Chapter 46 Chapter Twelve

After a long sleep, Jurand woke up in the presence of Father Kaleb; in his sleep he forgot what had happened to him, and did not know where he was; he felt his bed and the wall beside it. .Father Kaleb wept bitterly in his arms, kissed him tenderly, and cried: "It's me! You're in Spykhov! Brother Jurand! . . . God tested you . . . and now you're among your own people . . . Good people have sent you here. Brother, dear brother, Jurand Lund." So he hugged him again and again, and kissed his forehead and hollow eye sockets; but Yohd was a little confused at first.At last he waved his left hand up and down his head and forehead, as if trying to dispel the Sandman and the stupor from his mind.

"Did you hear me and understand me?" asked the Abbe Kaleb. Jurand nodded.So he reached for the silver crucifix on the wall, which he had wrested from the neck of a mighty Germanic knight, pressed it firmly over his mouth and heart, and gave it to Kara Father Lieb. "I understand you, brother!" said the priest. "God is with you. He is able to give you back all that you have lost, just as He rescued you after you were taken captive." Jurand pointed to the sky, indicating that everything can only be repaid there.So his hollow eye sockets were filled with tears, and an indescribable pain appeared on his suffering face.Father Kaleb recognized Danuska's death from his distressed countenance, and knelt by the bed, he said:

"O Lord! Give her eternal rest, give her eternal bliss. Amen." But Jurand sat up straight at this, shook his head, and waved his hands, as if trying to stop Father Kaleb from saying so, but the priest did not understand him.At this moment old Tolima entered, followed by the castle guard, some old peasants of Spychof, foresters, fishermen, etc., for the news of Jurand's return had spread quickly. Spiehoff.They embraced his feet, kissed his hands, and wept bitterly at the sight of the old and handless cripple, for he looked quite another man than the ignorant knight and cross he had once been. The confidant of the army knight is in serious trouble.But some of them, especially those who used to accompany him in his expeditions, were filled with indignation; their faces were pale and determined.After a while, they huddled together, whispering quietly, dragging each other, giving way.At last Sukhaz, a garrison and village blacksmith, came up to Jurand, embraced his feet, and said:

"As soon as they sent you here, my good lord, we intended to go to Scittno at once, but the knight who sent you would not let us go. Now give us permission, we cannot leave them at their ease. Punish them now, as they were before. Let them not insult us and get away with it. We have always fought them under your command. Now we will march under Tolima, or without him. All right. We'll take Shitno and bleed those bastards. We swear to God!" "We swear to God!" repeated several voices. "To Scitno!" "We must pay back the debt of blood!" Immediately, a raging anger burned in the hearts of these angry Majurs. They frowned and their eyes gleamed with anger.The gnashing of teeth was heard everywhere.But in an instant all sounds died away, and all eyes were turned to Jurand.Jurand's cheeks flushed, and he assumed his usual combative air.He got up and went to touch the crucifix on the wall again.People thought he was looking for the sword.He found the crucifix and took it down.His face paled, he turned toward the crowd, lifted his hollow eye sockets to the sky, and waved the crucifix in front of him.

The room was silent.It was getting dark; the chirping of the birds that roosted under the eaves and on the linden trees in the courtyard came in through the windows.The last red rays of the setting sun streamed into the room and fell on the raised cross and on Jurand's white hair. Sukhaz the blacksmith looked at Jurand, then at his companions, and then at Jurand.Finally he bid them farewell and tiptoed out of the room.The rest followed suit.In the courtyard they stopped and began talking again in low voices: "What should we do now?" "We're not going. What then?"

"He won't allow it." "Let God take revenge. Apparently even his soul has changed." Indeed it is. Only Father Kaleb and old Tolima remained.Jagienka and Anurka heard the sound of an armed crowd in the courtyard, and they came over to find out what it was. Jagienka, bolder and more confident than Anurka, went up to Jurand. "God help you, knight Jurand," she said. "We are the ones who brought you back from Prussia." As soon as he heard her young voice, his face lit up.The sound obviously brought him back to his normal mood, and he recalled what had happened on the way from Schitno to here. He lowered his head and put his hands on his chest several times to express his gratitude.Then Jagienka told him how they first met him, the Czech Hlava, Zbyszko's squire, how they recognized him, and how they finally sent him to Spychov.She also told him about herself, saying that she and her companions carried swords, helmets, and shields for the Macko knights of Bogdaniec.Maczko, Zbyszko's uncle, had left Bogdaniec in search of Zbyszko, and was now on his way to Szytno, and would be back in Spychow in three or four days.

As soon as Schitno was mentioned, although Jurand did not fall down, nor was he as excited as he was on the road for the first time, but a very worried expression appeared on his face.But Jagienka reassured him that the Mackos were wise and brave, and would never be fooled.What's more, he still has a letter from Lichtenstein, so he can travel around without any mistakes. These words greatly reassured Jurand.Evidently he wanted to know many other things.But because he couldn't find out, he was in pain.The clever girl saw this at once, and said: "We can often talk with you about everything. Then everything will be clear."

Jurand smiled, held out his hand, and rested it on her head for a moment, as if to bless her.He was very grateful to her, and, in fact, he was moved by the young bird's voice. He said his prayers almost all day long, and when he was not praying or sleeping, he always wanted her by his side; if she was not there, he wanted to hear her very much, and tried to get the attention of Father Kaleb and Trima. , beckoning the agreeable squire to come to him. She came often because her tender heart felt sincerely for the old man.Besides, it would be a diversion for her while she was waiting for Macko, whom she felt had been too long in Schüttno.

He was originally scheduled to be back within three days, but now the fourth and fifth days have passed, and it is already the night of the sixth day, and he has not returned yet.The terrified girl was about to ask Tolimar to send a party to look for it, when suddenly the guard on the oak whistle blew a horn, indicating that a horseman was approaching.Soon the sound of horses trotting across the drawbridge was heard, and Halaffar was escorted into the yard by a servant.Jagienka had already left the room, and had been watching in the yard before they arrived, when Hlavar had not dismounted from her horse when she ran up to him.

"Where is Macko?" she asked, all the while beating wildly with fear. "He has gone to Duke Witout, and he bids you stay here."