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The Knights of the Cross, a novel by Henryk Sienkiewicz |
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Part 2 - Chapter 8 |
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_ PART SECOND CHAPTER VIII After the conversation with Zbyszko, Jagienka did not appear in Bogdaniec for three days; but on the third day she hurried in with the news that the abbot had arrived at Zgorzelice. Macko received the news with emotion. It is true he had money enough to pay the amount for which the estate was pledged, and he calculated that he would have enough to induce settlers to come, to buy herds and to make other improvements; but in the whole transaction, much depended on the disposition of the rich relation, who, for instance, could take or leave the peasants settled by him on the land, and in that way increase or diminish the value of the estate. Therefore Macko asked Jagienka about the abbot; how he was; if he was in a good humor or gloomy; what he had said about them; when he was coming to Bogdaniec? She gave him sensible answers, trying to encourage and tranquillize him in every respect. She said that the abbot was in good health and gay; that he was accompanied by a considerable retinue in which, besides the armed servants, there were several seminarists and _rybalts_; that he sang with Zych and that he listened gladly not only to the spiritual but to the worldly songs also. She had noticed also that he asked carefully about Macko, and that he listened eagerly to Zych's narration of Zbyszko's adventure in Krakow. "You know best what you ought to do," finally the clever girl said; "but I think that Zbyszko ought to go immediately and greet his elder relative, and not wait until the abbot comes to Bogdaniec." Macko liked the advice; therefore he called Zbyszko and said to him: "Dress yourself beautifully; then go and bow to the abbot, and pay him respect; perhaps he will take a fancy to you." Then he turned to Jagienka: "I would not be surprised if you were stupid, because you are a woman; but I am astonished to find that you have such good sense. Tell me then, the best way to receive the abbot when he comes here." "As for food, he will tell you himself what he wishes to have; he likes to feast well, but if there be a great deal of saffron in the food, he will eat anything." Macko hearing this, said: "How can I get saffron for him!" "I brought some," said Jagienka. "Give us more such girls!" exclaimed the overjoyed Macko. "She is pretty, a good housekeeper, intelligent and good-hearted! Hej! if I were only younger I would take her immediately!" Here Jagienka glanced at Zbyszko, and having sighed slightly, she said further: "I brought also the dice, the goblet and the cloth, because after his meal, the abbot likes to play dice." "He had the same habit formerly, and he used to get very angry." "He gets angry sometimes now; then he throws the goblet on the ground and rushes from the room into the fields. Then he comes back smiling, and laughs at his anger. You know him! If one does not contradict him, you cannot find a better man in the world." "And who would contradict him; is he not wiser and mightier than others?" Thus they talked while Zbyszko was dressing in the alcove. Finally he came out, looking so beautiful that he dazzled Jagienka, as much as he did the first time he went to Zgorzelice in his white _jaka_. She regretted that this handsome knight was not hers, and that he was in love with another girl. Macko was pleased because he thought that the abbot could not help liking Zbyszko and would be more lenient during their business transaction. He was so much pleased with this idea, that he determined to go also. "Order the servants to prepare a wagon," said he to Zbyszko. "If I could travel from Krakow to Bogdaniec with an iron in my side, surely I can go now to Zgorzelice." "If you only will not faint," said Jagienka. "Ej! I will be all right, because I feel stronger already. And even if I faint, the abbot will see that I hastened to meet him, and will be more generous." "I prefer your health to his generosity!" said Zbyszko. But Macko was persistent and started for Zgorzelice. On the road he moaned a little, but he continued to give Zbyszko advice; he told him how to act in Zgorzelice, and especially recommended him to be obedient and humble in the presence of their mighty relative, who never would suffer the slightest opposition. When they came to Zgorzelice, they found Zych and the abbot sitting in front of the house, looking at the beautiful country, and drinking wine. Behind them, near the wall, sat six men of the abbot's retinue; two of them were _rybalts_; one was a pilgrim, who could easily be distinguished by his curved stick and dark mantle; the others looked like seminarists because their heads were shaved, but they wore lay clothing, girdles of ox leather, and swords. When Zych perceived Macko coming in the wagon, he rushed toward him; but the abbot, evidently remembering his spiritual dignity, remained seated, and began to say something to his seminarists. Zbyszko and Zych conducted the sick Macko toward the house. "I am not well yet," said Macko, kissing the abbot's hand, "but I came to bow to you, my benefactor; to thank you for your care of Bogdaniec, and to beg you for a benediction, which is most necessary for a sinful man." "I heard you were better," said the abbot, placing his hand on Macko's head; "and that you had promised to go to the grave of our late queen." "Not knowing which saint's protection to ask for, I made a vow to her." "You did well!" said the abbot, enthusiastically; "she is better than all the others, if one only dare beseech her!" In a moment his face became flushed with anger, his cheeks filled with blood, his eyes began to sparkle. They were so used to his impetuosity, that Zych began to laugh and exclaimed: "Strike, who believes in God!" As for the abbot, he puffed loudly, and looked at those present; then laughed suddenly, and having looked at Zbyszko, he asked: "Is that your nephew and my relation?" Zbyszko bent and kissed his hand. "I saw him when he was a small boy; I did not recognize him," said the abbot. "Show yourself!" And he began to look at him from head to foot, and finally said: "He is too handsome! It is a girl, not a knight!" "To this Macko replied: "That girl used to go to dancing parties with the Germans; but those who took her, fell down and did not rise again." "And he can stretch a crossbow without a crank!" exclaimed Jagienka. The abbot turned toward her: "Ah! Are you here?" She blushed so much that her neck and ears became red, and answered: "I saw him do it." "Look out then, that he does not shoot you, because you will be obliged to nurse yourself for a long time." At this the _rybalts_, the pilgrim and the seminarists broke out with great laughter, which confused Jagienka still more; the abbot took pity on her, and having raised his arm, he showed her his enormous sleeve, and said: "Hide here, my dear girl!" Meanwhile Zych assisted Macko to the bench and ordered some wine for him. Jagienka went to get it. The abbot turned to Zbyszko and began to talk thus: "Enough of joking! I compared you to a girl, not to humiliate you, but to praise your beauty, of which many girls would be proud. But I know that you are a man! I have heard about your deeds at Wilno, about the Fryzes, and about Krakow. Zych has told me all about it, understand!" Here he began to look intently into Zbyszko's eyes, and after a while he said: "If you have promised three peacocks' tufts, then search for them! It is praiseworthy and pleasing to God to persecute the foes of our nation. But, if you have promised something else, I will release you from the vow." "Hej!" said Zbyszko; "when a man promises something in his soul to the Lord Jesus, who has the power to release him?" Macko looked with fear at the abbot; but evidently he was in an excellent humor, because instead of becoming angry, he threatened Zbyszko with his finger and said: "How clever you are! But you must be careful that you do not meet the same fate that the German, Beyhard, did." "What happened to him?" asked Zych. "They burned him on a pile." "What for?" "Because he used to say that a layman could understand God's secrets as well as the clergy." "They punished him severely!" "But righteously!" shouted the abbot, "because he had blasphemed against the Holy Ghost. What do you think? Is a layman able to interpret any of God's secrets?" "He cannot by any means!" exclaimed the wandering seminarists, together. "Keep quiet, you _shpilmen_!" said the abbot; "you are not ecclesiastics, although your heads are shaved." "We are not '_shpilmen_,' but courtiers of Your Grace," answered one of them, looking toward a large bucket from which the smell of hops and malt was filling the air. "Look! He is talking from a barrel!" exclaimed the abbot. "Hej, you shaggy one! Why do you look at the bucket? You will not find any Latin at the bottom of that." "I am not looking for Latin, but for beer; but I cannot find any." The abbot turned toward Zbyszko, who was looking with astonishment at such courtiers as these, and said: "They are _clerici scholares_;[83] but every one of them prefers to throw his books aside, and taking his lute, wander through the world. I shelter and nourish them; what else can I do? They are good for nothing, but they know how to sing and they are familiar with God's service; therefore I have some benefit out of them in my church, and in case of need, they will defend me, because some of them are fierce fellows! This pilgrim says that he was in the Holy Land; but I have asked him in vain about some of the seas and countries; he does not know even the name of the Greek emperor nor in what city he lives." [Footnote 83: Seminarists students.]
"I did know," said the pilgrim, in a hoarse voice; "but the fever I caught at the Danube, shook everything out of me." "What surprises me most is, that they wear swords, being wandering seminarists," said Zbyszko. "They are allowed to wear them," said the abbot, "because they have not received orders yet; and there is no occasion for anyone to wonder because I wear a sword even though I am an abbot. A year ago I challenged Wilk of Brzozowa to fight for the forests which you passed; but he did not appear." "How could he fight with one of the clergy?" interrupted Zych. At this the abbot became angry, struck the table with his fist, and exclaimed: "When I wear armor, then I am not a priest, but a nobleman! He did not come because he preferred to have his servants attack me in Tulcza. That is why I wear a sword: _Omnes leges, omniaque iura vim vi repellere cunctisque sese defensare permittunt!_ That is why I gave them their swords." Hearing the Latin, Zych, Macko and Zbyszko became silent and bent their heads before the abbot's wisdom, because they did not understand a word of it; as for the abbot, he looked very angry for a while, and then he said: "Who knows but what he will attack me even here?" "Owa! Let him come!" exclaimed the wandering seminarists, seizing the hilts of their swords. "I would like to have him attack me! I am longing for a fight." "He will not do that," said Zych. "It is more likely that he will come to bow to you. He gave up the forests, and now he is anxious about his son. You know! But he can wait a long time!" Meanwhile the abbot became quieted and said: "I saw young Wilk drinking with Cztan of Rogow in an inn in Krzesnia. They did not recognize us at once, because it was dark; they were talking about Jagienka." Here he turned to Zbyszko: "And about you, too." "What do they want from me?" "They do not want anything from you; but they do not like it that there is a third young man near Zgorzelice. Cztan said to Wilk: 'After I tan his skin, he will not be so smooth.' And Wilk said: 'Perhaps he will be afraid of us; if not, I will break his bones!' Then they assured each other that you would be afraid of them." Hearing this Macko looked at Zych, and Zych looked at him; their faces expressed great cunning and joy. Neither of them was sure whether the abbot had really heard such a conversation, or whether he was only saying this to excite Zbyszko; but they both knew, and Macko especially, that there was no better way to incite Zbyszko to try to win Jagienka. The abbot added deliberately: "It is true, they are fierce fellows!" Zbyszko did not show any excitement; but he asked in a strange tone that did not sound like his voice: "To-morrow is Sunday?" "Yes, Sunday." "You will go to church?" "Yes!" "Where? to Krzesnia?" "That is the nearest!" "Well, all right then!" _ |
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