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The Knights of the Cross, a novel by Henryk Sienkiewicz |
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Part 2 - Chapter 6 |
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_ PART SECOND: CHAPTER VI Jagienka herself melted a large pot of bear's grease. Macko drank the first quart willingly, because it was fresh, and smelt good. Jagienka put the rest of it in a pot. Macko's hope increased; he was sure he would be cured. "That is what I needed," said he. "When all parts inside of me become greasy, then that dog's splinter will slip out." But the next quarts did not taste as well as the first; but he continued to drink it and Jagienka encouraged him, saying: "You will get well. Zbilud of Ostrog had the links of a coat of mail driven into his neck; but they slipped out because he drank grease. But when your wound opens, you must put some grease of a beaver on it." "Have you some?" "Yes, we have. But if it be necessary to have it fresh, we will go with Zbyszko and get a beaver. Meanwhile it would not do any harm, if you promised something to some saint, who is the patron for wounds." "I was thinking about that, but I do not know to whom I should make the promise. Saint George is the patron of knights; he protects the warrior from any accident and always gives him victory, and it is said that sometimes he fights personally for the one who is right. But a saint who fights willingly, does not heal willingly; and for that, there must be another saint with whom he would not want to interfere. It is known that every saint has his specialty. But they will not interfere with one another; because that would cause quarrels, and it is not proper to fight in heaven. There are Kosma and Damian to whom all doctors pray, that illness may exist; otherwise the doctors would not have anything to eat. There is Saint Apolonia for the teeth and Saint Liborius for stone; but they will not do for me. The abbot, when he comes, will tell me whom I must ask. Every _clericus_ does not know all celestial secrets and everyone of them is not familiar with such things, but the abbot is." "Suppose you make a vow to the Lord Jesus himself?" "Of course he is over all of them. But suppose your father had injured my servant, and I went to Krakow to complain to the king; what would the king tell me? He would say thus: 'I am monarch over all the country, and you complain to me about one of your peasants! Do you not have my officials in your part of the country; why did you not go to the castellan?' So the Lord Jesus is the ruler over the whole universe; but for smaller affairs, he employs the saints." "Then I will tell you what to do," said Zbyszko, who entered just now; "make a vow to our late queen, that if she intercede for you, you will make a pilgrimage to Krakow. Why should you search after strange saints, when we have our own lady, who is better than they?" "Bah! if I only knew that she would intercede for wounds!" "No matter! There is no saint who would dare to show her an angry face; or if he dared, Lord God would punish him for it, because she was not an ordinary woman, but a Polish queen." "Who converted the last heathen country to the Christian faith! That is right," said Macko. "She must have a high place in God's council and surely none would dare to oppose her. Therefore I will do as you say." This advice pleased Jagienka, who admired Zbyszko's common sense very much. That same evening, Macko made a vow and drank with still greater hope, the bear's grease. But after a week, he began to lose hope. He said that the grease was fermenting in his stomach, and that a lump was growing on his side near the last rib. At the end of ten days Macko was worse, and the lump grew larger and became inflamed. The sick man again had fever and began to make preparations for death. But one night he awakened Zbyszko, and said: "Light a piece of resinous wood; there is something the matter with me, but I do not know what." Zbyszko jumped up and lighted a piece of pine wood. "What is it?" "What is it! Something has pierced the lump on my side. It must be the head of the spear! I had hold of it, but I cannot pull it out." "It must be the spearhead! Nothing else. Grasp it well and pull." Macko began to turn and to twist with pain; but he pushed his fingers deeper and deeper, until he seized a hard substance which finally he pulled out. "O, Jesus!" "Have you pulled it out?" asked Zbyszko. "Yes. I am in a cold perspiration all over; but I have it; look!" Having said this, he showed to Zbyszko a long splinter, which had separated from the spear and remained in his body for several months. "Glory be to God and to Queen Jadwiga! Now you will get well." "Perhaps; I am better, but it pains me greatly," said Macko, pressing the wound from which blood and pus began to flow. "Jagienka said that now I ought to dress the wound with the grease of a beaver." "We will go to-morrow and get a beaver." Macko felt considerably better the next day. He slept till morning, and when he awoke, immediately asked for something to eat. He would not even look at the bear's grease; but they cooked twenty eggs for him. He ate them voraciously, also a big loaf of bread, and drank about four quarts of beer; then he demanded that they call Zych, because he felt