"'Tis a very simple matter, sir. It was I who discovered Börvolgy; but as soon as the rumour of the hot spring spread abroad, the public tried to take possession of it. Now, I had also discovered a rich mineral vein beneath the Gradina Dracului, and to prevent it from being appropriated, I had a little private pleasure-house built there among the rocks for the exclusive use of my wife." By these last words Banfi wished to make the Prince understand that he ought to spare his wife, but they produced exactly the contrary effect. "Oh, you vile hypocrite!" cried the Prince, starting up and striking the table with his clenched fist. "You would use your wife as a cloak, well knowing all the time that you keep there a Turkish girl on whose account the Sultan is about to ravage the land with fire and sword!" Lady Banfi uttered a piercing shriek. Her sister whispered in her ear-- "Be strong! Now is the time to show what you are made of." Banfi furiously bit his lips, but controlled himself with a mighty effort, and answered calmly-- "That is not true, sir! That I deny!" "What! Not true! There are people who have seen her." "Who?" "Clement, the Patrol-officer." "Clement the poet? Ah! We all know that lying is the masterpiece of poets." "Very well, my lord baron. As you deny everything, I will try to get to the bottom of the matter myself. I will therefore go in person to the place in question, and if I find confirmation of that whereof you are accused, let me tell you that a threefold punishment awaits you: first, for the rape of the Turkish girl; next, for the violence done to a princely messenger; and thirdly, for adultery. Each one of these deeds is sufficient in itself to hurl you down from your presumptuous height. My lord Csaky, lead us to this place; and you, my lord Denis Banfi, will in the meantime remain here." Banfi stood there with a bloodless face, and his feet rooted to the ground. Meanwhile his wife had risen from her seat, and rallying all her strength with a supreme effort, stepped in front of the Prince and said-- "Sir, pardon my husband! He knows nothing of this thing--the fault is mine--the woman whom you seek turned to me for protection in her hour of need--and--I concealed her in that place--without my husband's knowledge." Every word she spoke seemed to cost the pale, fragile lady superhuman exertion. Banfi turned very red and cast down his eyes before her. The Princess looked triumphantly at her sister and pressed her hand. "Well done!" she whispered. "That was indeed noble and heroic!" Apafi saw through the magnanimous fraud; but he was determined that Banfi should not escape him that way, so, turning wrathfully upon him, he exclaimed-- "And you permit your wife to commit such indiscretions, which might so easily ruin your family, nay, the realm itself? She must be punished for it, and I therefore request you to reprimand her on the spot!"