Madame Apafi took it upon herself to answer in Margaret's place.
"I am more inclined to think that you cannot trust yourself to me."
"If you were my wife that might be so. And that came very near being the state of affairs; there was a time when I wanted to marry you."
"But it did not advance beyond the beginning," replied the Princess with a laugh.
"We recognized each other soon," continued Banfy. "Two such heads as ours would have been too much for one house; there is not even room for them both in one country. We both like to rule and we should have been well sold if we had been obliged to obey each other. It is better as it is; we have both found our corresponding halves; you, Apafi; and I, Margaret; and we are both happy."
With these words Banfy kissed his wife's hand tenderly, which she acknowledged with equal tenderness, and then he left the two sisters alone. Anna with sweet seriousness laid her hand on her sister's, who looked up to her with a smile, like an innocent child to her good genius.
"You have been crying," began Madame Apafi. "It is of no use for you to assume the appearance of good spirits."
"I have not been crying," replied Margaret, asserting her assumed calm with astonishing strength of mind.
"Very well, I am glad that you hide it. It shows that you love him; and if ever you needed to love your husband, to watch over and protect him, it is now."
"Your words bewilder me. You seem to have something extraordinary to say."