jovial. Zbyszko sent one of the Turks, given to him by Zawisza, after Zych who mounted a horse and came in the afternoon when the young people were ready to go to the Odstajny lake to catch a beaver. At first there was plenty of laughter and singing, while they drank mead; but afterward the old _wlodykas_ began to talk about the children, each praising his own. "What a man Zbyszko is!" said Macko; "there is no other like him in the world. He is brave and as agile as a wild-cat. Do you know that when they conducted him to the scaffold in Krakow, all the girls standing at the windows were crying, and such girls;--daughters of knights and of castellans, and also the beautiful townswomen." "They may be beautiful and the daughters of castellans, but they are not better than my Jagienka!" answered Zych of Zgorzelice. "Did I say they were better? It will be difficult to find a better girl than Jagienka." "I do not say anything against Zbyszko either; he can stretch a crossbow without a crank." "He can underprop a bear also. Did you see how he cut the bear? He cut the head and one paw off." "He cut the head off, but he did not underprop it alone. Jagienka helped him." "Did she? He did not tell me about that." "Because he promised her not to tell anyone. The girl was ashamed because she went into the forest alone at night. She told me all about it; she never hides the truth. Frankly speaking, I was not pleased because who knows what might have happened. I wanted to scold her, but she said, 'If I be not able to preserve my wreath myself, how can you preserve it, you _tatulu_; but do not fear, Zbyszko knows what knightly honor is.'" "That is true. They have gone alone to-day also." "They will be back in the evening. But during the night, the devil is worse and the girl does not feel ashamed because of the darkness." Macko thought for a while; then he said as if to himself: "But they are fond of each other." "Bah! it is a pity he made a vow to another!" "That is, as you know, a knightly custom. They consider the one who has no lady, a churl. He also made a vow to capture some peacocks' tufts, and those be must get because he swore by his knightly honor; he must also challenge Lichtenstein; but from the other vows, the abbot can release him." "The abbot is coming soon." "Do you expect him?" asked Macko; then he said again: "And what does such a vow amount to; Jurand told him positively that he could not give the girl to him! I do not know whether he had promised her to some one else, or whether he had destined her for God." "Have I told you that the abbot loves Jagienka as much as if she were his own? The last time I saw him he said: 'I have no relations except those from my mother's side; and they will receive nothing from me.'" Here Macko looked at Zych suspiciously and after awhile he answered: "Would you wrong us?" "Jagienka will get Moczydoly," said Zych evasively. "Immediately?" "Immediately. I would not give it to another; but I will do it for her." "Half of Bogdaniec belongs to Zbyszko, and if God restore my health, I will improve the estate. Do you love Zbyszko?" Zych began to wink and said: "When anybody mentions Zbyszko's name in the presence of Jagienka, she immediately turns away." "And when you mention another?" "When I mention another, she only laughs and says: 'What then?'" "Well, do you not see. God will help us and Zbyszko will forget about the other girl. I am old and I will forget also. Will you have some more mead?" "Yes, I will." "Well, the abbot is a wise man! You know that some of the abbots are laymen; but this abbot, although he does not sit among the friars, is a priest just the same; and a priest can always give better advice than an ordinary man, because he knows how to read, and he communes with the Holy Ghost. I am glad that Jagienka is going to have the estate of Moczydoly. As for me, as soon as the Lord Jesus restores my health, I will try to induce some of the peasants living on the estate of Wilk of Brzozowa, to settle on my land. I will offer them more land, I have plenty of it in Bogdaniec. They can come if they wish to, for they are free. In time, I will build a _grodek_ in Bogdaniec, a worthy castle of oaks with a ditch around it. Let Zbyszko and Jagienka hunt together. I think we shall soon have snow. They will become accustomed to each other, and the boy will forget that other girl. Let them be together. Speak frankly; would you give Jagienka to him or not?" "I would. Did we not decide a long time ago that they should marry, and that Moczydoly and Bogdaniec would be our grandchildren's?" "_Grady!_" exclaimed Macko, joyfully. "God will bless us and their children will be as numerous as hail. The abbot shall baptize them." "If he will only be quick enough!" exclaimed Zych. "I have not seen you so jolly as you are to-day for a long time." "Because I am glad in my heart. Do not fear about Zbyszko. Yesterday when Jagienka mounted her horse, the wind blew. I asked Zbyszko then: 'Did you see?' and his eyes shone. I have also noticed that although at first they did not speak much to each other, now when they go together, they are continually turning their heads toward each other, and they talk--talk! Have some more mead?" "Yes, I will." "To Zbyszko and Jagienka's health!" _ |
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