CHAPTER XVIII.
After his interview with Zagloba, Ketling went to Pan Michael's sister,whom he informed that because of urgent affairs he must remain in thecity, and perhaps too before his final journey he would go for someweeks to Courland; therefore he would not be able in person toentertain her in his suburban house longer. But he implored her toconsider that house as her residence in the same way as hitherto, andto occupy it with her husband and Pan Michael during the comingelection. Pani Makovetski consented, for in the opposite event thehouse would become empty, and bring profit to no one.
After that conversation Ketling vanished, and showed himself no moreeither in the inn, or later in the neighborhood of Mokotov, when PanMichael's sister returned to the suburbs with the young ladies. Krysiaalone felt that absence; Zagloba was occupied wholly with the comingelection; while Basia and Pani Makovetski had taken the sudden decisionof Krysia to heart so much that they could think of nothing else.
Still, Pani Makovetski did not even try to dissuade Krysia; for inthose times opposition to such undertakings seemed to people an injuryand an offence to God. Zagloba alone, in spite of all his piety, wouldhave had the courage to protest, had it concerned him in any way; butsince it did not, he sat quietly, and he was content in spirit thataffairs had arranged themselves so that Krysia retired from between PanMichael and the haiduk. Now Zagloba was convinced of the successfulaccomplishment of his most secret desires, and gave himself with allfreedom to the labors of the election; he visited the nobles who hadcome to the capital, or he spent the time in conversations with thevice-chancellor, with whom he fell in love at last, becoming histrusted assistant. After each such conversation he returned home a morezealous partisan of the "Pole," and a more determined enemy offoreigners. Accommodating himself to the instructions of thevice-chancellor, he remained quietly in that condition so far, but nota day passed that he did not win some one for the secret candidate, andthat happened which usually happens in such cases,--he pushed himselfforward so far that that candidacy became the second object in hislife, at the side of the union of Basia and Pan Michael. Meanwhile theywere nearer and nearer the election.
Spring had already freed the waters from ice; breezes warm and stronghad begun to blow; under the breath of these breezes the trees weresprinkled with buds, and flocks of swallows were hovering around, tospring out at any moment, as simple people think, from the ocean ofwinter into the bright sunlight. Guests began to come to the election,with the swallows and other birds of passage. First of all camemerchants, to whom a rich harvest of profit was indicated, in a placewhere more than half a million of people were to assemble, countingmagnates with their forces, nobles, servants, and the army. Englishmen,Hollanders, Germans, Russians, Tartars, Turks, Armenians, and evenPersians came, bringing stuffs, linen, damask, brocades, furs, jewels,perfumes, and sweetmeats. Booths were erected on the streets andoutside the city, and in them was every kind of merchandise. Some"bazaars" were placed even in suburban villages; for it was known thatthe inns of the capital could not receive one tenth of the electors,and that an enormous majority of them would be encamped outside thewalls, as was the case always during time of election. Finally, thenobles began to assemble so numerously, in such throngs, that if theyhad come in like numbers to the threatened boundaries of theCommonwealth, the foot of any enemy would never have crossed them.
Reports went around that the election would be a stormy one, for thewhole country was divided between three chief candidates,--Conde, thePrinces of Neuberg and of Lorraine. It was said that each party wouldendeavor to seat its own candidate, even by force. Alarm seized hearts;spirits were inflamed with partisan rancor. Some prophesied civil war;and these forebodings found faith, in view of the gigantic militarylegions with which the magnates had surrounded themselves. They arrivedearly, so as to have time for intrigues of all kinds. When theCommonwealth was in peril, when the enemy was putting the keen edge toits throat, neither king nor hetman could bring more than a wretchedhandful of troops against him; but now in spite of laws and enactments,the Radzivills alone came with an army numbering between ten and twentythousand men. The Patses had behind them an almost equivalent force;the powerful Pototskis were coming with no smaller strength; other"kinglets" of Poland, Lithuania, and Russia were coming with forces butslightly inferior. "When wilt thou sail in, O battered ship of mycountry?" repeated the vice-chancellor, more and more frequently; buthe himself had selfish objects in his heart. The magnates, with fewexceptions, corrupted to the marrow of their bones, were thinking onlyof themselves and the greatness of their houses, and were ready at anymoment to rouse the tempest of civil war.
