“You sent to the Prince letters written to you by that woman, and that, too, after the Tzigana had become Princess Zilah.”
“She had let loose her dogs upon me to tear me to pieces. I was insane with rage. I wished to destroy her hopes also. I gave those letters to my valet with absolute orders to deliver them to the Prince the evening before the wedding. At the same hour that I left Paris, the letters should have been in the hands of the man who had the right to see them, and when there was yet time for him to refuse his name to the woman who had written them. My servant did not obey, or did not understand. Upon my honor, this is true. He kept the letters twenty-four hours longer than I had ordered him to do; and it was not she whom I punished, but I struck the man for whom I would have given my life.”
“Granted that there was a fatality of this sort in your conduct,” responded Varhely, coldly, “and that your lackey did not understand your commands: the deed which you committed was none the less that of a coward. You used as a weapon the letters of a woman, and of a woman whom you had deceived by promising her your name when it was no longer yours to give!”
“Are you here to defend Mademoiselle Marsa Laszlo?” asked Michel, a trifle haughtily.
“I am here to defend the Princess Zilah, and to avenge Prince Andras. I am here, above all, to demand satisfaction for your atrocious action in having taken me as the instrument of your villainy.”
“I regret it deeply and sincerely,” replied Menko; “and I am at your orders.”
The tone of this response admitted of no reply, and Yanski and Valla took their departure.
Valla then obtained another second from the Hungarian embassy, and two officers in garrison at Florence consented to serve as Menko’s friends. It was arranged that the duel should take place in a field near Pistoja.
Valla, anxious and uneasy, said to Varhely:
“But suppose he kills you? The right is the right, I know; but leaden bullets are not necessarily on the side of the right, and--”
“Well,” interrupted Yanski, “in case of the worst, you must charge yourself, my dear Valla, with informing the Prince how his old friend Yanski Varhely defended his honor--and also tell him of the place where Count Menko may be found. I am going to attempt to avenge Zilah. If I do not succeed, ‘Teremtete’!” ripping out the Hungarian oath, “he will avenge me, that is all! Let us go to supper.”