CHAPTER VII.
The old _wlodyka_ was not mistaken when he said that Zbyszko and Jagienkawere fond of each other, and even that they longed for each other.Jagienka pretending that she wanted to visit the sick Macko, went veryoften to Bogdaniec, either alone or with her father. Zbyszko also wentoften to Zgorzelice. In that way, after a few days a familiarity andfriendship originated between them. They grew fond of each other andtalked about everything that interested them. There was much mutualadmiration in that friendship also. The young and handsome Zbyszko, whohad already distinguished himself in the war, had participated intournaments and had been in the presence of kings, was considered by thegirl, when she compared him with Cztan of Rogow or Wilk of Brzozowa, atrue courtly knight and almost a prince; as for him, he was astonished atthe great beauty of the girl. He was loyal to Danusia; but very oftenwhen he looked suddenly at Jagienka, either in the forest or at home, hesaid involuntarily to himself: "Hej! what a girl!" When, helping her tomount her horse, he felt her elastic flesh under his hands, disquietudefilled him and he shivered, and a torpor began to steal over him.
Jagienka, although naturally proud, inclined to raillery, and evenaggressive, grew more and more gentle with him, often looking in his eyesto discover how she could please him; he understood her affection; he wasgrateful for it and he liked to be with her more and more. Finally,especially after Macko began to drink the bear's grease, they saw eachother almost every day; when the splinter came out of the wound, theywent together to get some fresh beaver's grease, necessary for thehealing of the wound.
They took their crossbows, mounted their horses and went first toMoczydoly, destined for Jagienka's dowry, then to the edge of the forest,where they entrusted the horses to a servant and went on foot, because itwas impossible to pass through the thicket on horseback. While walking,Jagienka pointed to the large meadow covered with reeds and to the blueribbon of forest and said:
"Those woods belong to Cztan of Rogow."
"The same man who would like to take you?"
She began to laugh:
"He would if he could!"
"You can defend yourself very easily, having for your defence theWilk[82] who, as I understand, gnashes his teeth at Cztan. I wonder thatthey have not challenged each other to fight until death."
"They have not because _tatulo_ before he went to the war said to them:'If you fight about Jagienka I do not want to see you any more.' Howcould they fight then? When they are in Zgorzelice they scowl at eachother; but afterward they drink together in an inn in Krzesnia until theyare drunk."
"Stupid boys!"
"Why?"
"Because while Zych was away one of them should have taken you by force.What could Zych do, if when he returned he had found you with a baby onyour lap?"
At this Jagienka's blue eyes flashed immediately.
"Do you think I would let them take me? Have we not people in Zgorzelice,and do I not know how to manage a crossbow or a boar-spear? Let them try!I would chase them back home and even attack them in Rogow or Brzozowa.Father knew very well that he could go to the war and leave me homealone."
Speaking thus, she frowned, and shook the crossbow threateningly, so thatZbyszko began to laugh, and said:
"You ought to have been a knight and not a girl."
She becoming calmer, answered:
"Cztan guarded me from Wilk and Wilk from Cztan. Then I was also underthe abbot's tutelage, and it is well for everyone to let the abbotalone."
"Owa!" answered Zbyszko. "They are all afraid of the abbot! But I, maySaint George help me to speak the truth to you, I would neither be afraidof the abbot, nor of your peasants, nor of yourself; I would take you!"
At this Jagienka stopped on the spot, and fixing her eyes on Zbyszko,asked in a strange, soft, low voice:
"You would take me?"
Then her lips parted and blushing like the dawn, she waited for hisanswer.
But he evidently was only thinking what he would do, were he in Cztan orWilk's position; because after a while, he shook his golden hair and saidfurther:
"A girl must marry and not fight with the boys. Unless you have a thirdone, you must choose one of these two."
"You must not tell me that," answered the girl, sadly.
"Why not? I have been away from home for a long time, therefore I do notknow whether there is somebody around Zgorzelice, of whom you are fond ornot."
"Hej!" answered Jagienka. "Let it be!"
They walked along silently, trying to make their way through the thicketwhich was now much denser because the bushes and the trees were coveredwith wild hop vines. Zbyszko walked first, tearing down the green vines,and breaking the branches here and there; Jagienka followed him with acrossbow on her shoulder, looking like a hunting goddess.
"Beyond that thicket," said she, "there is a deep brook; but I know wherethe ford is."
"I have long boots on, reaching above my knees; we can cross it,"answered Zbyszko.
Shortly afterward, they reached the brook. Jagienka being familiar withthe Moczydlowski forests, very easily found the ford; but the water wasdeeper than usual, the little brook being swollen by the rains. ThenZbyszko without asking her permission, seized the girl in his arms.
"I can cross by myself," said Jagienka.
"Put your arms around my neck!" answered Zbyszko.
He walked slowly through the water, while the girl nestled to him.Finally when they were near the other shore, she said:
"Zbyszku!"
"What?"
"I care neither for Cztan, nor for Wilk."
As he placed her on the shore, he answered excitedly:
"May God give you the best I He will not be wronged."
The Odstajny lake was not far away now. Jagienka walking in front, turnedfrom time to time, and putting a finger on her lips, ordered Zbyszko tobe silent. They were walking amidst the osiers and gray willows, on low,damp ground. From the left side, were heard the voices of birds, andZbyszko was surprised at that, because it was time for the birds tomigrate.
"We are near a morass which is never frozen," whispered Jagienka; "theducks pass the winter there; even in the lake the water freezes only nearthe shores. See how it is steaming."
Zbyszko looked through the willows and noticed in front of him, somethinglike a bank of fog; it was the Odstajny lake.