The throng of nobles increased daily; and it was evident that when,after the Diet, the election itself would begin, they would surpasseven the greatest force of the magnates. But these throngs wereincompetent to bring the ship of the Commonwealth into calm waterssuccessfully, for their heads were sunk in darkness and ignorance, andtheir hearts were for the greater part corrupted. The electiontherefore gave promise of being prodigious, and no one foresaw that itwould end only shabbily, for except Zagloba, even those who worked forthe "Pole" could not foresee to what a degree the stupidity of thenobles and the intrigues of the magnates would aid them; not many hadhope to carry through such a candidate as Prince Michael. But Zaglobaswam in that sea like a fish in water. From the beginning of the Diethe dwelt in the city continually, and was at Ketling's house only whenhe yearned for his haiduk; but as Basia had lost much joyfulness byreason of Krysia's resolve, Zagloba took her sometimes to the city tolet her amuse herself and rejoice her eyes with the sight of the shops.
They went out usually in the morning; and Zagloba brought her back notinfrequently late in the evening. On the road and in the city itselfthe heart of the maiden was rejoiced at sight of the merchandise, thestrange people, the many-colored crowds, the splendid troops. Then hereyes would gleam like two coals, her head turn as if on a pivot; shecould not gaze sufficiently, nor look around enough, and overwhelmedthe old man with questions by the thousand. He answered gladly, for inthis way he showed his experience and learning. More than once agallant company of military surrounded the equipage in which they wereriding; the knighthood admired Basia's beauty greatly, her quick witand resolution, and Zagloba always told them the story of the Tartar,slain with duck-shot, so as to sink them completely in amazement anddelight.
A certain time Zagloba and Basia were coming home very late; for thereview of Pan Felix Pototski's troops had detained them all day. Thenight was clear and warm; white mists were hanging over the fields.Zagloba, though always watchful, since in such a concourse ofserving-men and soldiers it was necessary to pay careful attention notto strike upon outlaws, had fallen soundly asleep; the driver wasdozing also; Basia alone was not sleeping, for through her head weremoving thousands of thoughts and pictures. Suddenly the tramp of anumber of horses came to her ears. Pulling Zagloba by the sleeve, shesaid,--
"Horsemen of some kind are pushing on after us."
"What? How? Who?" asked the drowsy Zagloba.
"Horsemen of some kind are coming."
"Oh! they will come up directly. The tramp of horses is to be heard;perhaps some one is going in the same direction--"
"They are robbers, I am sure!"
Basia was sure, for the reason that in her soul she was eager foradventures,--robbers and opportunities for her daring,--so that whenZagloba, puffing and muttering, began to draw out from the seatpistols, which he took with him always for "an occasion," she claimedone for herself.
"I shall not miss the first robber who approaches. Auntie shootswonderfully with a musket, but she cannot see in the night. I couldswear that those men are robbers! Oh, if they would only attack us!Give me the pistol quickly!"
"Well," answered Zagloba, "but you must promise not to fire before Ido, and till I say fire. If I give you a weapon, you will be ready toshoot the noble that you see first, without asking, 'Who goes there?'and then a trial will follow."
"I will ask first, 'Who goes there?'"
"But if drinking-men are passing, and hearing a woman's voice, saysomething impolite?"
"I will thunder at them out of the pistol! Isn't that right?"
"Oh, man, to take such a water-burner to the city! I tell you that youare not to fire without command."
"I will inquire, 'Who goes there?' but so roughly that they will notknow me."
"Let it be so, then. Ha! I hear them approaching already. You may besure that they are solid people, for scoundrels would attack usunawares from the ditch."
