Chapter 45 Chapter Eleven

A warm and foggy night passed, followed by a windy and cloudy day.The sky is clear for a while, and the clouds are chaotic for a while, driven by the wind like a flock of sheep.Macko ordered his men to set off at dawn.The asphalt burner who had been hired to guide them to Buda affirmed that the horses could go everywhere, but that the wagons, provisions, and luggage had to be carried separately in some places, which was laborious.But those who are used to a life of toil would rather spend some effort than idle in a desolate inn.So they all went away happily.Even the timid Werther was no longer frightened by the pitch burner's words and his presence.

They left the inn, and at once they came into a towering forest with no tangled bushes.They led the horses and walked over without dismantling the carriage at all.Often there would be a storm, sometimes so violent that it seemed to beat the bent pine branches with huge wings, twisting and shaking the branches until they broke, just like the fans of the windmills. The wings are average.The forest was weighed down by the storm like a runaway horse.Even in the lulls of the storm, they kept howling and howling, as if they were both annoyed at their rest in the inn, and they were now forced to go on their way.Clouds often completely obscure the light of the sky.The torrential downpour, mixed with hail, poured down in waves, making the sky dark, as if you were in the dark night.Werther, breathless with fright, cried out: "The devil does evil, and he is doing it now." But no one paid any attention to it, not even the timid Annurka, because the Czech He was beside her, her stirrups touched his, and he looked forward heroically, as if about to challenge the devil.

After the tall pine forest, there is an impassable undergrowth.They had to take the carriage apart; they did it with great dexterity.The strong servants carried the wheels, axles, fronts, luggage, and food on their shoulders.There are about three Fullang scenes during this arduous journey.But when they arrived in Buda, it was nearly dusk; the asphalt burner entertained them as if they were guests, and assured them that they could reach the town by bypassing the "Devil's Valley".Bread and flour were seldom seen by these people who dwelt in untouched forests, but none of them went hungry.Because they have all kinds of bacon to satisfy their hunger, especially the swamps and mud ditches are full of eels.The inhabitants treated them generously, and stretched out their greedy hands for biscuits in exchange.Those women and children were blackened by the smoke.There was a farmer, over a hundred years old, who remembered the massacre of Rencicza in 1331, and the complete destruction of the town by the Knights of the Crusaders.Although Macko, the Czech and the two girls had all heard the story from the abbot of Shiraz, they listened with great interest to the old man's account.The old man was sitting by the fire, and while talking, he stretched out his hand to dig around in the coal dust, as if he wanted to discover the deeds of his early years in these coal dust.The crusader knights, no matter in Renchiza or Shiraz, even the church and the priests would not spare them. The blood of the old people, women and children was shed under the feet of the invaders.It is always the crusader who does evil, always the crusader!Matsko and Jagienka could not forget Zbyszko, because he was in the blood of these wolves, in the midst of a stern tribe who knew no mercy and no courtesy.Anurka was frightened, lest in pursuing the abbot in this way, he would end up in the territory of the terrible crusader knights.

But the old man, in order to dispel the bad impression these legends had on the women, told them how the battle near Plovtre ended the invasion of the Crusader Knights, and he himself participated in the battle of the peasants. The infantry team that rose up became a soldier, and the weapon he used was an iron flail.Nearly the whole "Grache" clan died in this battle; and Macko, who knew the details, listened now, as if the old man were describing a terrible new disaster of the Germans' own making, when those The Germans were like stalks in a storm, and the swords of the Polish knights and the soldiers of King Logedek fell in row after row...  

"Ha! I remember it all," said the old man, "when they invaded the country, and burned down so many cities and castles. Well, they even slaughtered babies in their cradles, but their terrible end came. Hey! That's it! It was a beautiful battle. As soon as I close my eyes now, that battle appears in front of my eyes..." He really closed his eyes, and fiddled with the ashes lightly without saying a word.Then Jagienka grew impatient and asked: "What happened next?" "How?..." The old man repeated. "I still remember the field. It's right in front of me, as it were; it was full of woods, and to the right was a great adjoining field of stubble. But after the battle, I saw nothing but swords, axes, and spears, Exquisite armor, one on top of the other, it seems that the whole wheat field is full of these things... I have never seen such a scene where the yield is piled up and the blood is flowing like a river..."

The remembrance of these events reinvigorated Macko, and he said: "Yes. Merciful Lord Jesus! At that time they surrounded our kingdom like a great fire or a plague. They destroyed not only Shiraz and Renchicha, but many other cities. Now How? Aren't our people strong and indestructible? The crusader knights have been severely punished, but if they don't completely defeat them, they will come to attack you and knock out your teeth... as long as See, King Kazimis rebuilt Shiraz and Lunchicha and made them better than they ever were, but there are still invasions there and dead crusader knights are littered all over the place, as It was the same situation in Plovtsi. May God always give them such an end!"

The old farmer nodded his head in agreement when he heard these words; then he said: "Perhaps their bodies were not buried there to rot. When the battle was over, we infantry, at the King's orders, went to dig trenches; and the neighboring peasants came to help us with our work. We dug so hard that the shovels groaned. We buried the Germanic corpses in ditches and covered them tightly so that there would be no plague. But then the dead bodies disappeared again." "Why? Why did these dead bodies disappear later?" "I don't know that very well, but I have heard afterwards that after the battle there was a violent storm which lasted for about twelve weeks, all at night. The sun shone during the day, and at night there was a strong wind, almost The hairs of men fell. The demons descended like a cloud, whirled like a whirlwind; each devil took a pitchfork, and as soon as they hit the ground, they drove the fork into the ground, leading the crusader knights To hell. The people of Plovtre only heard the yelling of human beings, like a pack of dogs barking. They didn't know what it was, whether it was the terrible and painful cry of the Germans, or the joyful cry of the devils. .and this went on until the priest had buried the trenches, and the ground was frozen, and the pitchforks were useless."

