d you of an old
acquaintance?"

"To him whom you resemble, I have nothing to say. I have come to you as
to Diurbanu, I have placed in your hands the peace-treaty which your
people made with my people, and I demand its observance."

"To convince you that I am not merely Diurbanu, but also another, look
here." With that he called one of the torch-bearers and held to the
flame the paper he had received from Manasseh.

The latter shrugged his shoulders and blew a cloud of cigar-smoke.

"Do you understand now," continued Diurbanu, "that there is one man in
the world who has sworn to march against Toroczko, treaty or no treaty,
to leave not one stone on another in that town, and not one of its
people alive to tell the story of its destruction? My day has come at
last--and Toroczko's night." The speaker's features took on at these
words an expression more like that of a hyena than of a human being.

"Idle threats!" muttered Manasseh, scornfully, between his teeth.

"Idle threats, are they?" retorted the other, striking the hilt of his
sword and raising his head haughtily. "You think, do you, that I am
joking, and that I will take pity on you?"

"Oh, as for me, you may do what you please with me--torture me, kill me,
if you choose. I am ready. But that will not help you to take Toroczko.
All are in arms there and waiting for you. Go ahead with your plan.
You'll find many an old acquaintance to receive you there. Our defences
are abundantly able to withstand your soldiers, who, you know well
enough, are tired of fighting and have no love for storming ramparts.
Kill me, if you wish, but there will be only one man the less against
you; and all the satisfaction you and your men will get from Toroczko
will be broken heads. Not one stone will you disturb in all the town."

"We'll soon make you sing another tune," returned Diurbanu, and he began
to roll up his sleeves, like an executioner preparing to torture his
victim. "You shall hear our plan. I will be perfectly honest with you.
While a part of my forces conduct a feigned assault in the valley, and
so engage the attention of your men, my main body will descend on the
town from the direction of the Szekler Stone, and will assail it in the
rear, where none but women and children are left to receive the attack.
What the fate of these women and children is likely to be, you may
conjecture from the fact that the assaulting party is led by a woman,--a
woman whose heart is full o