The Knights of the Cross, or, Krzyzacy: Historical Romance

  CHAPTER VIII.

  After the conversation with Zbyszko, Jagienka did not appear in Bogdaniecfor three days; but on the third day she hurried in with the news thatthe abbot had arrived at Zgorzelice. Macko received the news withemotion. It is true he had money enough to pay the amount for which theestate was pledged, and he calculated that he would have enough to inducesettlers to come, to buy herds and to make other improvements; but in thewhole transaction, much depended on the disposition of the rich relation,who, for instance, could take or leave the peasants settled by him on theland, 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 ina good humor or gloomy; what he had said about them; when he was comingto Bogdaniec? She gave him sensible answers, trying to encourage andtranquillize him in every respect.

  She said that the abbot was in good health and gay; that he wasaccompanied by a considerable retinue in which, besides the armedservants, there were several seminarists and _rybalts_; that he sang withZych and that he listened gladly not only to the spiritual but to theworldly songs also. She had noticed also that he asked carefully aboutMacko, and that he listened eagerly to Zych's narration of Zbyszko'sadventure in Krakow.

  "You know best what you ought to do," finally the clever girl said; "butI think that Zbyszko ought to go immediately and greet his elderrelative, 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 himrespect; 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 likesto feast well, but if there be a great deal of saffron in the food, hewill 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 onlyyounger I would take her immediately!"

  Here Jagienka glanced at Zbyszko, and having sighed slightly, she saidfurther:

  "I brought also the dice, the goblet and the cloth, because after hismeal, 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 andrushes from the room into the fields. Then he comes back smiling, andlaughs at his anger. You know him! If one does not contradict him, youcannot 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 hecame out, looking so beautiful that he dazzled Jagienka, as much as hedid the first time he went to Zgorzelice in his white _jaka_. Sheregretted that this handsome knight was not hers, and that he was in lovewith another girl.

  Macko was pleased because he thought that the abbot could not help likingZbyszko and would be more lenient during their business transaction. Hewas 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 couldtravel from Krakow to Bogdaniec with an iron in my side, surely I can gonow to Zgorzelice."

  "If you only will not faint," said Jagienka.

  "Ej! I will be all right, because I feel stronger already. And even if Ifaint, the abbot will see that I hastened to meet him, and will be moregenerous."

  "I prefer your health to his generosity!" said Zbyszko.

  But Macko was persistent and started for Zgorzelice. On the road hemoaned a little, but he continued to give Zbyszko advice; he told him howto act in Zgorzelice, and especially recommended him to be obedient andhumble in the presence of their mighty relative, who never would sufferthe slightest opposition.

  When they came to Zgorzelice, they found Zych and the abbot sitting infront 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 ofthem were _rybalts_; one was a pilgrim, who could easily be distinguishedby his curved stick and dark mantle; the others looked like seminaristsbecause their heads were shaved, but they wore lay clothing, girdles ofox leather, and swords.

  When Zych perceived Macko coming in the wagon, he rushed toward him; butthe abbot, evidently remembering his spiritual dignity, remained seated,and began to say something to his seminarists. Zbyszko and Zych conductedthe sick Macko toward the house.

  "I am not well yet," said Macko, kissing the abbot's hand, "but I came tobow to you, my benefactor; to thank you for your care of Bogdaniec, andto 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'shead; "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 allthe others, if one only dare beseech her!"

  In a moment his face became flushed with anger, his cheeks filled withblood, his eyes began to sparkle.

  They were so used to his impetuosity, that Zych began to laugh andexclaimed:

  "Strike, who believes in God!"

  As for the abbot, he puffed loudly, and looked at those present; thenlaughed 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 theabbot. "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 whotook 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 obligedto nurse yourself for a long time."

  At this the _rybalts_, the pilgrim and the seminarists broke out withgreat laughter, which confused Jagienka still more; the abbot took pityon her, and having raised his arm, he showed her his enormous sleeve, andsaid:

  "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 talkthus:

  "Enough of joking! I compared you to a girl, not to humiliate you, but topraise your beauty, of which many girls would be proud. But I know thatyou 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 hesaid:

  "If you have promised three peacocks' tufts, then search for them! It ispraiseworthy and pleasing to God to persecute the foes of our nation.But, if you have promised something else, I will release you from thevow."

  "Hej!" said Zbyszko; "when a man promises something in his soul to theLord Jesus, who has the power to release him?"

  Macko looked with fear at the abbot; but evidently he was in an excellenthumor, because instead of becoming angry, he threatened Zbyszko with hisfinger and said:

  "How clever you are! But you must be careful that you do not meet thesame fate that the German, Beyhard, did."

  "What happened to him?" asked Zych.
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  "They burned him on a pile."

  "What for?"

  "Because he used to say that a layman could understand God's secrets aswell as the clergy."

  "They punished him severely!"

  "But righteously!" shouted the abbot, "because he had blasphemed againstthe Holy Ghost. What do you think? Is a layman able to interpret any ofGod'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 ofthem, looking toward a large bucket from which the smell of hops and maltwas filling the air.

  "Look! He is talking from a barrel!" exclaimed the abbot. "Hej, youshaggy one! Why do you look at the bucket? You will not find any Latin atthe 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 atsuch courtiers as these, and said:

  "They are _clerici scholares_;[83] but every one of them prefers to throwhis books aside, and taking his lute, wander through the world. I shelterand nourish them; what else can I do? They are good for nothing, but theyknow how to sing and they are familiar with God's service; therefore Ihave some benefit out of them in my church, and in case of need, theywill defend me, because some of them are fierce fellows! This pilgrimsays that he was in the Holy Land; but I have asked him in vain aboutsome of the seas and countries; he does not know even the name of theGreek emperor nor in what city he lives."

  "I did know," said the pilgrim, in a hoarse voice; "but the fever Icaught at the Danube, shook everything out of me."

  "What surprises me most is, that they wear swords, being wanderingseminarists," said Zbyszko.

  "They are allowed to wear them," said the abbot, "because they have notreceived orders yet; and there is no occasion for anyone to wonderbecause I wear a sword even though I am an abbot. A year ago I challengedWilk of Brzozowa to fight for the forests which you passed; but he didnot appear."

  "How could he fight with one of the clergy?" interrupted Zych.

  At this the abbot became angry, struck the table with his fist, andexclaimed:

  "When I wear armor, then I am not a priest, but a nobleman! He did notcome because he preferred to have his servants attack me in Tulcza. Thatis why I wear a sword: _Omnes leges, omniaque iura vim vi repellerecunctisque sese defensare permittunt!_ That is why I gave them theirswords."

  Hearing the Latin, Zych, Macko and Zbyszko became silent and bent theirheads before the abbot's wisdom, because they did not understand a wordof it; as for the abbot, he looked very angry for a while, and then hesaid:

  "Who knows but what he will attack me even here?"

  "Owa! Let him come!" exclaimed the wandering seminarists, seizing thehilts 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 tobow 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 talkingabout 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 thereis a third young man near Zgorzelice. Cztan said to Wilk: 'After I tanhis skin, he will not be so smooth.' And Wilk said: 'Perhaps he will beafraid of us; if not, I will break his bones!' Then they assured eachother that you would be afraid of them."

  Hearing this Macko looked at Zych, and Zych looked at him; their facesexpressed great cunning and joy. Neither of them was sure whether theabbot had really heard such a conversation, or whether he was only sayingthis to excite Zbyszko; but they both knew, and Macko especially, thatthere 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 thatdid 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!"