"And what are you going to get with that?"
"Everything. I will corrupt the sentinels so that they will let me into the fortress; and once let me get in, and I'll either make Hassan Pasha sell Olaj Beg, or Olaj Beg sell Hassan Pasha. If a good word be of no avail I will use threats, and if my whole scheme falls through, Heaven only knows what I won't do. I'll chop Hassan Pasha and his guards into a dozen pieces, or I'll set the castle on fire, or I'll blow up the powder magazine—in a word, I won't desist till I have brought out your consort."
"How can I thank you for your noble enthusiasm?"
"You mustn't thank me, my friend; you must thank Flora Teleki, who is your wife's friend, and expects this of me."
"Then you are re-engaged?"
"No, my friend. Helen is my bride. Ah, that is the only real woman in the whole round world. I should be with her now if I were not engaged in this business, and as soon as I have finished with it, the pair of us will give you a wedding the like of which has never yet been seen in Hungary."
The Prince sadly bowed his head. He means well, he thought, but there is a very poor chance of his succeeding. The mercurial youth seems to have no idea that within an hour he will be jeopardizing his head by engaging in a foolhardy enterprise which runs counter to the whole policy of the Turkish Empire. But Tököly's mind never impeded his heart. His motto always was: "Virtus nescia freni."
"Then what do you intend to do?" Tököly casually asked Ghyka, just as if he considered it the most extraordinary thing in the world to find him there.
"I also want to save Mariska, and I have hopes of doing so," said the Prince.
"How? Tell me! Perchance we may be able to unite our efforts."