"And what of this?" I asked, laying my hand on the declaration of independence.
"Pooh! It will be useful to the people for wrapping up parcels."
"I believe the plan would work out all right," said Rakoczy thoughtfully, "but we mustn't try it. Don't you see, my boy, that it would open a civil war, and we should have to join the Austrians in crushing our own people. No, no. Rather let Hungary become an Austrian fief than that Magyar should destroy Magyar."
"The other side doesn't study that."
"All the more reason why we should. How would you like to help the Austrians burn down Pesth, because Louis Kossuth was inside it?"
Stephen turned away with a shudder. "It seems that we must tie our own hands," he remarked gloomily.
"You've hit it exactly; but we can untie them to fight against the enemy. By the way, our acquaintance, Baron von Arnstein, is dead."
"I'm sorry to hear that. What a blow to his pretty daughter!"
"And to the baroness. But come; in the general excitement I quite forgot to ask you to eat," and the colonel ordered supper to be laid immediately.
We had barely finished when a clatter of hoofs was heard outside, and a soldier brought word that Captain Botskay's horses were ready.