Amongst ourselves and in the city we talked hotly enough, and many passionate words were spoken in the heat of anger.
On our side, none were so furious as Stephen, who had come to Pesth with his chief.
He expressed his opinions freely, gaining thereby no love from the foreigners, and openly boasted that he would not be chained to the triumphal car of Louis Kossuth.
Several times I begged him to moderate his language; but he only laughed, saying that, now Kossuth had made Hungary free, there was no need for him to be silent.
I was the more amazed at my brother's behaviour, because it was so much out of harmony with his real character; but there seemed to be a kind of spell on him, which he was unable to shake off.
One evening he was holding forth to Rakoczy, myself, and several others in a restaurant, when Count Beula entered with some friends.
The count nodded to us all very politely, and, seating himself at the next table, ordered wine for his company.
Whether the man really meant to create a disturbance or not I cannot say, but, filling his glass, he cried, "Here's to the Hungarian republic!"
His friends drank their wine and applauded boisterously, while Stephen, springing to his feet, exclaimed in ringing tones,--
"Gentlemen, this is a free country. Let us drink our own toast, 'Hungary and the constitution of '48!'"