g it from me."

The girl ceased to speak and covered her face with both her hands. It
was a long time before she took them away again.

At last she sprang up quickly, and turning her pale face towards
Henrietta, said in a hard, dry voice: "It will be the last time, your
ladyship. I am weak because I am a woman, folks would say. But they
shall know that that is not true. Don't be afraid, my lady; what I have
promised, that will I do. You have been very good to me in telling me
that I was being deceived, and I will requite you for it. And now, God
bless you, my lady. Farewell!"

"But surely you are not thinking of going home so late at night?"

"What care I about the night? No spectre can meet me anywhere that is
worse than the horrible thing that dwells at the bottom of my heart. God
bless your ladyship. You shall hear from me soon. Farewell!"

Then the girl gently kissed Henrietta's hand and left the room, throwing
into her gait and bearing an energy and a self-confidence which she was
far from feeling.

CHAPTER XII

THE SOIREES AT ARAD

Despite his misgivings, Count Kengyelesy succeeded in reaching his home
at Arad without being robbed by Fatia Negra.

During the evenings of his visit at Hidvar he had won back everything
which he had lost on the occasion of his friend Hatszegi's visit at
Kengyelesy, and in the joy of his heart he gave his countess _carte
blanche_ in the matter of entertaining her friends and opened his halls
freely to the elegant world of Arad.

For the society of Arad is distinctly elegant. Excepting Pest, there is
no other place in Hungary where the aristocratic element is so strongly
represented. Nay, it has this advantage over Pest that its society does
not scatter as the seasons change. Such pleasure-resorts as Csako,
Menes, Magyarat and Vilagos and the castles of the magnates residing on
the circumjacent _puszta_ are all of a heap, so to speak, around Arad;
so that there is no occasion for acquaintances to separate in spring or
autumn; wherefore to all those who would devote themselves
uninterruptedly to social joys, Arad is a veritable Eldorado.

There was no need to offer the Countess Kengyelesy such an opportunity
twice,--the very next day the round of visiting began. All the
notabilities of the higher circles got themselves introduced to her
ladyship by mutual friends, and the lesser fry, whom nobody knew, were
introduced to her by the count himself. Amongst those who cam