"Why?" asked Macko in terror.
"Because, when they said they had her there was yet hope, one could yet contend with them, either to ransom her, or take her from them by force.
"But," they said, "we had a girl retaken from robbers and we notified Jurand; he did not recognize her, and he killed of our people, in our very presence, more than fall in one good fight in war.""
"Then they showed Jurand some other girl."
"So it is said. G.o.d knows the truth. It may not be true, and it may be that they showed him some other girl. But it is a fact that he killed people, and the Knights of the Cross are ready to swear that they never abducted Panna Jurandowna, and that is an exceedingly difficult affair.
Even should the grand master order an investigation, they would reply that she was not in their hands; especially since the courtiers of Ciechanow spoke of Jurand"s letter in which he said that she was not with the Knights of the Cross."
"It may be she is not with them."
"I beg your pardon, sir!... If they had recaptured her from the robbers, it would have been for no other motive than for ransom. The robbers, before that happened could neither write a letter nor imitate the signature of the lord of Spychow, nor send an honorable messenger."
"That is true; but what do the Knights of the Cross want her for?"
"Revenge on Jurand"s race. They prefer vengeance to mead and wine; and if they want a pretext, they have one. The lord of Spychow was terrible to them, and his last deed completely finished them.... My master, I also heard, had lifted up his hand against Lichtenstein; he killed Rotgier....
G.o.d helped me, too, to shatter that dog-brother"s arm. Wait, I pray, let us consider. There were four of them to be exterminated; now hardly one is alive, and that one is an old man, and your grace must bear in mind that we yet have our teeth."
There was again silence for a moment.
"You are a discreet armor-bearer," said Macko, at last; "but what do you think they are going to do with her?"
"Prince Witold, they say, is a powerful prince, even the German emperor bows to him; and what did they do to his children? Have they but few castles? Few underground prisons? Few wells? Few ropes and halters for the neck?"
"For the living G.o.d"s sake!" exclaimed Macko.
"G.o.d grant that they may not also detain the young lord, although he went there with a letter from the prince, and accompanied by de Lorche who is a powerful lord and related to the prince. Ah, I did not want to set out for this place. But he commanded me to go. I heard him once say to the old lord of Spychow: "It is to be regretted that you are not cunning, for I shall get nothing by craft, and with them that is a necessary thing. O Uncle Macko! he would be useful here;" and for that reason he dispatched me. But as for Jurandowna, even you, sir, will not find her, for probably she is already in the other world, and where death is concerned, even the greatest cunning cannot prevail."
Macko was absorbed in thought for a long while, after which he said:
"Ha! Then there is no counsel. Cunning cannot prevail against death. But if I were to go there and only get a.s.surance that she has been removed, then in that case Spychow as well as Zbyszko remain. He will be able to return here and marry another maiden."
Here Macko breathed freely, as though a burden were removed from his heart, and Glowacz asked in a bashful, subdued voice:
"Do you mean the young lady of Zgorzelice?"
"Well!" replied Macko, "especially as she is an orphan, and Cztan of Rogow and Wilk of Brzozowa continually press their court to her."
At that the Bohemian straightened himself up.
"Is the young lady an orphan?... The knight Zych?..."
"Then you do not know."
"For the love of G.o.d! What has happened?"
"Well you are right. How could you know, since you have just arrived; and our only conversation has been about Zbyszko. She is an orphan. Unless he had guests, Zych of Zgorzelice never remained at home; otherwise he avoided Zgorzelice. He wrote about you to his abbot that he was going to visit Prince Przemka of Oswiecemia and ask him to give you to him. Zych did it because he was well acquainted with the prince and they have often frolicked together. Consequently Zych called upon me and said as follows: "I am going to Oswiecemia, then to Glewic; keep your eye on Zgorzelice."
I at once suspected something wrong and said: "Don"t go! I will keep good watch over Jagienka and the estate," for I know that Cztan and Wilk intend to do you some wrong, and you ought to know that the abbot out of spite against Zbyszko, preferred Cztan or Wilk for the girl. But he subsequently learned to know them better and rejected both of them, and turned them out of Zgorzelice; but not effectually, for they obstinately persisted. Now they have quieted down for a while, for they have wounded each other and are laid up, but before that occurred there was not a moment of security. Everything is upon my head, protection and guardianship. Now Zbyszko wishes me to come.... What will happen here to Jagienka--I don"t know, but now I will tell you about Zych; he did not follow my advice--he went. Well, they feasted and frolicked together.