After a while of silence, the old man said again: "My lord knight, may God grant them such an end as you say, and though I shall not live long to see it, these two young lads shall see it with their own eyes. But they will not see what I see either. scene." So he turned his head, looked at Jalka for a while, and Anurka for a while, and he couldn't stop shaking his head in admiration when he saw their beautiful faces. "Literally two ripe poppies," he said. "I've never seen such a beautiful face." They talked in this way for a while, and then went to sleep in the hut, lying on moss as soft as duck's down, and covered with warm furs; having a good sleep, refreshed, rose early in the morning to continue on their way.The road down that valley is less flat, but not too difficult.So before sunset, they could see the castle of Ranchicha in the distance.The city was rebuilt from the ruins; partly of brick, partly of stone.The walls are high and there are armed guards on the towers.The church is even bigger than Shiraz's.They easily found out the whereabouts of the abbot from the monks of the Black Robe Sect.It is said that the abbot had been in Lunchicha, and that he felt better, and had hoped of full recovery; he had only set out from here a few days ago.Macko was not going to catch up with the abbot on the road now, so he got a carriage for the two girls to Plotsk, where the abbot himself would take them in.But Macko was anxious to get to Zbyszko, and other news he heard displeased him.It was said that the river had risen since the abbot left, and they could not go on.When the monks of the Order of the Black Robe saw the knight with such a retinue going to the court of Duke Ziemowit, they received them hospitablely; they even provided him with an olive-wood table on which Engraved with prayers of Archangel Raphael, patron saint of travelers.

①The Dominican Sangha, established in the thirteenth century to suppress the anti-Catholic movement. They were compelled to stay in Lunchicha for fourteen days. During this period, one of the servants of the castle consul discovered that the two servants of the passing knight were disguised as men, and fell in love with Jakin immediately. Card.The Czech was going to challenge him immediately, but Macko advised him against it, as it happened on the eve of their departure. By the time they set off for Plotsk the wind had somewhat blew the road, and it still rained often, but like the usual spring rains, the drops were heavy but warm, and the duration of the rain was short.The furrows in the fields glistened with water.The strong wind brought the moist and fragrant breath from the cultivated land.The swamp was full of buttercups, the woods were full of violets, and clams danced merrily among the branches.Passengers are also filled with new hope, especially since the journey is now going so smoothly.After walking for sixteen days, they finally came to the gate of Plotsk.

They arrived at night, the gates of the city were closed, and they had to spend the night in the house of a weaver outside the city. The girls went to bed late, but they slept soundly after the long journey; Macko did not feel tired, and got up early the next morning without waking them. Went into town alone.At once he found the cathedral and the bishop's quarters.The first news he got there was that the abbot had died a week ago, but according to the custom at that time, they had prayed before the coffin from the sixth day and were about to arrive in Macko The funeral will be held on the day of the funeral, and the deceased will be mourned later.

Matsko was so sad that he did not even look at the city; he had already known something about it when he had passed through it with a letter from Princess Alexandra to the grand master.He hurried back to the weaver's house; on the way back the old man said to himself: "Ah! he's dead. May he rest in eternal peace. It's a matter of life. But what shall I do with these two girls now?" He thought for a moment whether to leave them with Princess Alexandra, or Grand Duchess Anna Danu, or take them to Spykhov.All the way he was thinking that if Danuska was dead it would be better to send Jagienka to Spykhov and bring her closer to Zbyszko.He knew that Zbyszko loved Danuska above all else, and he would be very sad for his beloved.He also believed that Jagienka's presence at Zbyszko's side would have the desired effect.He also remembered that although the boy Zbyszko was fascinated by the forests of Masovia, he was also constantly fascinated by Jagienka.For these reasons, and also because he was absolutely convinced that Danusia was dead, it often occurred to him that if the Abbot died he should not send Jagienka elsewhere.However, because