Pan Michael: An Historical Novel of Poland, the Ukraine, and Turkey

  CHAPTER IV.

  Pan Zagloba did not drive forward so swiftly, however, as he hadpromised himself and his comrades. The nearer he was to Warsaw, themore, slowly he travelled. It was the time in which Yan Kazimir, king,statesman, and great leader, having extinguished foreign conflagrationand brought the Commonwealth, as it were, from the depths of a deluge,had abdicated lordship. He had suffered everything, had enduredeverything, had exposed his breast to every blow which came from aforeign enemy; but when later on he aimed at internal reforms andinstead of aid from the nation found only opposition and ingratitude,he removed from his anointed temples of his own will that crown whichhad become an unendurable burden to him.

  The district and general diets had been held already; and Prajmovski,the primate, summoned the Convocation for November 5.

  Great were the early efforts of various candidates, great the rivalryof various parties; and though it was the election alone which woulddecide, still, each one felt the uncommon importance of the Diet ofConvocation. Therefore deputies were hastening to Warsaw, on wheels andon horseback, with attendants and servants; senators were moving to thecapital, and with each one of them a magnificent escort.

  The roads were crowded; the inns were filled, and discovery of lodgingsfor a night was connected with great delay. Places were yielded,however, to Zagloba out of regard for his age; but at the same time hisimmense reputation exposed him more than once to loss of time.

  This was the way of it: He would come to some public house, and notanother finger could be thrust into the place; the personage who withhis escort had occupied the building would come out then, throughcuriosity to see who had arrived, and finding a man with mustaches andbeard as white as milk, would say, in view of such dignity,--

  "I beg your grace, my benefactor, to come with me for a chance bite."

  Zagloba was no boor, and refused not, knowing that acquaintance withhim would be pleasing to every man. When the host conducted him overthe threshold and asked, "Whom have I the honor?" he merely put hishands on his hips, and sure of the effect, answered in two words,"Zagloba sum! (I am Zagloba)."

  Indeed, it never happened that after those two words a great opening ofarms did not follow, and exclamations, "I shall inscribe this among mymost fortunate days!" And the cries of officers or nobles, "Look athim! that is the model, the _gloria et decus_ (glory and honor) of allthe cavaliers of the Commonwealth." They hurried together then towonder at Zagloba; the younger men came to kiss the skirts of histravelling-coat. After that they drew out of the wagons kegs andvessels, and a _gaudium_ (rejoicing) followed, continuing sometimes anumber of days.

  It was thought universally that he was going as a deputy to the Diet;and when he declared that he was not, the astonishment was general. Buthe explained that he had yielded his mandate to Pan Domashevski, sothat younger men might devote themselves to public affairs. To some herelated the real reason why he was on the road; but when othersinquired, he put them off with these words,--

  "Accustomed to war from youthful years, I wanted in old age to have alast drive at Doroshenko."

  After these words they wondered still more at him, and to no one did heseem less important because he was not a deputy, for all knew thatamong the audience were men who had more power than the deputiesthemselves. Besides, every senator, even the most eminent, had in mindthat, a couple of months later, the election would follow, and thenevery word of a man of such fame among the knighthood would have valuebeyond estimation.

  They carried, therefore, Zagloba in their arms, and stood before himwith bared heads, even the greatest lords. Pan Podlyaski drank threedays with him; the Patses, whom he met in Kalushyn, bore him on theirhands.

  More than one man gave command to thrust into the old hero's hamperconsiderable gifts, from vodka and wine to richly ornamented caskets,sabres, and pistols.

  Zagloba's servants too had good profit from this; and he, despiteresolutions and promises, travelled so slowly that only on the thirdweek did he reach Minsk.

  But he did not halt for refreshments at Minsk. Driving to the square,he saw a retinue so conspicuous and splendid that he had not met suchon the road hitherto: attendants in brilliant colors; half a regimentof infantry alone, for to the Diet of Convocation men did not go armedon horseback, but these troops were in such order that the King ofSweden had not a better guard; the place was filled with gildedcarriages carrying tapestry and carpets to use in public houses on theway; wagons with provision chests and supplies of food; with them wereservants, nearly all foreign, so that in that throng few spoke anintelligible tongue.

  Zagloba saw at last an attendant in Polish costume; hence he gave orderto halt, and sure of good entertainment, had put forth one foot alreadyfrom the wagon, asking at the same time, "But whose retinue is this, sosplendid that the king can have no better?"

  "Whose should it be," replied the attendant, "but that of our lord, thePrince Marshal of Lithuania?"

  "Whose?" repeated Zagloba.

  "Are you deaf? Prince Boguslav Radzivill, who is going to theConvocation, but who, God grant, after the election will be elected."

  Zagloba hid his foot quickly in the wagon. "Drive on!" cried he. "Thereis nothing here for us!"

  And he went on, trembling from indignation.

