free forest without once looking back at the dowry lying abandoned there
with all its gold and glitter. In his eyes only Mariora was of gold,
nothing else.

"The bear meanwhile made some little havoc in a mild sort of way, among
the honey-cakes, but he did no other damage.

"And I can assure your ladyship that this wife who has nothing in the
world but her husband, but that husband all her own--is even now very
happy."

CHAPTER X

THE BLACK JEWELRY

It was during this time that Henrietta cherished the bizarre illusion
that it was her vocation to cultivate the acquaintance of the honest but
homely peasantry living around, in whose lowly circles a widowed
protestant pastor's wife and a worn-out old miner were the principal
personages. Her husband laughed good-humouredly at her vagaries, as he
called them: "She is only a child," he cried, "let her play and cut out
dolls' clothes for those who want them! When she has grown up, she will
very soon look out for other diversions." "My dear child," he would
sometimes say to her, "do exactly as you like. I only beg of you one
thing: whenever you are tired of these innocent, well-meaning illusions
and return to rough, prosaic, brutal reality; whenever you feel yourself
deceived or wounded by those whom you may have implicitly trusted, pray
recollect that you have a natural protector, a real friend--your
husband!"

Thus it was that Hatszegi spoke to his child-wife on the rare occasions
when they met together.

It was only rarely, for they saw nothing of each other for the greater
part of the day. During the so-called honey-moon the husband and wife
had scarcely spent half an hour a day in each other's company.

On one occasion the pastor went to Deva, and when he returned he had a
lot to tell her ladyship of a fine young fellow, Szilard by name, who
held the office of magistrate at Lippa. His other name he had forgotten,
but Henrietta easily guessed it. Mr. Szilard had been very polite to
him, the parson added, and had joyfully listened to all he had to tell
him about Hidvar and its mistress; but when the priest had pressed him
to pay a visit to that part of the country to see and admire its rare
natural beauties, the young man had replied: "Anywhere in the world but
there." What possible objection could he have against the district?

This piece of news gave Henrietta plenty to think about for days and
nights together. So Szilard had not remained at Pest; he had