of his insatiable greed for property, he became concerned about the abbot's property.Of course the abbot was very angry with them and had said he would bequeath them nothing; but he must have regretted it afterwards.He would leave something to Jagienka before he died.He believed that the abbot had left her a legacy, because he himself had often talked about it in Zgotrilitci, and because of Jagienka he would not miss Zbyszko.Matsko wished to stay in Plotsk for a while, to find out what the will was about, and to take part in it, but at once he had other thoughts.He said to himself, "Should I be wasting my time running for riches, when my child stretches out his hand yonder, waiting for me to rescue from some crusader's dungeon?" Indeed, there was only one way, and that was to leave Jagienka in the care of the princess and the bishop, and beg them to take care of her interests.But Macko didn't like the idea.The girl already had a considerable fortune, and if her fortune should be increased by the abbot's further inheritance, there would be no doubt that some one of the Majurs would marry her, for she could not delay any longer. down.Her late father Zich had said that even then she wanted to be close to boys.In such a situation, the old knight was really worried that Zbyszko would not be able to reach both Danusia and Jagienka.That is of course unthinkable. "He will marry one of the two girls, whichever God decides to give him." At last the old man made up his mind to rescue Zbyszko first; as for Jagienka, he decided to leave her to Danuda. The Duchess will take care of her, or stay in Spykhov, never let her stay at the court in Plotsk, because there is a prosperous world, and there are many beautiful knights. Macko, full of these thoughts, walked quickly to the weaver's house in order to inform Jagienka of the death of the abbot.He decided not to break the news to her all at once, as it would do great harm to her health.When he came back, the two girls were all dressed up, and as beautiful as two young birds; and he sat down, and ordered his servant to bring him a bowl of yellow ale; and then, pretending to be mournful, he said: - Can you hear the city bell?And guess what, what do they ring the clock for?It's not Sunday, and you're all still sleeping during Mass.Would you like to see the abbot? " "Of course! Is there even a question?" Jagienka answered. "Well, you'll never see him again." "Has he left the city?" "Of course I left! Didn't you hear the bell?" "Is he dead?" cried Jagienka. "Yes! Say 'God rest his soul'. . . . " Both Jagienka and Anurka knelt down and said like silver bells: "May God rest his soul." Tears kept streaming down Jagienka's face, because she liked the abbot very much, although he had a bad temper. Irritable, but harmless, and doing many good things; he loved Jagienka especially, because he was her godfather, and he loved her as his own daughter. My relatives were also so sad that they shed tears and even cried.When his grief had subsided a little, he took the two girls and the Czech with him to a requiem in church. It was a stately funeral.Presided over by the bishop himself, Jacob of Kurt Warnov.The priests and monks from the Plotskeran diocese came, all the bells were ringing, and no one but the priests could understand the prayers, for they spoke Latin.Then clergy and laymen alike went to the bishop's mansion for a feast. Macko and two girls (both dressed as boys) were also at the feast; he was a relative of the deceased and knew the bishop, so he was well qualified to attend.The bishop was also happy to receive him in this way, but immediately after the meal he said to Macko: "There are some forests here bequeathed to you 'Grachi' of Bogdaniets. The rest he bequeathed not to monasteries and churches, but to his goddaughter, a woman named Zgotririti Jagienka." Macko, who had not expected much, was glad to hear that a woodland was offered to him.The bishop did not notice that one of the old knight's two squires raised his tearful eyes at the mention of the name Jagienka of Zgotzritry, and said: "May God reward him, but I want him to live." Macko turned away and said angrily: "Shut up, or you'll make a fool of yourself." But he stopped suddenly, his eyes sparkled with surprise, and then his face took on a ferocious expression like a hungry wolf. It turned out that at this time, not far from the opposite side, there was a door through which Princess Alexandra stepped in. There he saw Kunno of Lichtenstein in court dress, the very man whom Zbyszko had almost killed in Krakow. Jagienka had never seen Macko look like this.His face was drawn like a vicious dog's, his teeth gleamed under his beard, and in an instant he tightened