  "O Great God!" said he, "inscrutable are Thy decrees; and if Thou dostnot shatter this traitor with Thy thunderbolts. Thou hast in this somehidden designs which it is not permitted to reach by man's reason,though judging in human fashion, it would have been proper to give agood blow to such a bull-driver. But it is evident that evil is workingin this most illustrious Commonwealth, if such traitors, without honorand conscience, not only receive no punishment, but ride in safety andpower,--nay, exercise civil functions also. It must be that we shallperish, for in what other country, in what other State, could such athing be brought to pass? Yan Kazimir was a good king, but he forgavetoo often, and accustomed the wickedest to trust in impunity andsafety. Still, that is not his fault alone. It is clear that in thenation civil conscience and the feeling of public virtue has perishedutterly. Tfu! tfu! he a deputy! In his infamous hands citizens placethe integrity and safety of the country,--in those very hands withwhich he was rending it and fastening it in Swedish fetters. We shallbe lost; it cannot be otherwise! Still more to make a king of him,the--But what! 'tis evident that everything is possible among suchpeople. He a deputy! For God's sake! But the law declares clearly thata man who fills offices in a foreign country cannot be a deputy; and heis a governor-general in princely Prussia under his mangy uncle. Ah,ha! wait, I have thee. And verifications at the Diet, what are theyfor? If I do not go to the hall and raise this question, though I amonly a spectator, may I be turned this minute into a fat sheep, and mydriver into a butcher! I will find among deputies men to support me. Iknow not, traitor, whether I can overcome such a potentate and excludethee; but what I shall do will not help thy election,--that is sure.And Michael, poor fellow, must wait for me, since this is an action ofpublic importance."

  So thought Zagloba, promising himself to attend with care to that caseof expulsion, and to bring over deputies in private; for this reason hehastened on more hurriedly to Warsaw from Minsk, fearing to be late forthe opening of the Diet. But he came early enough. The concourse ofdeputies and other persons was so great that it was utterly impossibleto find lodgings in Warsaw itself, or in Praga, or even outside thecity; it was difficult too to find a place in a private house, forthree or four persons were lodged in single rooms. Zagloba spent thefirst night in a shop, and it passed rather pleasantly; but in themorning, when he found himself in his wagon, he did not know well whatto do.

  "My God! my God!" said he, falling into evil humor, and looking aroundon the Cracow suburbs, which he had just passed; "here are theBernardines, and there is the ruin of the Kazanovski Palace! Thanklesscity! I had to wrest it from the enemy with my blood and toil, and nowit grudges me a corner for my gray head."

  But the city did not by an
y means grudge Zagloba a corner for his grayhead; it simply hadn't one. Meanwhile a lucky star was watching overhim, for barely had he reached the palace of the Konyetspolskis when avoice called from one side to his driver, "Stop!"

  The man reined in the horses; then an unknown nobleman approached thewagon with gleaming face, and cried out, "Pan Zagloba! Does your gracenot know me?"

  Zagloba saw before him a man of somewhat over thirty years, wearing aleopard-skin cap with a feather,--an unerring mark of militaryservice,--a poppy-colored under-coat, and a dark-red kontush, girdedwith a gold brocade belt. The face of the unknown was of unusualbeauty: his complexion was pale, but burned somewhat by wind in thefields to a yellowish tinge; his blue eyes were full of a certainmelancholy and pensiveness; his features were unusually symmetrical,almost too beautiful for a man. Notwithstanding his Polish dress, hewore long hair and a beard cut in foreign fashion. Halting at thewagon, he opened his arms widely; and Zagloba, though he could notremember him at once, bent over and embraced him. They pressed eachother heartily, and at moments one pushed the other back so as to havea better look.

  "Pardon me, your grace," said Zagloba, at last; "but I cannot call tomind yet."

  "Hassling-Ketling!"

  "For God's sake! The face seemed well known to me, but the dress haschanged you entirely, for I saw you in old times in a Prussian uniform.Now you wear the Polish dress?"

  "Yes; for I have taken as my mother this Commonwealth, which receivedme when a wanderer, almost in years of boyhood, and gave me abundantbread and another mother I do not wish. You do not know that I receivedcitizenship after the war."

  "But you bring me good news! So Fortune favored you in this?"

  "Both in this and in something else; for in Courland, on the veryboundary of Jmud, I found a man of my own name, who adopted me, gave mehis escutcheon, and bestowed on me property. He lives in Svyenta inCourland; but on this side he has an estate called Shkudy, which hegave me."

  "God favor you! Then you have given up war?"

  "Only let the chance come, and I'll take my place without fail. In viewof that, I have rented my land, and am waiting here for an opening."

  "That is the courage that I like. Just as I was in youth, and I havestrength yet in my bones. What are you doing now in Warsaw?"

  "I am a deputy at the Diet of Convocation."