Jagienka again put a finger to her lips, and after a while they reachedthe lake. The girl climbed on an old willow and bent over the water.Zbyszko followed her example; and for a long time they remained quiet,seeing nothing in front of them, on account of the fog; hearing nothingbut the mournful puling of lapwings. Finally the wind blew, rustled theosiers and the yellow leaves of the willows, and disclosed the waters ofthe lake which were slightly ruffled by the wind.
"Do you see anything?" whispered Zbyszko.
"No. Keep quiet!"
After a while, the wind ceased and complete silence followed. Then on thesurface of the lake appeared one head, then another; finally near them abig beaver entered the water from the shore, carrying in his mouth anewly cut branch, and began to swim amidst the duck-weed and marigoldholding his mouth out of the water and pushing the branch before him.Zbyszko lying on the trunk beneath Jagienka, noticed that her elbow movedquietly and that her head was bent forward; evidently she had aimed atthe animal which, not suspecting any danger, was swimming close by,toward the clear water.
Finally the string of the crossbow twanged and at the same momentJagienka cried:
"I hit him! I hit him!"
Zbyszko instantly climbed higher and looked through the thicket towardthe water; the beaver plunged into the water, then reappeared on thesurface, turning somersets.
"I hit him hard! He will soon be quiet!" said Jagienka.
The movements of the animal grew slower, and then before one had timesufficient to recite one "_Ave Maria_," he was floating on his back onthe surface of the water.
"I will go and get him," said Zbyszko.
"No, do not go. Here
, near the shore, there is, deep slime. Anyone whodoes not know how to manage, will surely drown."
"Then how will we get him?"
"He will be in Bogdaniec this evening, do not worry about that; now wemust go home."
"You hit him hard!"
"Bah! It is not the first one!"
"Other girls are afraid to even look at a crossbow; but with you, one cango to the forest all his life."
Jagienka smiled at such praise, but she did not answer; they returned thesame way they came. Zbyszko asked her about the beavers and she told himhow many of them there were in Moczydoly, and how many in Zgorzelice.
Suddenly she struck her hip with her hand and exclaimed:
"Well, I left my arrows on the willow. Wait!"
Before he could say that he would return for them, she jumped back like aroe and disappeared. Zbyszko waited and waited; at last he began towonder what detained her so long.
"She must have lost the arrows and is searching for them," he said tohimself; "but I will go and see whether anything has happened to her."
He had hardly started to return before the girl appeared with her bow inher hand, her face smiling and blushing, and with the beaver on hershoulders.
"For God's sake!" cried Zbyszko, "how did you get him?"
"How? I went into the water, that is all! It is nothing new for me; but Idid not want you to go, because the mud drags anyone down who does notknow how to swim in it."
"And I waited here like a fool! You are a sly girl."
"Well, could I undress before you?"
"Bah! If I had followed you, then I would have seen a wonder!"
"Be silent!"
"I was just starting, so help me God!"
"Be silent!"
After a while, wishing to turn the conversation, she said:
"Wring my tress; it makes my back wet."
Zbyszko caught the tress in one hand and began to wring with the other,saying:
"The best way will be to unbraid it, then the wind will soon dry it."
But she did not wish to do that on account of the thicket through whichthey were obliged to make their way. Zbyszko now put the beaver on hisshoulders. Jagienka walking in front of him, said:
"Now Macko will soon be well, because there is no better medicine for awound than the grease of a bear inside, and the grease of a beaveroutside. In about two weeks, he will be able to ride a horse."
"May God grant that!" answered Zbyszko. "I am waiting for it as forsalvation, because I cannot leave the sick man, and it is hard for me tostay here."
"Why is it hard for you to stay here?" she asked him.
"Has Zych told you nothing about Danusia?"
"He did tell me something. I know that she covered you with her veil. Iknow that! He told me also that every knight makes some vow, to serve hislady. But he said that such a vow did not amount to anything; that someof the knights were married, but they served their ladies just the same.But Danusia, Zbyszko; tell me about her!"
Having come very close to him, she began to look at his face with greatanxiety; he did not pay any attention to her frightened voice and looks,but said:
"She is my lady, and at the same time she is my sweetest love. I have notspoken about her to anybody; but I am going to tell you, because we havebeen acquainted since we were children. I will follow her beyond thetenth river and beyond the tenth sea, to the Germans and to the Tartars,because there is no other girl like her. Let my uncle remain inBogdaniec, and I will go to her. What do I care about Bogdaniec, thehousehold, the herds, or the abbot's wealth, without her! I will mount myhorse and I will go, so help me God; I will fulfill that which I promisedher, or I will die."
"I did not know," answered Jagienka, in a hollow voice.
Zbyszko began to tell her about all that had happened; how he had metDanusia in Tyniec; how he had made a vow to her; about everything thathappened afterward; about his imprisonment, and how Danusia rescued him;about Jurand's refusal, their farewell and his loneliness; finally abouthis joy, because as soon as Macko became well, he would go to his belovedgirl. His story was interrupted at last by the sight of the servant withthe horses, waiting on the edge of the forest.
Jagienka immediately mounted her horse and began to bid Zbyszko good-bye.
"Let the servant follow you with the beaver; I am going to Zgorzelice."
"Then you will not go to Bogdaniec? Zych is there."
"No. _Tatulo_ said he would return and told me to go home."
"Well, may God reward you for the beaver."
"With God."
Then Jagienka was alone. Going home through the heaths, she looked backfor a while after Zbyszko; when he disappeared beyond the trees, shecovered her eyes with her hands as if sheltering them from the sunlight.But soon large tears began to flow down her cheeks and drop one afteranother on the horse's mane.