Her cheek grew pale, and her voice failed her.
"Ershebet!" gasped the notary; "what has become of my daughter?"
But Ershebet, scared by the expression of his face, was silent. Vandory searched vainly for words to inform his friend of what had happened.
"I see!" said Tengelyi, pushing back her hand, which trembled in his. "They told me the truth—nothing but the truth! My daughter's honour is lost!"
Ershebet wept. Vandory said all he could say. He talked of young Rety's honourable intentions,—of the love of young people,—and that it was quite ridiculous to think of any violation of honour. Tengelyi stood pale and stern. His lips moved, but they had not a word of comfort for Mrs. Ershebet.
"Of course," murmured he, with a bitter smile,—"of course it's all arranged—it's all for the best;—no doubt of it;—I am to have back my nobility, and my daughter her honour. You, Vandory, you go to Vienna, and his majesty gives us all we demand. The king indeed is a fountain of honour, but do you think he can patch up a woman's reputation?"
Again Vandory attempted to demonstrate that there was no reason why Akosh should not have met Vilma in her mother's presence, and that he had sought the house with truly honourable intentions.
"But did he come to the house as an honourable man would?" asked Tengelyi; "did he not leave Dustbury in secret and in the dead of the night? Did he not tie his horse to the garden gate and creep to my house just for all the world as if he were a thief? After this, who will be fool enough to believe in his honourable intentions?"
"The future will prove them," said Vandory, quietly. "Who will dare to speak against Vilma when she changes her name to Rety?"
"When she changes her name to Rety—that's it! isn't it, wife?" said Tengelyi, turning fiercely upon Ershebet; "and it is you who wish it, and it is you who I dare say are happy that things have happened as they did, and that Akosh is bound. But are you aware that you have worked your daughter's ruin? Are you aware that she will curse you for having sacrificed her happiness to your vanity? Is my daughter to be Lady Rety because she is dishonoured? because you have got Akosh in a corner. They'll scorn her in her husband's house! She will have no position, having lost the one which became her! She will be a slave! a wife by her husband's charity! To see her will remind him of his having been bound to marry her, but not of the love which made her his. I tell you, you have ruined your own child!"