me," began Madame Apafi with
smiling reproach, "I came on a visit to my poor relative exiled to
Hungary."

Banfy felt the sting under these last words and said as he stroked his
beard:

"Here my lovely sister-in-law can do with me what she pleases. She can
use me as the target of her wit and overthrow me with her jests.
Before the Prince's throne, in the national hall, we face each other
as foes. Here on the contrary you are my ruler. Here I am nothing
except your most loyal subject, who does homage to your grace and is
beside himself with joy that he may have you as a guest."

While he was saying this Banfy threw his arms around the dignified
Madame Apafi with familiarity. Not without significance he added
turning to his wife, "It is to be hoped that you will not be jealous
of Anna."

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."

"You must have wondered already at my coming here. You can well
understand that I have not come without a reason. We have both of us
one person to fear, in like degree,