Prince Zilah -- Volume 2

d Marsa, awakened to reality, followed her to the hall, where Varhely, Vogotzine, Angelo Valla,

crackling of the gravel, a flash of wheels in the sunlight, a rapid, joyous departure. Clustered beneath the trees in the ordinarily quiet avenues of Maiso

plaster tower covered with ivy and surmounted with a roughly carved cross. She entered the church almost trembling, thinking again how strange was this fate which united, before a village altar, a Tzigana a

had really drunk of the cup of oblivion; she was another woman, or rather a young girl, with all a young girl's purity and ignorance o

chancel; and above the altar, a sweet-faced Madonna looked down with sad eyes upon the man and woman kneeling before her. Through the parti-colored windows, crossed with broad bands of red, the b

equipages, with their stamping horses, and the coachmen, erect upon their boxes, motionless, and looking neither to the right nor the left. Through the open door of the church, at the end o

a profound silence to fall upon the square; but, as the last note died aw

ich recalled that of the sea; and now and then a blossom of a yellowish white w

t will have a husband

ps of the sanctuary, was murmuring a monoto

hat oppressed by the heavy atmosphere of the little church, and being a Huguenot besides, the old

wed the crowd; but they soon began to rat

as now taking up the collection for the poor, holding the long pole of the alms-box in her l

to the church, when a domestic in livery pushed his way through the crowd, and raising himself upon his toes, peered into

Varhely that I have

Yanski, a lit

arge of it, and give it to the Prince? I beg Monsieur's pardon; but it is very importa

side pocket a little package carefully w

e," he said again, "but

Varhely, rather brus

Michel

been seriously ill; otherwise, he would have been astonishe

tle package, twisting it mechanically in his hands. As he did so, he gave

iting, and, in the left-hand corner, Michel Menko had written, in Hungarian characters: "Very imp

ough to pardon me," he said; "but, in the midst of this crowd, I could not pe

hely. "I will myself give th

vaguely uneasy at this mysterious package which had been

was one of the most intimate of them, and whom the Prince called "my child." Yes, it was evidently that. But why this sealed package? and

ws could come from Michel Menko! The young man, unable to come himself to Maisons, had sent his congratulations to the Prince, and Zilah wou

es causes. The envelope alone, of some letters, sends a magnetic thrill through one and makes one tremble. The rough soldier was not

oulders, and turne

s the newly-married pair walked slowly down the aisle. Marsa smiled happily at this music of Mendelssohn, which she had played so often, and which was now singing for her the chant of happy love

her, gazed upon her with fascinated eyes. The door of Andras's carriage was open; Marsa entered it, and Andras, with a smi

ved, my adored Marsa! How I