Since ruffians, however, really did infest the roads, and adventureswere heard of not infrequently, Zagloba commanded the driver not to goamong the trees which stood in darkness at the turn of the road, but tohalt in a well-lighted place. Meanwhile the four horsemen hadapproached a number of yards. Then Basia, assuming a bass voice, whichto her seemed worthy of a dragoon, inquired threateningly,--
"Who goes there?"
"Why have you stopped on the road?" asked one of the horsemen, whothought evidently that they must have broken some part of the carriageor the harness.
At this voice Basia dropped her pistol and said hurriedly to Zagloba,"Indeed, that is uncle. Oh, for God's sake!"
"What uncle?"
"Makovetski."
"Hei there!" cried Zagloba; "and are you not Pan Makovetski with PanVolodyovski?"
"Pan Zagloba!" cried the little knight.
"Michael!"
Here Zagloba began to put his legs over the edge of the carriage withgreat haste; but before he could get one of them over, Volodyovski hadsprung from his horse and was at the side of the equipage. RecognizingBasia by the light of the moon, he seized her by both hands andcried,--
"I greet you with all my heart! And where is Panna Krysia, and sister?Are all in good health?"
"In good health, thank God! So you have come at last!" said Basia, witha beating heart. "Is uncle here too? Oh, uncle!"
When she had said this, she seized by the neck Pan Makovetski, who hadjust come to the carriage; and Zagloba opened his arms meanwhile to PanMichael. After long greetings came the presentation of Pan Makovetskito Zagloba; then the two travellers gave their horses to attendants andtook their places in the carriage. Makovetski and Zagloba occupied theseat of honor; Basia and Pan Michael sat in front.
Brief questions and brief answers followed, as happens usually whenpeople meet after a long absence. Pan Makovetski inquired about hiswife; Pan Michael once more about the health of Panna Krysia; then hewondered at Ketling's approaching departure, but he had not time todwell on that, for he was forced at once to tell of what he had done inthe border stanitsa, how he had attacked the ravagers of the horde, howhe was homesick, but how wholesome it was to taste his old life.
"It seemed to me," said the little knight, "that the Lubni times hadnot passed; that we were still together with Pan Yan and Kushel andVyershul; only when they brought me a pail of water for washing, andgray-haired temples were seen in it, could a man remember that he wasnot the same as in old times, though, on the other hand, it came to mymind that while the will was the same the man was the same."
"You have struck the point!" replied Zagloba; "it is clear that yourwit has recovered on fresh grass, for hitherto you were not so quick.Will is the main thing, and there is no better drug for melancholy."
"That is true,--is true," added Pan Makovetski. "There is a legion ofwell-sweeps in Michael's stanitsa, for there is a lack of spring waterin the neighborhood. I tell you, sir, that when the soldiers begin tomake those sweeps squeak at daybreak, your grace would wake up withsuch a will that you would thank God at once for this alone, that youwere living."
"Ah, if I could only be there for even one day!" cried Basia.
"There is one way to go there," said Zagloba,--"marry the captain ofthe guard."
"Pan Adam will be captain sooner or later," put in the little knight.
"Indeed!" cried Basia, in anger; "I have not asked you to bring me PanAdam instead of a present."
"I have brought something else, nice sweetmeats. They will be sweet forPanna Basia, and it is bitter there for that poor fellow."
"Then you should have given him the sweets; let him eat them while hismustaches are coming out."
"Imagine to yourself," said Zagloba to Pan Makovetski, "these two arealways in that way. Luckily the proverb says, 'Those who wrangle, endin love.'"
Basia made no reply; but Pan Michael, as if waiting for an answer,looked at her small face shone upon by the bright light. It seemed tohim so shapely that he thought in spite of himself, "But that rogue isso pretty that she might destroy one's eyes."
Evidently something else must have come to his mind at once, for heturned to the driver and said, "Touch up the horses there with a whip,and drive faster."
