdict and he was sentenced to death.

On the day that this happened nobody could gain access to the Prince
except the confederates in this secret league, who with hasty, eager
expressions went in and out of the Prince's apartments continually.
Toward evening they succeeded in rousing the drunken Apafi to ra