er wonderful dishes, the names of which
would be hardly recognizable by ordinary mortals and in abundance
sufficient for six times as many guests. There were all kinds of spicy
drinks to suit the taste of each one. Behind each guest was stationed
a page, who as soon as the guest turned his head, immediately removed
his full plate and gave him a clean one.

Behind the Prince stood the son of Ladislaus Csaki, who was proud that
his son might fill the glass of the Prince, and the Prince needed to
have it filled frequently. The Transylvanian feasters were wont to
close their banquets by drinking each other down for a wager. John
Kemeny now called on the brave spirits for the wonted contest. Most of
the guests declined the challenge. The sober ones expressed their
thanks for the honor and excused themselves; only three took up the
challenge. The first was Wenzinger, leader of the German troops, the
second was Paul Beldi, general of the Szeklers and supreme judge of
the court at Haromszek, a fine-looking man; his noble brow indicated
rest, his gentle eyes were brightened a little by the wine, his silent
lips opened in a smile; otherwise no effect of the drinking was to be
seen. Opposite him was the third contestant, Dionysius Banfy, captain
of the train bands at Klausenburg and general of the troops, a medium
sized, broad shouldered, haughty man, with a touch of unbecoming
affectation in his aristocratic countenance.

John Kemeny was seated at the upper end of the table and at either
side sat the wives of Banfy and Beldi. One of them, Banfy's wife, was
a young woman barely twenty years old, who since her sixteenth year
had been under the dominion of her husband. She hardly dared to raise
her eyes, or if she did it was only to turn them to her husband. On
the other side sat Beldi's wife, between her husband and the Prince;
hers was still a dazzling beauty like that of a white rose, and now
lighted up by the cheer of the feast, the healthy color seemed fairly
to burn. There was an eloquent charm in her eyebrows, and when she let
fall her lashes over her burning eyes her look was fascinating.
Bethlen's wife at the opposite end of the table talked openly of the
coquettish woman who had a marriageable daughter and yet dared appear
with open bodice; but this gave all the more pleasure to the Prince,
not less to the impetuous Banfy, and even to the gentle husband, who
worshipped his wife.

The wager had electrified all the men, s