A World to Win by Mary Lancaster

Author:Mary Lancaster [Lancaster, Mary]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Romance
ISBN: 9781843194354
Publisher: Mushroom Publishing
Published: 2006-08-15T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

The power of the people, it seemed, was still paramount. Lederer was recalled to Vienna; an enquiry into the incident was opened, and the Cabinet announced a National Assembly to open on the second of July.

Mattias, naturally, was exuberant. At last an Assembly would exist which was truly representative of the people.

“Of the people with property,” I corrected drily.

“Or education. It still enfranchises more people than are allowed to vote in Britain!” Mattias said triumphantly. “They’re all to stand for election, you know — Petöfi, Arany, Irinyi, Irányi, old Táncsics.”

I nodded thoughtfully. And Lajos — what a fine achievement it would be for him to sit in the National Assembly; no doubt it would be the beginning of a glittering political career, for I could not imagine that he would fail to shine in the Assembly, to stir it up and carry all before him...

By this time, we were ready to go to Transylvania, and I felt a sudden panic at leaving Buda-Pest. The elections, the Assembly, would happen without me; Lajos’s life would go on without me.

The day before we left, I ran into Petöfi in Vaci Street, swaggering towards me with his wife proudly on his arm. He no longer wore the monstrous sword of March days, but it was still somehow incongruous to find him doing anything so mundane as shopping with his wife. His face lit up when he saw me, and Julia smiled welcomingly. Despite their connection with Lajos, I could not but be pleased at their friendliness, so I stopped to exchange greetings and news.

“How are you?” Petöfi demanded. “We never see you these days!”

“That’s because you are too busy,” I said lightly. “And soon to be more so, I hear. Where will you stand for election?”

“In my home town — I have a good chance.”

“I’m sure no one has a better,” I said genuinely, and won a smile from Julia. “Are your friends also standing?”

“Yes, except for Vasvári and Jókai, who are under twenty-four and therefore two young. And Lajos, of course.” His gaze grew speculative, even as I frowned in quick surprise.

“Lajos is not standing?”

“He says not. I assumed you knew.”

I flushed under his bright, penetrating gaze, but I managed to say calmly, “I have not spoken to him recently...”

“Perhaps you could persuade him?” Petöfi suggested, and when I opened my mouth for instant refusal, he added quickly, “I know you will say it is his choice, and you are right. But how can his choice not be to serve the people?”

It was what I was wondering myself. “What does he say?” I asked evasively.

“That he can better serve the people by staying outside the establishment,” Petöfi answered with a shade of ruefulness. “And yes, I see his point, but to deprive the Assembly, the people, of his not inconsiderable talents — you see?”

“Yes, I see.”

“And then, it would be such a step forward in his career. I know Lajos cares nothing for that, but his friends do.”

“Yes,” I agreed sadly.

“Then you will speak to him?”

I smiled a little nervously.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.