From Glewic they went to see old Nosak, Prince Przemka"s father, who rules in Cieszyn; till Jasko, the prince of Racibor, out of hatred for Prince Przemka, set upon them the robber band under the leadership of the Bohemian Chrzan; Prince Przemka and Zych of Zgorzelice perished in the affray. The robbers stunned the abbot with an iron flail, so that even now his head shakes and he knows nothing of what is going on in the world and has lost his speech, G.o.d help him, forever! Now old Prince Nosak bought Chrzan from the owner of Zampach, and tortured him so much that even the oldest inhabitants never heard of such cruelty,--but the cruelty did not lessen the sorrow of the old man for his son; neither did it resuscitate Zych, nor wipe away the tears of Jagienka. This is the result of the frolic.... Six weeks ago they brought Zych here and buried him."
"Such a hard master!..." sorrowfully said the Bohemian. "Under Boleslaw I was comfortably situated when he took me into captivity. But such was the captivity that I would not have exchanged it for freedom.... He was a good and worthy master! May G.o.d grant him eternal glory. Ah, I am very sorry! But I must grieve for the helpless young lady."
"Because the poor thing is a good girl, she loved her father more than a man loves his mother. Then too she is not safe in Zgorzelice. After the funeral, scarcely had the snow covered Zych"s grave, when Cztan and Wilk stepped into the mansion of Zgorzelice. My people were informed of it beforehand. Then I, with the farm hands went to the rescue; we arrived in good time and with G.o.d"s help we gave them a good thrashing. Immediately after the fight, the girl fell on her knees and begged me to save her.
"If I cannot belong to Zbyszko," she said, "I will belong to n.o.body else; only save me from those torturers, I prefer death to them...." I tell you that I made a real castle out of Zgorzelice. After that, they appeared twice on the premises, but believe me, they could not succeed. Now there will be peace for some time, for as I told you: they hurt each other badly, so much so, that neither is able to move head or foot."
Glowacz made no observation upon this, but when he heard of the conduct of Cztan and Wilk, he began to gnash his teeth so loudly, that it sounded like the creaking caused by the opening and closing of a door, then he began to rub his strong hands upon his thighs as though they were itching. Finally, he uttered with difficulty only one word:
"Villains!"
But at that moment, a voice was heard in the entrance-hall, the door suddenly opened and Jagienka rushed into the house, and with her was Jasko, her oldest brother, who was fourteen years old and looked as like her, as though they were twins.
She had heard from some peasants at Zgorzelice, that they had seen the Bohemian Hlawa, at the head of some people, journeying to Bogdaniec, and like Macko, she also was terrified, and when they informed her that Zbyszko was not among them she was almost sure that some misfortune had happened. She therefore lost no time and hastened to Bogdaniec to ascertain the truth.
"What has happened?... For G.o.d"s sake tell me," she shouted, when yet upon the threshold.
"What should happen?" replied Macko. "Zbyszko is alive and well."
The Bohemian hastened toward the young lady, knelt upon one knee and kissed the hem of her dress, but she paid no attention to it; only when she heard the reply of the old knight she turned her head from the fireplace to the darker side of the room, and only after a while, as if having forgotten that it was necessary to salute the Bohemian, she said:
"The name of Jesus Christ be praised!"
"Forever and ever," replied Macko.
Then she observed the kneeling Bohemian at her feet and bent toward him.
"From my soul I am glad to see you, Hlawa, but why did you leave your master behind?"
"He sent me away, most gracious lady."
"What were his orders?"
"He ordered me to go to Bogdaniec."
"To Bogdaniec?... What else?"
"He sent me to get counsel.... He also sends his compliments and good wishes."
"To Bogdaniec? Very well, then. But where is he himself?"
"He left for Malborg, and is now among the Knights of the Cross."
Jagienka"s face again a.s.sumed an expression of alarm.
"Why, is he tired of life?"
"He is in quest, gracious lady, of that which he will not be able to find."
"I believe he will not find it," interrupted Macko. "Just as one cannot drive a nail without a hammer, so are man"s wishes without the will of G.o.d."