his belt and walked towards the hateful crusader. But he stopped halfway, running his broad hands through his hair; it occurred to him in time that Lichtenstein might have been a guest at the court at Plotsk, or an envoy, and therefore, if there were no obvious beat him for any reason, and what happened to Zbyszko on the road from Tiniec to Krakow would be repeated here again. After all, Bizbyszko was rational, so he restrained himself, loosened the belt again, relaxed the muscles of his face, and waited.After exchanging pleasantries with Lichtenstein, the princess spoke to the bishop, and Macko went up to her and bowed deeply.He reminded the Duchess of his identity, calling her the benefactor for whom he had delivered the letter. The Duchess did not recognize him at first, but as soon as the delivery was mentioned she remembered the whole incident.She was also aware of events at the neighboring court of Masovia.She had heard of Jurand, of the kidnapping of his daughter, of Zbyszko's marriage, of Zbyszko's desperate battle with Rotgier.She was so interested in these things that she almost thought of it as a tale of knight errants, or a song by a German or a Mazovia singer.It is true that she was not hostile to the Crusader knights in the way that the Grand Duchess Anna Danou, wife of the Duke Janussi, was against them, especially since the Crusader knights were eager to draw her to their side.One more than the other, they endeavored to pay her homage and flattery, and to curry favor with her with generous gifts, but in the present case her heart was more concerned with those favored persons whom she was ready to help; Glad to be someone who can tell her exactly these things. Macko had already decided to do everything possible to win the protection and help of the powerful princess, and now seeing her listening to him carefully, he told Zbyszko and Danusia all the misfortunes. She, speaking with tears in her eyes, pitied Danusia from the depths of her soul. "I never heard a sadder story," said the Duchess at last. "I think the greatest tragedy is that he married her, and she was his, and yet he had no taste of happiness. But are you sure he hasn't slept with her?" "Hi! Almighty God!" Macko shouted. "If he slept with her, it was all right; the night he married her, he was too sick to get out of bed, and she was kidnapped the next morning." "And do you think it was the crusader knights? According to the legend here, it was actually the robbers who snatched her from the robbers, but it turned out to be another girl. They also Speaking of a letter written by Jurand..." "Except for the gods, the world can't really judge the right and wrong of this matter. That Rotgier who defeated the strongest knight died at the hands of a young man. This is a strange thing." "Well, he's such a good boy," said the Duchess, laughing, "that he goes about with a kind of courage. It is painful, it is true, and your complaint is fair, but Three of the four crusader knights have already died, and the old man who remained, according to the information I got, was almost killed." "And Danuska? Jurand?" Macko answered. "Where are they? God only knows if any misfortune happened to Zbyszko going up to Marburg." "I know, but Crusader knights aren't all chumps like you think. In Marlborough, your nephew won't be in any trouble, because he's the Grand Master and his brother Ur Risi's side, Ulrich is a respectable knight. Besides, your nephew must have a letter from Duke Janusi. Unless he challenged a knight there and was defeated, it would not There are other things. Marlborough is always full of the bravest knights from all over the world." "Well! My nephew will not be afraid of them," said the old knight. "As long as they don't put him in a dungeon and kill him with treachery, and as long as he has an iron weapon in his hand, he will not be afraid of them. Only once did he meet a stronger man than himself, in the tournament The man who knocked him down was Duke Henrik of Masovia, who was bishop here at the time, and was infatuated with the beautiful Lingava. However, Zbyszko was only a teenager at that time. As for the challenge Well, there is someone, whom Zbyszko will surely challenge, and whom I swore to challenge myself, but who is here now." Having said this, he looked in the direction of Lichtenstein, who was talking to the "Fuyefuda" in Plotsk. The Duchess frowned, and said in a stern and cold tone (as she always does when she is angry): "Whether you have sworn or not, you must remember that he is our guest, and whoever wants to be our guest must observe etiquette." "I know, most merciful lady," Macko answered. "So just now I put on my belt and wanted to deal with him, but I restrained myself