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The Knights of the Cross, a novel by Henryk Sienkiewicz |
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Part 3 - Chapter 7 |
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_ PART THIRD: CHAPTER VII In the meanwhile, the Czech rushed as fast as he could to the prince's hunting residence, and finding the prince still there, he told him first, what had happened. Happily there were some courtiers who had seen the shield-bearer go without any arms. One of them had even shouted after him, half in jest, to take some old iron, because otherwise the Germans would get the best of him; but he, fearing that the knights would pass the frontier, jumped on horseback as he stood, in a sheepskin overcoat only and hurried after them. These testimonies dispelled all possible doubts from the prince's mind as to the fact who had murdered de Fourcy; but they filled him with uneasiness and with such anger, that at first he wanted to pursue the Knights of the Cross, capture them and send them to the grand master in chains. After a while, however, he came to the conclusion, that it was impossible to reach them on this side of the boundary and he said: "I will send, instead, a letter to the grand master, so that he may know what they are doing here. God will punish them for it!" Then he became thoughtful and after a while he began to say to the courtiers: "I cannot understand why they killed their guest; I would suspect the shield-bearer if I did not know that he went there without weapons." "Bah!" said the _ksiondz_ Wyszoniek, "why should the boy kill him? He had not seen him before. Then suppose be had had arms, how could he attack five of them and their armed retinues?" "That is true," said the prince. "That guest must have opposed them in something, or perhaps be did not wish to lie as was necessary for them. I saw them wink at him, to induce him to say that Jurand was the first to begin the fight." Then Mrokota of Mocarzew said: "He is a strong boy, if be could crush the arm of that dog Danveld." "He said that be heard the bones of the German crack," answered the prince; "and taking into consideration what he did in the forest, one must admit it is true! The master and the servant are both strong boys. But for Zbyszko, the bison would have rushed against the horses. Both the Lotaringer and he contributed very much to the rescue of the princess." "To be sure they are great boys," affirmed the _ksiondz_ Wyszoniek. "Even now when he can hardly breathe, be has taken Jurand's part and challenged those knights. Jurand needs exactly such a son-in-law." "In Krakow, Jurand said differently; but now, I think he will not oppose it," said the prince. "The Lord Jesus will help," said the princess, who entered just now and heard the end of the conversation. "Jurand cannot oppose it now, if only God will restore Zbyszko's health; but we must reward him also." "The best reward for him will be Danusia, and I think he will get her, for when the women resolve to accomplish some object, then even Jurand himself could not prevent them." "Am I not right, to wish for that marriage?" asked the princess. "I would not say a word if Zbyszko were not constant; but I think there is no other in the world as faithful as he. And the girl also. She does not leave him now for a moment; she caresses him and he smiles at her, although he is very ill. I cry myself when I see this! I am speaking righteously! It is worth while to help such a love, because the Holy Mother looks gladly on human happiness." "If it be God's will," said the prince, "the happiness will come. But it is true that he nearly lost his head for that girl and now the bison has injured him." "Do not say it was for that girl," said the princess, quickly, "because in Krakow Danusia saved him." "True! But for her sake he attacked Lichtenstein, in order to tear from his head the feathers, and he would not have risked his life for de Lorche. As for the reward, I said before that they both deserve one, and I will think about it in Ciechanow." "Nothing will please Zbyszko more than to receive the knightly girdle and the golden spurs." The prince smiled benevolently and answered: "Let the girl carry them to him; and when the illness leaves him, then we will see that everything is accomplished according to the custom. Let her carry them to him immediately, because quick joy is the best!" The princess having heard that, hugged her lord in the presence of the courtiers, and kissed his hands; he smiled continually and said: "You see--A good idea! I see that the Holy Ghost has granted the woman some sense also! Now call the girl." "Danuska! Danuska!" called the princess. And in a moment in the side door Danusia appeared; her eyes were red on account of sleepless nights; and she held a pot of steaming gruel, which the _ksiondz_ Wyszoniek had ordered to be put on Zbyszko's fractured bones. "Come to me, my dear girl!" said Prince Janusz. "Put aside the pot and come." When she approached with some timidity, because "the lord" always excited some fear in her, he embraced her kindly and began to caress her face, saying: "Well, the poor child is unhappy--_hein_?" "Yes!" answered Danusia. And having sadness in her heart, she began to cry but very quietly, in order not to hurt the prince; he asked again: "Why do you cry?" "Because Zbyszko is ill," answered she, putting her little hands to her eyes. "Do not be afraid, there is no danger for him. Is that not true, Father Wyszoniek?" "Hej! by God's will, he is nearer to the wedding than to the coffin," answered the good-hearted _ksiondz_ Wyszoniek. The prince said: "Wait! In the meanwhile, I will give you a medicine for him, and I trust it will relieve him or cure him entirely." "Have the Krzyzaks sent the balm?" asked Danusia quickly, taking her little hands from her eyes. "With that balm which the Krzyzaks will send, you had better smear a dog than a knight whom you love. I will give you something else." Then he turned to the courtiers and said: "Hurry and bring the spurs and the girdle." After a while, when they had brought them to him, he said to Danusia: "Take these to Zbyszko--and tell him that from this time he is a belted knight. If he die, then he will appear before God as _miles cinctus_; if he live, then the rest will be accomplished in Ciechanow or in Warszawa." Having heard this, Danusia seized "the lord" by his knees; then caught the knightly insignia with one hand and the pot of porridge with the other, and rushed to the room where Zbyszko was lying. The princess, not wishing to lose the sight of their joy, followed her. Zbyszko was very ill, but having perceived Danusia, he turned his pale face toward her and asked: "Has the Czech returned?" "No matter about the Czech!" answered the girl. "I bring you better news than that. The lord has made you a knight and has sent you this by me." Having said this, she put beside him the girdle and the spurs. Zbyszko's pale cheeks flushed with joy and astonishment, he glanced at Danusia and then at the spurs; then he closed his eyes and began to repeat: "How could he dub me a knight?" At that moment the princess entered, and he raised himself a little and began to thank her, because he guessed that her intervention had brought such a great favor and bliss to him. But she ordered him to be quiet and helped Danusia to put his head on the pillows again. In the meanwhile, the prince, the _ksiondz_ Wyszoniek, Mrokota and several other courtiers entered. Prince Janusz waved his hand to signify that Zbyszko must not move; then having seated himself beside the bed, he said: "You know! The people must not wonder that there is reward for good deeds, because if virtue remained without any reward, human iniquities would walk without punishment. You did not spare your life, but with peril to yourself defended us from dreadful mourning; therefore we permit you to don the knightly girdle, and from this moment to walk in glory and fame." "Gracious lord," answered Zbyszko. "I would not spare even ten lives----" But he could not say anything more, on account of his emotion; and the princess put her hand on his mouth because the _ksiondz_ Wyszoniek did not permit him to talk. The prince continued further: "I think that you know the knightly duties and that you will wear the insignia with honor. You must serve our Saviour, and fight with the _starosta_ of hell. You must be faithful to the anointed lord, avoid unrighteous war and defend innocence against oppression; may God and His Holy Passion help you!" "Amen!" answered the _ksiondz_ Wyszoniek. The prince arose, made the sign of the cross over Zbyszko and added: "And when you recover, go immediately to Ciechanow, where I will summon Jurand." _ |
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