The carriage rolled on quickly after those words, so quickly that thetravellers sat in silence for some time; and only when they came uponthe sand did Pan Michael speak again: "But the departure of Ketlingsurprises me. And that it should happen to him, too, just before mycoming and before the election."
"The English think as much of our election as they do of your coming,"answered Zagloba. "Ketling himself is cut from his feet because he mustleave us."
Basia had just on her tongue, "Especially Krysia," but somethingreminded her not to mention this matter nor the recent resolution ofKrysia. With the instinct of a woman she divined that the one and theother might touch Pan Michael at the outset; as to pain, somethingpained her, therefore in spite of all her impulsiveness she heldsilence.
"Of Krysia's intentions he will know anyhow," thought she; "butevidently it is better not to speak of them now, since Pan Zagloba hasnot mentioned them with a word."
Pan Michael turned again to the driver, "But drive faster!"
"We left our horses and things at Praga," said Pan Makovetski toZagloba, "and set out with two men, though it was nightfall, forMichael and I were in a terrible hurry."
"I believe it," answered Zagloba. "Do you see what throngs have come tothe capital? Outside the gates are camps and markets, so that it isdifficult to pass. People tell also wonderful things of the comingelection, which I will repeat at a proper time in the house to you."
Here they began to converse about politics. Zagloba was trying todiscover adroitly Makovetski's opinions; at last he turned to PanMichael and asked without ceremony, "And for whom will you give yourvote, Michael?"
But Pan Michael, instead of an answer, started as if roused from sleep,and said, "I am curious to know if they are sleeping, and if we shallsee them to-day?"
"They are surely sleeping," answered Basia, with a sweet and as it weredrowsy voice. "But they will wake and come surely to greet you anduncle."
"Do you think so?" asked the little knight, with joy; and again helooked at Basia, and again thought involuntarily, "But that rogue ischarming in this moonlight."
They were near Ketling's house now, and arrived in a short time. PaniMakovetski and Krysia were asleep; a few of the servants were up,waiting with supper for Basia and Pan Zagloba. All at once there was nosmall movement in the house; Zagloba gave command to wake more servantsto prepare warm food for the guests.
Pan Makovetski wished to go straightway to his wife; but she had heardthe unusual noise, and guessing who had come, ran down a moment laterwith her robe thrown around her, panting, with tears of joy in hereyes, and lips full of smiles; greetings began, embraces andconversation, interrupted by exclamations.
Pan Michael was looking continually at the door, through which Basiahad vanished, and in which he hoped any moment to see Krysia, thebeloved, radiant with quiet joy, bright, with gleaming eyes, and hairtwisted up in a hurry; meanwhile, the Dantzig clock standing in thedining-room ticked and ticked, an hour passed, supper was brought, andthe maiden beloved and dear to Pan Michael did not appear in the room.
At last Basia came in, but alone, serious somehow, and gloomy; sheapproached the table, and taking a light in her hand, tur
ned to PanMakovetski: "Krysia is somewhat unwell, and will not come; but she begsuncle to come, even near the door, so that she may greet him."
Pan Makovetski rose at once and went out, followed by Basia.
The little knight became terribly gloomy and said, "I did not thinkthat I should fail to see Panna Krysia to-night. Is she really ill?"
"Ei! she is well," answered his sister; "but people are nothing to hernow."
"Why is that?"
"Then has his grace, Pan Zagloba, not spoken of her intention?"
"Of what intention, by the wounds of God?"
"She is going to a convent."
Pan Michael began to blink like a man who has not heard all that issaid to him; then he changed in the face, stood up, sat down again. Inone moment sweat covered his face with drops; then he began to wipe itwith his palms. In the room there was deep silence.
"Michael!" said his sister.
But he looked confusedly now on her, now on Zagloba, and said at lastin a terrible voice, "Is there some curse hanging over me?"
"Have God in your heart!" cried Zagloba.