and thought that I should follow the etiquette." "He will also observe etiquette. He is also an important figure among the knights of the Crusaders. Even the Grand Master will take his advice and obey him. May God not let your nephew meet him in Marburg, because Li Hortenstein was a decisive and vengeful man." "He didn't know me very much, because he didn't see me very often. The time I met him on the road in Tiniec, we both wore helmets. I only saw him once after that, because of Zbyszko. It was night again. I saw him looking at me, and then he looked away when he saw me having a long conversation with Your Highness. If it was Zbyszko, he would have recognized him. Very soon Perhaps he has not heard my oath, and he has many more important challenges to consider." "How do you say that?" "Because perhaps some other great knights challenged him, such as Chavisha of Gapov, Povara of Tachev, Marcin of Vrocimovici, Bashiko Zirokiai and Taigo Rhys of Visco. Each of them can handle ten of his kind, good lady, and it would be more troublesome if the number of heroes who challenged him was too many. For him, It would be better not to be born than to have a sword of their kind dangling over his head. Not only will I try my best to forget this challenge, but I will try my best to befriend him." "why?" Macko's face showed the cunning of an old fox. "I will ask him to send me a letter at once, so that I can travel safely through the territory of the Knights of the Crusader, and also enable me to help Zbyszko if necessary." "Is this behavior commensurate with the honor of a knight?" asked the Duchess with a smile. "Perfectly proportionate," Macko replied. "For example, if in time of war I should attack him from behind without warning to the face, I would disgrace myself; will not be condemned for it.” "Then I will introduce you," replied the Duchess.She waved to Lichtenstein and introduced Maczko to him.She thought that even if Lichtenstein recognized Macko, there would be no serious consequences. But Lichtenstein did not recognize him, because Macko was wearing a helmet when he saw Macko in Tiniec, and he spoke to Macko only once after that, and that was again at night, when Macko Czko had gone to ask him to forgive Zbyszko. The crusader bowed rather proudly; all the more so when he saw the two well-groomed youths, whom he did not think belonged to Macko.There was a slight smile on his face, and he was full of looks. He always treated people with lower status than him like this. The princess pointed to Macko and said: "The knight is going to Marlborough. I have sent a letter for him to the Grand Master, but he has heard that you are very popular in the Knights, and he is very hopeful. You also send him a note." So she walked towards the bishop, but Lichtenstein fixed his hard, dark eyes on Macko and asked: "My lord, for what purpose are you visiting our pious and austere capital?" "With all integrity and piety," Macko replied, looking at Lichtenstein. "Otherwise, the benevolent duchess will not guarantee me. But besides pious vows, I also want to meet your grand master. He cares about the peace of the world and is the most famous knight." "Anyone recommended by your gracious and generous Duchess would not reproach us for our lack of hospitality. But it is not easy for you to see the Grand Master. About a month ago he left for the Gdansk was gone, and from there he went to Konigsberg, and from Konigsberg to the border, where, though he was a man of peace, he had to defend the domain of the Order against treacherous threats. Thoth's invasion." Macko was evidently very distressed at this, and Lichtenstein, sensing this, said: "I see that you are very eager to see the Grand Master, and to fulfill your religious vows." "Yes! I would like to, I would like to," Macko answered hastily. "Are you sure about fighting Witt?" "He started the war himself; he broke his promise to help the rebels." There was a moment of silence. "Ha! May God help the Knights get what they deserve!" Macko said. "I don't think I can make the Grand Master's acquaintance; then at least let me fulfill my vow." Although he said these words, he didn't know what to do, and thought very sadly: "Where shall I find Zbyszko now? Where shall I find him?" Obviously, if the Grand Master left Marburg to command the war, it would be useless to go there to find Zbyszko.In any case, it was necessary to find out exactly where he was.Old Macko was very anxious about this.He was a man of improvisation though, and decided to act now and move on the next morning.With the help of Duchess Alexandra, he obtained two letters from Lichtenstein. This "Commuter" had infinite trust in the Duchess, and it was not difficult for him to