Miklós Bánffy - They Were Found Wanting

‘So you’d rather shoot it out with a rogue like him. That’s what he is and we both know it!’

‘Yes,’ said Balint drily. ‘And that’s why I’m asking you not to make any use whatever of what I’ve just told you!’

‘Indeed! I see.’

There was silence for a moment while Balint and Absolon looked hard at each other. Then the old traveller started to laugh, ‘All right then, we agree … but I’ll keep it in mind all the same.’

Now it was Alvinczy’s turn to object. He burst out, saying, ‘Excuse me, my friends, but I cannot and will not agree. It is contrary to all the rules,’ and he started to explain that it was quite wrong to allow the man they represented to face a possible death just because he refused to reveal his reasons. ‘No! No! No!’

Absolon reacted only with a superior smile. He got up, took his crutch in one hand and with the other patted old Alvinczy on the shoulder.

‘I’ll explain it to you later,’ he said. Then he turned to Balint. ‘You can rely on me. I’ll arrange everything just as you wish. May I therefore just say that you had no intention to offend?’

‘By all means.’

‘All right. Leave the rest to me.’

When Balint was alone he found that he was extremely put out. He regretted that he had not followed his original instinct, which had been to protest at the way Absolon had now somehow manoeuvred the whole affair in a quite different direction from that he himself had intended. Absolon had somehow managed to make this trivial dispute with Boros part of the ancient party feud that had existed for so long in the districts along the valley of the Maros. And with his sharp mind he was well on the way to arranging that where he led Alvinczy was bound to follow. And there was nothing that Balint could do about it. And yet … and yet …? Well, there was one thing he could do: he could keep the documents from being used. If Absolon were to ask for them he would merely say that he had thrown them away and, as it happened, this was almost true. He had given back the dossier that Frankel had brought and he had thrown Tamas Laczok’s original letter in the fire. All the rest had been shovelled into some drawer or other in his study at Denestornya; and anyway most of it had been worthless. This last thought comforted him.

Abady’s and Boros’s seconds met that night in one of the Casino’s private rooms.

Alvinczy and Absolon started off by declaring that their friend had had no intention to offend. This they were quite prepared to have recorded in the Club’s minute-book. In their opinion nothing more was needed and the affair could therefore be considered as closed. Boros’s seconds hesitated for a moment. Then, with none too good a grace, they agreed to consult their friend and let him decide if this satisfied him. They did not, of course, have even the faintest idea that Boros might have secret reasons of his own for wishing the duel to take place.

The following morning the four seconds met again and now it was the turn of those representing Boros to open the discussion. Boros, it seemed, insisted on all his original demands and would only be satisfied if Count Abady were to declare publicly and in writing that he had not avoided him on purpose, that he held the lawyer in high esteem, and that he deeply regretted it if he had, even involuntarily, given Boros reason to feel offended.

When Boros’s seconds finally finished what they had to say, old Absolon burst into mocking laughter. The others reacted with shock and one of them asked, in a slightly menacing tone, ‘May I ask you why you find this so amusing?’

‘That you will find out soon enough!’ answered the old man with a malicious smile. Then, more seriously, he went on, ‘I must tell you that our instructions are that what we have just proposed is as far as we will concede. Count Abady declares that he did not intend to give offence. Further than that we will not go.’

‘And that we will not accept.’

Absolon’s smile now held no hint of humour or good will. Though his lips were drawn back to show a glint of white teeth, his expression was one of frightening malice. Speaking very slowly, he said, ‘All the same I would advise you to accept. I advise it very strongly. Mr Boros should be thankful to get off so lightly.’

Boros’s seconds were taken by surprise. Puzzled they asked, ‘What? What do you mean?’

Absolon leaned back in his chair. He laughed again, and now his voice held even more menace as he said, ‘I mean that we agreed to make you this offer only because of the quixotic and irrational goodwill of Count Abady, who has insisted that we do so. And now, speaking no longer as a second but as Miklos Absolon, I tell you that Mr Boros is no better than a common thief. This is the message I send to him. Kindly deliver it!’

Boros’s seconds both jumped to their feet and challenged Absolon on the spot.

‘That I do accept!’ replied the old man, and lit a fresh cigar.

Now the quarrel between Abady and Boros was relegated to history. Brief announcements were penned by both sides and duly appeared in the press in obscure little paragraphs that no one read.

On the other hand the Absolon-Boros affair was the only matter anyone bothered to talk about. Agitated little groups gathered in the great corridor of the Parliament building, for everyone knew that Absolon was the long-standing leader of Tisza’s party in Maros-Torda. As a result this new affair was at once made into a political issue.

Dr Boros’s popularity had previously suffered a severe setback when he sided with Kossuth against all those clamouring for an independent banking system. Despite this Justh’s supporters had always remained loyal, and to a man had stood to cheer him whenever he entered the House. Now many Members came over to make a point of shaking his hand and soon he became even more a favourite than before. Then newspapers of the Independence Party devoted prominent paragraphs to him, all portraying him as the nation’s great hero who had drawn his sword against the demons of evil and darkness. They wrote nothing about the offence of which Absolon had accused him, only of course because they did not know what it was. All they could say was that the insult was unforgivable. In no time at all there appeared a daily column giving an appreciation of Boros’s great qualities and reporting news about the forthcoming duel.

The column appeared daily because Absolon’s seconds had demanded a Court of Honour and this meant the appointment of a suitable president, which itself entailed much wrangling and delay. When the court finally assembled old Absolon repeated his message to Boros. He was ordered to provide proof of his allegation. At once Absolon’s seconds, Count Alvinczy and Major Bogacsy — who had been hurriedly summoned to the capital — asked for an adjournment for eight days so as to have time to collect their evidence and bring the necessary documents from Transylvania.

Balint found himself increasingly perturbed and distressed by the turn of events, all the more so since he had heard from Alvinczy that Absolon had lost his temper at the first hearing of the Court of Honour and declared that he himself did not have any documents. Balint’s dilemma now was that he could not decide whether or not he should ask Frankel for the dossier concerning the Eisler contract which the director of the timber company had said would always be available to him. He had no desire to get involved in this hornets’ nest which the original challenge from Boros had provoked. Besides which he was reluctant to be responsible for Boros’s downfall when he had promised Dinora to do him no harm.