CHAPTER VII.
But she wiped away her tears, took the armor-bearer with her and went toJurand to tell him the news. She found him in a bright room, the tameshe-wolf at his feet, sitting with Father Kaleb, old Tolima andSieciechowa. Supporting their heads with their hands, absorbed inthought, and sorrowful, they were listening to a poem which the villagebeadle, who was also the _rybalt_, accompanied by his lute, sang ofJurand's former exploits against the "abominable Knights of the Cross."The room was lit up by the moon. A very warm and quiet night followed ascorching day. The windows were open, and beetles from the linden in thecourtyard, were seen crawling upon the floor. In front of the fireplace,where there were yet glimmering a few embers, sat the servant sipping amixture of hot mead, wine and spices.
The _rybalt_, or beadle, and servant of Father Kaleb, was about to beginanother song, entitled "The Happy Encounter." "Jurand is riding, riding,upon a chestnut-colored horse," when Jagienka entered and said:
"The Lord Jesus be praised!"
"Forever and ever," replied Father Kaleb. Jurand sat in an armchair, withhis elbows upon the arms, but when he heard her voice he immediatelyturned toward her, and began to greet her, nodding his milk white head.
"Zbyszko's armor-bearer has arrived from Szczytno," said the girl, "andhas brought news from the priest. Macko will not return to this place. Hewent to Prince Witold."
"Why will he not return here?" asked Father Kaleb.
Then she told all she had heard from the Bohemian. She related howZygfried avenged himself for Rotgier's death; how the old _comthur_intended to destroy Danusia for Rotgier to drink her innocent blood; andhow the executioner defended her. She even told them of Macko's hopes tofind Danusia, with Zbyszko's assistance, rescue her, bring her toSpychow; and for that very reason he had gone to Zbyszko and ordered herto remain here.
Be it from grief or sorrow her voice trembled at the end. When shefinished, silence prevailed for a while in the room and only the chirpingof the crickets, from the linden in the courtyard, penetrated through theopen windows and sounded like a heavy rainfall. All eyes were directedtoward Jurand, who with closed eyelids and head bent backward, showed nosign of life.
"Do you hear?" finally asked the priest.
But Jurand kept on bending his head, lifted up his left hand and pointedtoward the sky. The light of the moon fell directly upon his face, uponthe white hair, upon the blind eyes; and there was depicted in that facesuch indescribable suffering, together with complete hope and resignationin God's will, that it appeared to all present that he only saw with hissoul which was freed from the fetters of the body, and had renounced oncefor all earthly life, in which nothing was left for him.
Silence again reigned and the noise of the crickets was still audible.
But almost with filial love, Jagienka was suddenly overcome with greatpity for the unhappy old man. At the first impulse she rushed to hisside, grasped his hand and covered it with kisses and tears.
"And I too am an orphan!" she exclaimed, with swelling heart. "I am not aboy, but am Jagienka of Zgorzelice. Macko took me in order to protect mefrom bad people. Now I shall remain with you until God restores Danusiato you."
Jurand was not at all surprised; he seemed to know it already; he onlytook hold of her and pressed her to his breast, and she continued to kisshis hand and spoke in a broken and sobbing voice:
"I will remain with you. Danuska will return.... Then I shall return toZgorzelice. God protects the orphans! The Germans have also killed myfather. But your beloved one is alive and will return. Grant this, O mostmerciful God! Grant this, O most holy and compassionate Mother!..." ThenFather Kaleb suddenly knelt and with a solemn voice began to pray:
"Lord have mercy upon us!"
"Christ have mercy upon us!" immediately responded the Bohemian andTolima. Then all knelt down, because it was the Litany, which is not onlysaid at the moment of death, but also for the delivery of dear and nearpersons from the danger of death. Jagienka knelt; Jurand slipped downfrom his seat and knelt, and all began to pray in chorus:
"Lord have mercy upon us!"
"Christ have mercy upon us!"
"O God the Father in Heaven, have mercy upon us!"
"Son of God, Redeemer of the world, have mercy upon us!"
Their praying voices, "Have mercy upon us!" were mingled with thechirping of the crickets.
The tame she-wolf suddenly got up from the bearskin upon which she wascrouching, in front of Jurand, approached the open window, supportedherself upon the sill, turned her triangular jaws toward the moon andhowled in a low and plaintive voice.
END OF PART SIXTH.
PART SEVENTH