write a letter.Macko therefore received a letter of introduction from him to Brotnets' Komto, a letter of introduction to the Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller in Marburg, for which he sent a The silver cup goes to Lichtenstein.This is a treasure made by craftsmen in Fleslaw, just like the wine glasses that ordinary knights often put beside their beds at that time. When they can't sleep at night, they can have a hypnotizer at hand, and it is also a kind of enjoyment.Macko's generous gesture somewhat surprised the Czech, who knew that the old knight would not give gifts lightly, let alone a German, but Macko said: "I did it because I swore I would challenge him, and I'd fight him sooner or later, but I couldn't do it to a man who'd done my service. It's not our rule." "But why give such a precious cup! What a pity." The Czech replied obviously angrily. "Don't worry. I'm not going to do it without thinking," Macko said, "because, if God help me one day, I'll take down that German, and I'll get back not only the cup, but the cup." Lots of good stuff." So they, including Jagienka, began to discuss the next course of action.Macko had wanted to leave Jagienka and Anurka in Plotsk under the tutelage of Princess Alexandra, since the abbot's will was in the bishop's hands.But Jagienka was completely opposed to this opinion; she even decided to travel alone; that would be more convenient: Osso would not have to have a separate room at night, and would not have to observe etiquette, safety, and other considerations. "I didn't leave Zgorzlitri to live in Plotsk. Since the will is with the bishop, it will never be lost; and if it was necessary to stop somewhere along the way, it would be with Princess Anna. It would be better to stay with Princess Alexandra, because crusaders don't come often at Princess Anna's court, and Zbyszko is held in higher esteem there." Macko heard this. , even said that women are indeed ignorant, and a girl especially should not think she is knowledgeable and "command" others.But he did not particularly object, and his heart relented when Jagienka took him aside and spoke to him tearfully.Jagienka says: "You know! . . . God knows my heart, and I pray day and night for the happiness of that young lady, Danuska, and for Zbyszko. God knows my heart best. And you and Hlava They say she's dead, and say she'll never escape a crusader knight. So, if that's the case, then I..." Having said that, she hesitated for a moment, tears flowed down her face like a fountain, and she fell silent. "Then I'll be with Zbyszko..." Macko's heart was moved by tears and words, but he said this anyway: "If the girl dies, Zbyszko will be so sad that you won't even care." "I don't want him to have to care about me, I just need to be by his side." "You know very well that I myself would like you to be with him as much as you do, though I'm afraid he will pay you little attention at first." "Let him ignore it. But he won't," she replied, smiling, "because he won't recognize me." "He'll recognize you." "He won't know me. You didn't recognize me. You can tell him it's not me, it's Jasco, and Jasco is just like me. You can tell him that the lad has grown It's too big—that's all. Zbyszko would never have thought that it wasn't Yasko..." Then the old knight remembered that there was a man kneeling before him, and that the man who was kneeling looked like a boy; so why not disguise himself as a man, especially since Yasko's face was exactly like Jagienka's, and his hair had just been cut. It grew back again, caught in the hairnet, just like any noble young knight.Macko therefore said no more, and the conversation turned to matters concerning travel.They were scheduled to leave the next day.Macko decided to enter the border of the Crusader Knights and go to the vicinity of Brotnets to inquire about news. Although Lichtenstein believed that the Grand Master was no longer in Marburg, if the Grand Master was still in Marburg, He would go there; if not, run along the frontier of the Crusader Order to Spychow, seeking out the whereabouts of the young Polish knight.The old knight even thought it easier to get news of Zbyszko in Spychow, or at the court of Prince Janusz in Warsaw, than anywhere else. They set off the next day.Spring was in full swing, and the floods at Skelway and Delventry blocked the roads, and it took them ten days to walk from Plotsk to Brotnetz.This small town is very tidy.But you can see the brutality of the Germans at a glance.The gallows, which took a lot of work to build, was erected on the suburban road leading to Guoxingnicui. It was full of hanged corpses, including a woman's corpse.A flag was flying from the watchtower and from the castle, with a bloody hand drawn on a white background.