Chapter 20 Chapter Eighteen

Matsko waited patiently for several days, hoping to get some news from Zgotrilici, or to hear that the abbot's anger had subsided; at last, impatiently, he decided to go and see Zikh himself.Everything was going against his will, and now he was anxious to know whether Zich was angry with him.He feared that the abbot would never reconcile with Zbyszko, but he would do everything in his power to appease the abbot; and so he rode on, thinking what he would do at Zgotzlitri. Only by saying that can he calm his breath and maintain old friendship with his neighbors.But his thoughts were not very clear, so when he got there, he was very happy to find Jagienka alone; the girl received him as usual, bowed to him, kissed his hand—in a word, she was very friendly. , just a little bit sad.

"Is your father home?" he asked. "He's gone hunting with the Abbot. They'll be back." So saying, she led him into the house, and they both sat for a long time in silence; it was the girl who spoke first: "Are you lonely in Bogdaniec now?" "It's lonely," Macko replied. "You already know that Zbyszko is gone?" Jagienka sighed softly: "Yes, I knew that day; I thought he'd come here to say good-bye to me, but he didn't." "How could he come!" Macko said. "The abbot will crush him if he comes; and your father will not welcome him."

She shook her head and said; "Ah! I will never allow anyone to hurt him." Macko heard this, hugged the girl tightly and said: "God be with you, girl! You are sad, and so am I. I tell you, neither the abbot nor your own father loves you more than I love you. I hope Zbyszko will choose you, rather than someone else." Sadness and longing seized Jagienka at once, and she could no longer restrain her emotion, and said: "I shall never see him again, and when I do see him he must be with Mademoiselle Jurand and I shall cry my eyes out." She raised her apron to cover her tear-filled eyes.

Macko says: "Don't cry! He's gone, but by the grace of God he won't come back with Mademoiselle Jurand." "Why not?" Jagienka whispered through her apron. "Because Jurand refused to marry the girl to him." Then Jagienka suddenly took off her apron and said to Macko: "Zbyszko told me that too: is it true?" "As real as God is in heaven." "why?" "Who knows. It's all about an oath or something, and an oath is irrevocable! He likes Zbyszko, because the boy promised to help him avenge him; but even that is useless. Jurand neither Take advice, don't listen to orders, don't listen to prayers. He says he can't and he can't. Well, there's a reason why he can't; and he won't change his mind, because he's a tough guy, and what he says is what he says. Don't despair cheer up. To be fair, the boy had to go, for he had sworn in church that he would get three tufts of peacock feathers. Besides, the girl wrapped his head with a kerchief, which meant She would have him as her husband; but for her, they would have listened to his head; therefore, he must be grateful to her - no one can deny that. God forbid, she will not be his wife; but According to the law, he is her fiancé. Zich is angry with him; the abbot curses him, and makes him tremble; I am also angry with him, but think carefully about him, what else can he do? He's another girl's man, he must go. He's a nobleman. But I tell you, he'll come back if he's not killed by the Germans; not just me old man Come to my side, not only to come back to Bogdaniec, but to come back to you, because he likes you very much."

"I don't believe he likes me!" said Jagienka. But she moved closer to Macko, nudged him, and asked: "How do you know? I don't believe in such a thing." "How should I know?" asked Macko. "I saw how sad he was when he went. When he decided to go, I asked him, 'Aren't you sorry for Jagienka?' He said, 'May God give her health and happiness.' Then he Immediately sigh." "I don't believe it!" said Jagienka in a low voice. "Please repeat it for me." "By God, it's true! When he saw you, he didn't care about that girl, because you knew that there was no girl more beautiful than you in all the world. I'm afraid he knew it too." , God arranged you to be his fiancée; perhaps his affection for you is more important than your affection for him."

"Nothing!" cried Jagienka.Then she hid her apple-red face again with her sleeve; Macko smiled, smoothed his mustache, and said: "Hey! I wish I were younger; but you should take it easy, for I can see how it will turn out. He will be knighted at the court of Masovia, which is near the frontier, It is not difficult to kill a Crusader knight there. I know there are many good knights among the Germans; but I think that unless a knight is very skilled in martial arts, Zbyszko cannot be defeated. It is said that Velker is as brave as a bear, but he has not easily defeated him! He will definitely bring back the three tufts of peacock feathers he promised, but he will not bring Miss Jurand .”

"But when will he come back?" "Ah! If you hadn't meant to wait for him, you wouldn't be offended. Tell the abbot and Tsikhe what I told you; perhaps they won't be so angry with Zbyszko." "How can I tell them? 'Daddus' is more sad than angry; it is dangerous to even mention Zbyszko's name in front of the abbot. He scolded me because I gave Zbyszko a servant." "What servant?" "We have a Czech, a good and faithful boy 'Dados' took captive at Polaslavitz. His name is Halava. 'Dados' told him to wait on me because he was A 'Vrodika'; I gave him a good suit of armor and sent him to serve and defend Zbyszko. I also gave him a bag of money for travel expenses. He swore to me that he would serve Zbyszko to the death. Pischko."

"My dear girl! May God repay you! Zich objects to this?" "Yes, at first 'Daddus' didn't want me to do it anyway; but I persuaded him with kind words, and he agreed. As soon as the abbot heard this from his theological students, he immediately cursed. Rushing out of the room, making a mess, Dadus hid in the stable. At dusk, the abbot saw me crying, took pity on me, and even gave me a rosary as a gift." "By God, I don't know if I love Zbyszko more than you; but he already has a very rich retinue. I gave him money too, but he won't take it. Masovia It's not at the ends of the earth."

Their conversation was interrupted by dogs barking, shouting and brass horns in front of the house.Upon hearing this voice, Jagienka said: "'Daddus' is back from hunting with the abbot. Let us go outside; better let the abbot see you outside, and not let him unexpectedly meet you in the house.". So saying, she led Macko out; and in the yard they saw a crowd in a patch of snow, horses and dogs, and elk and wolves pierced with spears or shot with crossbow bolts.The abbot saw Macko without dismounting from his horse, and he threw a spear at him, not to strike him, but in this way to express his great anger against the Bogdanets.But Matsko took off his hat and bowed to him, without seeming to notice anything unusual; Jagienka, however, did not notice the behavior of the abbot, for she was very surprised to see her two suitors also present. In the retinue team.

"Here comes Chiddan and Velker," she called. "I suppose they met Dadus in the forest." It occurred to Macko at once that perhaps one of them would get the land, the forest, and the money of Jagienka and her Mochitori, the abbot.Then he was sad and angry, especially when he saw the situation.Look, Wilk of Borzodova jumped to the abbot's stirrups and helped him dismount; duel. "It looks like the abbot is going to reconcile with old Wilk," thought Macko, "and he's going to give him the forest and the land, and the girl." His sad thoughts were interrupted by Jagienka, who said:

"They heal quickly after being wounded by Zbyszko; but even if they come here every day, they will do no good!" Matsko looked at Jagienka and saw that the girl's face was flushed with anger, and her blue eyes were burning with anger, although she knew very well that Chitan and Wilk were on her side in the inn. , and was beaten for her. So Macko says: "Come! You will do as the abbot tells you." She immediately retorted: "The abbot will do as I wish." "Good Lord!" thought Macko, "that stupid Zbyszko has lost such a good girl!"