The Baron's Sons Part 36

The judge-advocate's signature followed.

By a slight mistake in translation, "odon" had been rendered in German by "Eugen" instead of "Edmund." Such mistakes were not uncommon in those days.

CHAPTER XXVIII.

THE SUMMONS ANSWERED.

In two weeks Jeno's case came up for trial. Meanwhile the prosecution had been busy collecting evidence of the rebel commissary-general's guilt.

"Are you Eugen Baradlay?" asked the judge-advocate.

"I am."

"Are you married?"

"I have a wife and two children."

"Were you commissary-general of the rebel forces?"

"I was."

"Are you the same Eugen Baradlay that drove the administrator from his chair as presiding officer in your county a.s.sembly?"

"The same."

"Did you appear during the March uprising at the head of the Hungarian deputation that was sent to Vienna, and did you there address the people in language calculated to stir them to rebellion?"

"I cannot deny it."

"Do you recognise these words as having been spoken by you at that time?"

The judge-advocate handed him a sheet of paper covered with pencilled writing in a woman's hand. Jeno had good cause to remember the contents of the sheet, and to recognise the writing. Had he not seen Alfonsine taking down the orator's words on that well-remembered night when they both paused to listen to his brother's eloquence? She had rested her portfolio against his shoulder while she wrote down the most striking portions of the address--for her sc.r.a.p-book.

"Yes," said he, returning the paper, "those were my words."

The judges consulted together. The prompt and positive acknowledgment of the last charge was more than they had expected; the accused need not have committed himself. The examination was resumed.

"A brother of yours, a hussar officer, deserted with his men. Did you use your influence to persuade him to that course?"

So it was not known who had actually persuaded Richard to lead his men into Hungary; or were they intentionally heaping all the blame on his head to make his condemnation the surer? He hastened to reply:

"Yes, it was I who did it." He answered so eagerly as to excite some surprise.

"Have you not another brother,--Edmund or Jeno?"

"Yes; 'Jeno' in Hungarian, 'Edmund' in German."

"Aren't you wrong? Is not 'Eugen' the German for 'Jeno,' and 'Edmund'

the German for 'odon'? I have heard the matter discussed before now."

"No, it is as I say."

"This brother disappeared from Vienna simultaneously with the hussar officer. Do you know the reason?"

"I believe it was because he found himself thrown out of his place in the chancellor's office, and was unwilling to pa.s.s his time in idleness."

"What became of him?"

"Ever since then he has been at home, looking after the estate in his brothers' absence. He took no part whatever in the uprising, but occupied his leisure hours with painting and music, and in teaching my little boy. He is still at home."

"Did you not raise and maintain at your own cost a battalion of volunteers?"

"Yes; two hundred cavalry and three hundred infantry. At the battle of Kapolna I led the cavalry in person."

"You are antic.i.p.ating the prosecution. Were you present at the Debreczen diet?"

"As one cannot be in two places at the same time, I was not."

"At the battle of Forro did you not exert yourself in rallying the routed forces of the rebels?"

"Yes, I did."

Jeno had committed himself unnecessarily. He seemed not merely unconcerned as to his fate, but even eager to meet it. The judge-advocate sought to test him. Searching among his papers, he finally looked up and said:

"The charge is here made against you that in the expedition among the mountains you seized and appropriated to your own use all the bullion stored in the public mints."

At this charge Jeno's face flushed with anger. "That is false!" he cried. "That is a shameless slander! No Baradlay would commit a crime!"

This outburst sealed his fate by removing any lingering doubt as to his ident.i.ty. Such a pa.s.sionate denial could have come only from him whom the charge actually concerned, that is, from odon Baradlay.

"What have you to say in your defence?" he was asked in closing.

"Our defence is in our deeds," was the proud rejoinder. "Posterity will judge us."

The jury was then sworn in the presence of the accused, and the latter was led into a side room to wait until summoned to hear the verdict and receive his sentence. In a quarter of an hour he was led back again. Omitting the charge which he had denied, he was found guilty on all the other counts, and they were amply sufficient to condemn him to death. He bowed as if well satisfied with his sentence. An early hour the next morning was a.s.signed for his execution. He heaved a sigh. His purpose was accomplished. He had but one favour to ask,--the privilege of writing to his wife, his mother, and his brother, before he died.

His request was granted, and he thanked the court with a smile so serene and an eye so clear that more than one heart was touched with compa.s.sion.

His judges were not to blame that the Eumenides thirsted for blood.

CHAPTER XXIX.