这群旅人在“康姆透”家里没有找到“康姆透”，因为他带领着从四邻招募来的贵族组成的守备队开往玛尔堡去了。这消息是玛茨科从一个瞎眼的老十字军骑士那里打听到的，这人以前是勃洛特涅茨的“康姆透”，后来归附了这个地方和这个城堡。他是他家里硕果仅存的一个人。当地的牧师读了里赫顿斯坦写给“康姆透”的信之后，就把玛茨科当作他的客人款待；他很熟悉波兰话，因而就同他畅谈起来。在他们的谈话过程中，玛茨科得知“康姆透”已经在六个礼拜以前到玛尔堡去了，那边认为他是一个有经验的骑士，特地召他去商议战争大计。到了那里，他也容易知道首都的情形。玛茨科向他问起那个年轻波兰骑士时，老十字军骑士说他听到过这么一个人，那青年一开始就得到了赞美，因为尽管他外表年轻，却已经是一个束腰带的骑士了。后来他在一次比武中获得成功：大团长按照惯例，在动身去指挥战争之前，下令为外国骑士举行了一次比武，是这青年骑士获得了优胜。他甚至记起那个刚毅、高尚而又暴虐的大团长的兄弟乌尔里西·封·荣京根，非常喜欢这位年轻的骑士，给予他特别的庇护，发给他“保护证书”，此后这年轻骑士显然动身向东方去了。玛茨科听到这个消息，喜出望外，因为他毫不怀疑地认为这年轻骑士就是兹皮希科。现在用不着到玛尔堡去了，因为虽然大团长和留在玛尔堡的骑士团的其他官员和骑士们可能提供更确切的消息，但他们反正说不出兹皮希科究竟在什么地方。另一方面，玛茨科本人完全知道可以在什么地方找到兹皮希科：不难推想，他这时候准是在息特诺附近一带；要不就是他在那里找不着达奴莎，因而赶到遥远的东方城堡和省会所在地去找她了。 ①作者注：绞架的遗迹一直保存到一八一八年。 为了抓紧时间，他们也立即向东方和息特诺前进。一路畅行无阻，城市和乡村都有公路相通；十字军骑士，或者不如说是城市的商人们，都把公路保养得很好，这些公路像勤俭而奋发有为的卡齐密斯国王治下的波兰道路一样平坦。天气非常好，夜空清澈，白天晴朗，中午时分吹来一阵干燥和暖的煦风，清新的空气沁透了心胸。麦田里一片翠绿，草原上百花盛开，松林散发出一股松香气息。他们打里兹巴克经过杰尔陀瓦，到涅兹鲍士，一路上连一丝儿云彩都没有看到。只是到了涅兹鲍士，夜里却遇到春季第一场暴风雨，幸而雨下得不久，一到早晨，雨过天晴，地平线上给金黄的玫瑰色映得一片灿烂，极目望去，地面有如铺了一张镶嵌了宝石的毯子。仿佛整个大地因为生活丰裕而欢欣雀跃，向着天空报以微笑。 他们就在这样一个愉快的早晨，从涅兹鲍士奔向息特诺。这儿离开玛佐夫舍边境不远了。要接回斯比荷夫去也很容易。玛茨科一时间真想回到那边去，可是全盘考虑过以后，却更想赶紧奔向十字军骑士的可怕巢穴，他非常担心兹皮希科会在那巢穴里遭难。于是他雇了一个向导，吩咐他把他们直接领到息特诺去；其实用不着向导，因为从涅兹鲍士起，道路笔直，还有白色的路牌。 向导走在前头，相隔几十步路。玛茨科和雅金卡骑马跟在后面；再后面便是捷克人和安奴尔卡，最后面是武装仆从簇拥着的马车。这真是个优美的早晨。玫瑰色的红霞还没有从地平线上消失，可是太阳已经升了起来，把草和树叶上的露珠变成了乳白色的玻璃。 “到息特诺去你不怕么？”玛茨科问。 “我不怕，”雅金卡回答，“天主保佑我，因为我是一个孤儿。” “那边根本没有什么信义。最坏的狗东西是邓维尔特，尤仑德把他同戈德菲列德一起打死了……捷克人这么告诉我的。次于邓维尔特的是罗特吉爱，他也死在兹皮希科的斧头下面，但那老头是个残暴的家伙，早已把灵魂出卖给魔鬼了……这些人根本不懂什么仁慈。可是我认为，如果达奴斯卡死了，那准是这家伙亲手干掉的。他们还说她出了什么事。不过公爵夫人在普洛茨克说她逃过了大难。我们到息特诺正是同他去打交道……好在我们有里赫顿斯坦写的一封信，看来他们这些狗东西怕他比怕大团长本人还厉害……他们说他有很大的威权，为人特别严峻，报复心也很重，丝毫都冒犯他不得……没有这张通行证，我就不能这么太太平平到息特诺去……” "What's his name?" “齐格菲里特·德·劳夫。” “愿天主保佑我们对付得了他。” “天主保佑！” 玛茨科笑了一下，然后说道： “公爵夫人在普洛茨克也告诉过我：'您老是抱怨，老是抱怨，就像羊抱怨狼一样，不过现在的情况是，有三只狼死了，因为无辜的羊把它们扼死了。'她说的是实话；确实如此。” “那末达奴斯卡和她的父亲呢？” “我也把这话跟公爵夫人说过了。但我心里实在高兴，因为要欺侮我们是不行的。我们早知道怎样拿住斧头柄，也知道用它来战斗。至于达奴斯卡和尤仑德，真的，我想，捷克人也这么想，他们都已不在人间了，不过实际情形怎样，可谁也说不出。我很为尤仑德难过，活着的时候他为他的女儿受了那么多痛苦，如果死了，他一定不会瞑目。” “只要旁人当我的面一提到这种事情，”雅金卡回答，“我总要想到爸爸，他也不在人间了。” 于是她向天空抬起含着泪水的眼睛，玛茨科点点头说： “他同天主一起在永恒的极乐世界安息了。在我们整个王国中，没有一个比他更好的人……” “哦，没有一个比得上他的人，一个也没有！”雅金卡叹息道。 他们的谈话被向导打断了，这向导突然勒住了他的种马，转过身来，向着玛茨科驰骋过来，并且用一种奇怪的、害怕的声音喊道： “哦，天呀！您瞧，骑士爵爷；从山风上向我们走过来的那个人是谁啊？” “谁？在什么地方？”玛茨科喊道。 “您瞧！仿佛是个巨人似的。……” 玛茨科和雅金卡勒住了马，向着向导所指的方向望去，他们确实看见了，半山腰里有一个比常人高大的形体。 “说真的，倒是像个巨人。”玛茨科喃喃地说。 他眉头一蹙，突然吐了一口唾沫，说道： “让邪魔应在那条狗身上。” “您为什么念起咒来？”雅金卡问。 “因为我记得，有一次也是在这样美好的早晨，我和兹皮希科从蒂涅茨到克拉科夫去，路上也看见了这样一个巨人。当时他们说这是华尔杰尔兹·弗达里。嗨！后来才弄清楚，原来是塔契夫的爵爷。而且一点好结局都没有。让邪魔应在这条狗身上吧。” “这个人可不是一个骑士，因为他并没有骑着马，”雅金卡说，一面张大眼睛望着。“我甚至还看出他没有带武器，只是左手拿着一根棒……” “他还在边摸边走呢，仿佛在黑夜里行走一样。” “而且简直看不出有什么移动；他一定是个瞎子？” “千真万确，他是个瞎子——瞎子！” 他们策马前进，不一会就来到了这个老人面前，他正在用棍子探着路，慢慢走下山。确实是个身体硕大的老人，而且当他们来到他身边的时候，他们也觉得他是一个巨人。他们看得清清楚楚，他完全瞎了。他没有眼睛，只有两个血红的眼窝。他的右手没有了；只缚着一捆破布。他的头发雪白，披散在肩上，胡子一直垂到腰带上。 “他没有吃的，也没有同伴，连一条狗都没有，自己摸着走，”雅金卡喊道。“天呀，我们不能不帮助他一下。我不知道他是否懂得我的话，让我试着用波兰话同他说说看。” 于是她跳下了马，走到乞丐跟前，一边在她那吊在腰带上的皮包中找钱。 乞丐一听到嘈杂的人声和马蹄声，就像一般瞎子那样把棒向前一伸，抬起头来。 “赞美耶稣基督，”姑娘说。“老公公，您懂不懂天主教的规矩？” 可是老人一听到她那好听的、年轻的声音，就浑身发抖；脸上浮起一阵奇怪的红晕，仿佛是出于柔情似的；他的眉毛盖住了空空的眼窝，突然扔掉了棒，跪在雅金卡面前，伸开了两臂。 “起来！我一定帮助您。您怎么啦？”雅金卡惊异地问。 但是老人没有回答，只是两滴眼泪从脸上滚下来，呻吟道： “啊！——啊！——啊！……” “为了天主的爱——您不会说说话么？” “啊！——啊！——啊！……” 他举起左手，先画了个十字，然后用左手指着他的嘴。 雅金卡不懂这意思，她望着玛茨科，玛茨科说： “他好像是表示他的舌头给人家割掉了。” “他们把您的舌头割掉了么？”姑娘问道。 “啊！啊！啊！啊！”老人喊了好几声，不住点着头。 接着他用手指指着两只眼睛；又用左手向残废的右臂一划，表示右手让人家斫掉了。 现在雅金卡和玛茨科两个人都明白他的意思了。 “谁把您弄成这样的？”雅金卡问道。 老人又在空中一再画着十字。 “十字军骑士团。”玛茨科喊道。 老人好像表示肯定似的，又把头搭拉在胸口上。 There was silence for a while.玛茨科和雅金卡彼此吃惊地相互望了一下，因为现在摆在他们面前的就是活的证据，表明了十字军骑士的残酷，可是谁也没有办法去惩罚那些自称为'叫十字军骑士”的骑士。 “正义在哪里！”玛茨科最后说。“他们这样狠心地惩罚了他，天主才知道是否应该如此。我要是知道他是哪里人，我一定领他回去，因为他大概是这邻近一带的人。他懂得我们的话，这里一般人都同玛佐夫舍人一佯。” “您懂得我们说的话么？”雅金卡问。 老人肯定地点了点头。 “您是这一带的人么？” No!The old man shook his head. “那末，也许您是从玛佐夫舍来的吧？” yes!He nodded. “是雅奴希公爵的属下么？” yes! “可是您到十字军骑士里头干什么呢？” 老人不能回答了，但是脸上露出一种非常痛苦的神态，弄得雅金卡由于同情他而心房剧烈地跳动起来。即使不易动情的玛茨科也说道： “我相信准是那些条顿狗崽子害苦了他。也许他是无辜的。” 雅金卡摸了些零钱放在这老人手中。 “听着，”她说，“我们不会抛弃您的。同我们一起到玛佐夫舍去吧，我们要在每个村子里打听您是不是那个村子的人。也许我们会找得到。起来吧，我们又不是圣徒。” 可是老人却没站起来，不，他甚至把头俯得更低，拼命抱住她的一双脚，好像要求她保护和向她表示感激似的。然而，他脸上还是教人看出一种惊奇的甚至是失望的神情。也许他从她的声音中听出了他是跪在一位年轻女子面前；可是他的手却无意中摸到了骑士和扈从们惯常穿的牛皮长统靴。 She said: “准定这样；我们的马车立刻就可以来到，您就可以休息休息，吃些东西。不过现在我们不是马上带您到玛佐夫舍去，我们得先到息特诺去。” 老人一听到这话，顿时一跃而起，满脸显出惊恐。他张开双臂，仿佛要拦住他们的去路；喉咙里直发出奇怪的、绝望的咕咕声，叫人听来既恐怖又难受。 “您怎么啦？”雅金卡非常吃惊地喊道。 这时候捷克人已经同安奴尔卡赶到了，他向这老人目不转睛地注视了一阵之后，脸容一变，突然转向玛茨科，声音奇特地说： “看在天主分上，请允许我，爵爷，同他说几句话，因为您不知道他是谁。” 说完以后，他来不及等待许可，就向这老人冲了过去，把手搭在他的肩上，问他道： “您是从息特诺来的么？” 这老人好像被他的说话声音吓了一跳，先强自镇定下来，肯定地点了点头。 “您不是到那里去找您的女儿么？……” 唯一的回答是一声沉重的呻吟。 哈拉伐的脸苍白了，他紧瞪着这老人的脸庞望了一会儿，然后他缓慢而又从容地说道： “那末您就是斯比荷夫的尤仑德啰。” “尤仑德！”玛茨科叫道。 可是尤仑德就在这时激动得昏过去了。漫长的苦刑，挨饥受饿，路途困顿，完全把他搞垮了。他离开地牢已经有十天了，一路全靠一根棒摸索着走过来，摸错了再摸，饥饿，疲乏，不知道自己往哪里走，又无法问路；白天里向着温暖的阳光走，夜里就在路边的沟里过夜。有时他经过一个村庄，或者小村落，或者偶然在路上遇到了什么人，他只能用他的一只手和叫喊声来乞讨，可是难得碰上一个人肯同情他，帮助他，因为人们按例都把他当作一个受法律和正义所惩罚的罪犯。两天来，他就靠树皮和树叶度日；他简直已经放弃了到达玛佐夫舍的一切希望，不料突然间遇到他本国人这些同情的声音和善良的心意；其中有一个还使他想起自己的女儿的动听的声音来；到最后人家提起他自己的名字，他就大为激动了，再也不能自持了；他的心碎了。