  "God's wounds! But you are already a Pole to the bones!"

  The young knight smiled. "To my soul, which is better."

  "Are you married?"

  Ketling sighed. "No."

  "Only that is lacking. But I think--wait a minute! But has that oldfeeling for Panna Billevich gone out of your mind?"

  "Since you know of that which I thought my secret, be assured that nonew one has come."

  "Oh, leave her in peace! She will soon give the world a young Kmita.Never mind! What sort of work is it to sigh when another is living withher in better confidence? To tell the truth, 'tis ridiculous."

  Ketling raised his pensive eyes. "I have said only that no new feelinghas come."

  "It will come, never fear! we'll have you married. I know fromexperience that in love too great constancy brings merely suffering. Inmy time I was as constant as Troilus, and lost a world of pleasure anda world of good opportunities; and how much I suffered!"

  "God grant every one to retain such jovial humor as your grace!"

  "Because I lived in moderation always, therefore I have no aches in mybones. Where are you stopping? Have you found lodgings?"

  "I have a comfortable cottage, which I built after the war."

  "You are fortunate; but I have been travelling through the whole cityin vain since yesterday."

  "For God's sake! my benefactor, you will not refuse, I hope, to stopwith me. There is room enough; besides the house, there are wings and acommodious stable. You will find room for your servants and horses."

  "You have fallen from heaven, as God is dear to me!"

  Ketling took a seat in the wagon and they drove forward. On the wayZagloba told him of the misfortune that had met Pan Michael, and hewrung his hands, for hitherto he had not heard of it.

  "The dart is all the keener for me," said he, at last; "and perhapsyour grace does not know what a friendship sprang up between us inrecent times. Together we went through all the later wars with Prussia,at the besieging of fortresses, where there were only Swedishgarrisons. We went to the Ukraine and against Pan Lyubomirski, andafter the death of the voevoda of Rus, to the Ukraine a second timeunder Sobieski, the marshal of the kingdom. The same saddle served usas a pillow, and we ate from the same dish; we were called Castor andPollux. And only when he went for his affianced, did the moment ofseparation come. Who could think that his best hopes would vanish likean arrow in the air?"

  "There is nothing fixed in this vale of tears," said Zagloba.

  "Except steady friendship. We must take counsel and learn where he isat this moment. We may hear something from the marshal of the kingdom,who loves Michael as the apple of his eye. If he can tell nothing,there are deputies here from all sides. It cannot be that no man hasheard of such a knight. In what I have power, in that I will aid you,more quickly than if the question affected myself."

  Thus conversing, they came at last to Ketling's cottage, which turnedout to be a mansion. Inside was every kind of order and no small numberof costly utensils, either purchased, or obtained in campaigns. Thecollection of weapons especially was remarkable. Zagloba was delightedwith what he saw, and said,--

  "Oh, you could find lodgings here for twenty men. It was lucky for methat I met you. I might have occupied apartments with Pan AntonHrapovitski, for he is an acquaintance and friend. The Patses alsoinvited me,--they are seeking partisans against the Radzivills,--but Iprefer to be with you."

  "I have heard among the Lithuanian deputies," said Ketling, "that sincethe turn comes now to Lithuania, they wish absolutely to choose PanHrapovitski as marshal of the Diet."

  "And justly. He is an honest man and a sensible one, but toogood-natured. For him there is nothing more precious than harmony; heis only seeking to reconcile some man with some other, and that isuseless. But tell me sincerely, what is Boguslav Radzivill to you?"

  "From the time that Pan Kmita's Tartars took me captive at Warsaw, hehas been nothing; for although he is a great lord, he is a perverse andmalicious man. I saw enough of him when he plotted in Taurogi againstthat being superior to earth."

  "How superior to earth? What are you talking of, man? She is of clay,and may be broken like any clay vessel. But that is no matter."

  Here Zagloba grew purple from rage, till the eyes were starting fromhis head. "Imagine to yourself, that ruffian is a deputy!"

  "Who?" asked in astonishment Ketling, whose mind was still on Olenka.

  "Boguslav Radzivill! But the verification of powers,--what is that for?Listen: you are a deputy; you can raise the question. I will roar toyou from the gallery in support; have no fear on that point. The rightis with us; and if they try to degrade the right, a tumult may beraised in the audience that will not pass without blood."

  "Do not do that, your grace, for God's sake! I will raise the question,for it is proper to do so; but God preserve us from stopping the Diet!"

  "I will go to Hrapovitski, though he is lukewarm; but no matter, muchdepends on him as the future marshal. I will rouse the Patses. At leastI will mention in public all Boguslav's intrigues. Moreover, I haveheard on the road that that ruffian thinks of seeking the crown forhimself."

  "A nation would have come to its final decline and would not be worthyof life if such a man could become king," said Ketling. "But rest now,and on some later day we will go to the marshal of the kingdom andinquire about our friend."