许多念头都在他脑子里翻腾；要不是这捷克人强壮的双臂扶住了他，他一定会仆倒在路上的尘埃里。 玛茨科连忙下了马，和捷克人一起扶住了他，把他抬上马车，放在柔软的干草堆上。雅金卡和安奴尔卡看护着他。雅金卡看到他自己不能把酒杯凑到嘴上，就为他拿杯子。喝过酒后，尤仑德立刻就睡着了，睡到第三天才醒过来。 这时候他们坐下来商议了。 “闲话少说，”雅金卡说，“我们现在不要到息特诺去，而是要到斯比荷夫去了，我们要尽一切办法把尤仑德安全地送到他自己人身边。” “瞧，你下了命令，可是怎么能办得到，”玛茨科回答。“不错，我们必须把他送到斯比荷夫去，可是我们不必大家都陪他去，一辆马车尽够送到那里了。” “我不是下命令，我只是这么想，因为到了那里，我们也许可以向他探听出许多关于兹皮希科和达奴莎的消息来。” “可你怎么能从一个没有舌头的人那里探听到消息呢？” “尽管他没有舌头，消息还是可以从他身上得到的。您没有看到即使他不说话，我们也已经从他那里得到了所有的必要消息了么？等我们习惯了他的手势以后，那我们就容易得多了！比如说，不妨问他兹皮希科是否已经从玛尔堡回到了恩特诺。那么您就可以看到他或者是点头肯定，或者是摇头。” “这倒是真的，”捷克人喊道。 “这我也不反对，”玛茨科说。“我也想到过这点，不过我一向是惯于先想后谈。” 他吩咐这一行人回到玛佐夫舍边界去。一路上，雅金卡时时到尤仑德睡着的那辆马车上去看看，唯恐他会死去。 “我认不出他来了，”玛茨科说，“不过这也没有什么奇怪，他本来像一头野牛那样强壮！玛朱尔人都说，能够同查维夏较量的人只有他一个，可现在他只剩下一副骨头了。” “五花八门的事我们也听得多了，”捷克人说，“但是如果有人告诉你，天主教徒用这种行动来对付一个束腰带的骑士，而这个骑士的保护神也是圣杰西，我看谁都不会相信的。” “愿天主许可，让兹皮希科好歹总要替他报一报仇。看看吧，这些十字军骑士和我们是多么不同。不错，那四个条顿狗东西已经死了三个，但他们是在战斗中死的，没有一个是在俘虏后被割掉舌头或是挖掉眼睛的。” “天主将惩罚他们，”雅金卡说。 玛茨科转向捷克人说： “你怎么认出他来的？” “虽然我和他分别的时间比您短，我也不是一下子就认出他来的，但是我意看就愈觉得熟悉……要知道我上次看见他的时候，他还没有胡子，也没有白发；那时候他还是一个非常身强力壮的爵爷。我怎么能从这样的一个老人身上认出他来呢？后来小姐说起我们要到息特诺去，他听了就哼叫起来，我这才顿时明白了。” 玛茨科正在思量着，忽然说道： “到了斯比荷夫，就必须把他送到公爵那里去，公爵知道了十字军骑士残害这样的大人物，不会白白饶过他们的。” “他们会为自己辩护。他们用奸计拐走了他的孩子，还要为自己辩白哩。他们会说，这位斯比荷夫的爵爷是在战斗中失去舌头、眼睛和手的。” “你说得对，”玛茨科说。“他们从前还劫走过公爵本人。目前他不能同他们战斗，因为他敌不过他们；也许我们国王会帮助他。人们老是在谈论大战，但目前连一场小仗都没有打起来。” “但是同威托特公爵在打仗啊。” “感谢天主，至少他认为他们都是无足轻重的。嗨！威托特公爵才是个公爵！他的机智没有人比得上。他比全部十字军骑士加在一起还要来得机智。那些狗东西曾经把他遇到了绝境，剑架在他头上，眼看就要完蛋，但是他像一条蛇似的，从他们手中溜掉了，并且咬了他们……当他打你的时候，你得当心，但当他和你友善的时候，你就更要特别小心。” “他对待每个人都这样么？” “他只是对待十字军骑士才这样，对别人却是一个又和善又慷慨的公爵。” 玛茨科听了这话就沉思起来，仿佛在努力回想威托特公爵似的。 “他同这里的这位公爵就完全两样了，”他突然说。“兹皮希科早该投奔到他那里去，因为在他的指挥之下，通过他的作用，打起十字军骑士来可以获得巨大成就。” 他接着说道： “说不定我们两人都会投到他那里去的。那时候也许我们就能够痛痛快快地向这些狗东西报仇啦。” 然后他们又讲到尤仑德，讲到他的不幸和十字军骑士对他的骇人听闻的摧残。十字军骑士先是平白无故地杀害了他的爱妻，后来又以怨报怨，劫走了他的女儿，接下来又这样残酷地弄得他断肢残臂，连鞑靼人都想不出更残暴的酷刑。玛茨科和捷克人都咬牙切齿地想，即使他们释放他，也是居心恶毒，为的是趁机在他身上施以更大的酷刑，使这个老骑士的心愿无从实现：尤仑德极可能扬言过，一旦获得释放，非得采取适当步骤要求审问，弄明白整个事件的真相，然后要十字军骑士加倍赔偿不可。 在到斯比荷夫去的路上，他们就这样谈着和想着来消磨时间。晴朗无云的白天过后，又是星光灿烂的、宁静的夜晚；因此他们也不打尖宿夜，只是停下来喂了三次马。经过边界的时候，天还很黑；第二天早晨，雇来的向导才引导他们进入了斯比荷夫境内。 托里玛显然把那里的一切都管理得丝毫不苟，因为他们一进入斯比荷夫的森林，就有两个武装人员迎着他们走过来了。这两个人看到来人并不是士兵，只是一队普通人，不但没有查问就放他们过去了，而且走在前面给他们引路。不熟悉壕沟和沼泽的人是无法通过这条路的。 他们来到了城堡，托里玛和卡列勃神甫便出来接待客人。爵爷已经到了，而且是由虔诚的人送回来的，这一个消息像闪电似的马上在守军之间传开了。但他们一看见他受到十字军骑士这么残忍的毒手，不禁大为愤怒，暴跳如雷；这时候要是还有十字军骑士囚禁在斯比荷夫的牢狱中的话，谁都没有力量可以使他们免于惨死。 扈从们想立即上马到边界去俘虏几个日耳曼人来，斫下他们的脑袋，扔在主人脚下。但玛茨科制止住了他们，因为他知道日耳曼人都住在城市和城堡里，而边界上的一些乡村同胞不过是被迫生活在外国侵略力量的压迫下而已。尤仑德早已给放在一张熊皮上，抬到他自己的房间里，安置在床上了。无论是这一片嘈杂的闹嚷声，或是井架上吱吱嘎嘎的打水声，都不能把他吵醒。卡列勃神甫是尤仑德的知心朋友；他们彼此像亲兄弟一样相爱；这时候他正待在尤仑德身边，祈求救世主让不幸的尤仑德恢复眼睛、舌头和手。 疲乏的旅人们也都上床去了。玛茨科在中午时分醒来，就吩咐人去把托里玛找来。 他从捷克人那里知道，尤仑德在动身以前吩咐过他所有的仆人要服从他们的少主人兹皮希科，并且嘱咐过神甫把斯比荷夫遗赠给他。因此玛茨科就用一种命令的口吻对这老头儿说： “我是你们少主人的叔父，在他没有回来的时候，这里就由我管。” 托里玛垂下了他的白发苍苍的头，施了一礼。他的头有点像狼，把手捂住耳朵问道： “那末，您，阁下，就是波格丹涅茨的那位高贵骑士么？” “是的！”玛茨科回答。”'你怎么知道？” “因为少主人兹皮希科在这里盼您来，他还问起过您。” 玛茨科听了这话，就跳起身来，忘了自己的尊严，喊道： “什么，兹皮希科在斯比荷夫？” “是的，他到过这里，仁慈的爵爷；他是两天前才走的。”。 “为了天主的爱！他从哪里来，到哪里去？” “他从玛尔堡来，路过息特诺。他没有说他到哪里去。” “他没有说么，嗳？” “也许他告诉过卡列勃神甫。” “嗨！伟大的天主，那末我们在路上错过了，”他说，一面双手拍着大腿。 但托里玛又用手捂住另一只耳朵问道： “您说什么，爵爷？” “卡列勃神甫在哪里？” “他在老爵爷床边。” “请神甫到这里来，且慢……还是我自己去看他吧。” “我去请他，”托里玛说着就走。但他还没有把神甫带来，雅金卡进来了。 “来来来！”玛茨科说。“你知道这消息么？兹皮希科两天前还在这里呢。” 她刹那间变了脸色，几乎站不住脚了。 “他来过，走了么？”她问道，心跳得很快。“到哪里去了？” “才走两天，但是我不知道他到哪里去了。也许神甫知道。” “我们必须去追他，”她毅然地说。 一会儿卡列勃神甫进来了。他以为玛茨科要打听尤仑德的情况，所以不等问就说： “他还睡着呢。” “我听说兹皮希科到过这里？”玛茨科高声说道。 “他来过，但他在两天前走了。” "Where to go?" “他自己也不知道……去寻找……他到时母德边界上去了，那里现在有战争。” “为了天主的爱，神甫，把您所知道的有关他的情况，告诉我们吧！” “我只知道他亲自告诉我的一些事。他到过玛尔堡。在那里取得了大团长的兄弟的保护。大团长的兄弟是十字军骑士中首屈一指的骑士。按照他的命令，兹皮希科可以到所有的城堡里寻找。” “去找尤仑德和达奴斯卡么？” “是的；但他不是去找尤仑德，因为别人告诉他说，尤仑德已经死了。” “请您给我们从头说一说吧。” “马上就说，但让我先喘口气，定定心，因为我是从另一个世界来的。” "How do you say that?" “是从那个骑马也不能到达、只有通过祷告才能到达的世界来的……我刚刚跪在主耶稣的脚下，祈求他怜悯尤仑德。” “您这是祈求奇迹。您有这种力量么？”玛茨科非常好奇地问。 “我什么力量也没有，但救世主有这种力量，只要他愿意他就能使尤仑德恢复眼睛、舌头和手……” “只要他愿意这么做，当然就能办到，”玛茨科回答。“但是您恳求的是件办不到的事。” 卡列勃神甫没有回答，可能因为他没有听见；他的眼睛依旧闭着，仿佛失了神似的，其实是在默念祷告文。 然后他用双手遮住眼睛，沉默了一会儿。最后才抖擞了一下身子，擦擦眼睛，说道： “现在，请您问吧。” “兹皮希科是怎样博得沙姆平斯克的执政官的好感的？” “他已经不是沙姆平斯克的执政官了。 “那没有关系……您懂得我问的意思；把您所知道的都讲给我听吧。” “他在比武场上取得了乌尔里西的好感。那时候玛尔堡有许多骑士来作客，大团长下令举行公开比武。乌尔里西喜欢到比武场上战斗，他也同兹皮希科交了手。乌尔里西的马鞍带断了，兹皮希科本来可以很容易地趁机把他从马上打下来，可是兹皮希科却放下矛来，还扶了他一下。” “嗨！你看看！他真是好样的！”玛茨科喊道，一面转向雅金卡。“所以乌尔里西才这样喜欢他么？” “所以他才这样喜欢兹皮希科。他就此不肯用锐利的武器、也不肯用钝头的矛同兹皮希科比武，并且喜爱上他了。兹皮希科把他的苦楚讲给他听，乌尔里西由于要保持骑士的荣誉，听了大为震怒。他领兹皮希科去见他的哥哥大团长，去提出控诉。愿天主为这件事迹赐他好报，因为十字军骑士里面主持正义的人实在不多。兹皮希科也告诉我说，由于德·劳许的地位和财富在那边很受尊敬，也给他帮了许多忙，并且在所有的事情上都为兹皮希科作了证。” “作证的结果如何？” “结果是大团长下了一道极严厉的命令给恩特诺的'康姆透'，要他立刻把囚禁在息特诺的所有俘虏和犯人，包括尤仑德在内，都送到玛尔堡来。提起尤仑德，这'康姆透'回信说，他已经受伤身死，埋在教堂的院子里。他把其余的犯人都送了来，连一个挤牛奶的姑娘也送了去，可是我们的达奴莎却不在里头。” “我听得那个骑士侍从哈拉伐说，”玛茨科说，“被兹皮希科打死的那个罗特吉爱在雅奴希公爵的朝廷上也提到过一个什么挤奶姑娘。他说是他们搭救了一个姑娘，把她当作尤仑德的女儿。公爵夫人问道：'既然他们认得并且看见过真正的达奴莎，怎么会把一个傻姑娘错当作达奴莎呢？'他就答道，'您说得对，但我们认为是魔鬼把她变了形。'” “'康姆透'写信给大团长也这样说，说这姑娘是他们从强盗手里救出来的，不是抓来的俘虏，不过是由他们照看着，说那些强盗发誓说她是尤仑德的女儿，是魔鬼把她变了形。” “大团长相信这话么？” “他不知道该不该相信，但是乌尔里西很冒火，竭力怂恿他的哥哥派一个骑士团的高级官员同兹皮希科一起到息特诺去看看，这事情照办了。他们到了息特诺，没有找到老'康姆透'，因为他已经动身到