Chapter 48 Chapter Fourteen

But Jagienka wiped away her tears, and took the squire to Jurand to tell him the news.Jurand was sitting in a large bright room with a tame she-wolf crouching at his feet, with Father Kaleb, old Tolima, and Anurka.Everyone rested their heads on their hands, lost in thought, and listened sadly to a servant singing a hymn.The servant was also a singer, and while he played the lute, he sang of Jurand's former exploits against the "hateful knights of the crusader."The room was full of moonlight.It was a warm, quiet night following a scorching day.The windows and doors were open, and beetles from the linden tree in the yard could be seen crawling on the floor.Servants sat before the embers of the fire, warming a drink of spices, honey, and mulled wine.

This singer, or servant, is Father Kaleb's servant, and he is about to sing another song called (Happy Encounters).He had just sung "Jurand on a brown horse," when Jagienka came in and said: "Praise the Lord Jesus!" "Forever and ever," answered Father Kaleb.Jurand, who was sitting in an armchair with his elbows on the armrests, turned to her as soon as he heard her voice, and greeted her with a nod of his creamy head. "Zbyszko's squire has returned from Szytno," said the girl. "He has brought news from the priest. Macko is not coming back. He has gone to Prince Witout."

"Why doesn't he come back?" asked Father Kaleb. So she told everything she had heard from the Czechs.She told how Siegfried avenged Rotji's death; her.She even told them that Macko felt that there was a good chance of finding Danusia, getting her out with Zbyszko's help, and sending her to Spychow; therefore he had gone to Zbyszko and ordered She stays here. But she didn't know whether it was from sadness or worry, and her voice trembled at the end.After she finished speaking, there was silence in the room, only the sound of crickets could be heard coming in from the linden tree in the yard through the open window, like a heavy rain.All eyes were turned towards Jurand, whose lids were closed and his head thrown back, as if completely lifeless.

"Do you hear?" asked Father Kaleb at last. Jurand still raised his head, raised his left hand, and pointed to the sky.The moonlight fell directly on his face, on his white hair, and on his invisible eyes; but there was an expression of inexpressible pain on that face, and an expression of trusting in God and obeying God's arrangements, which made all present feel He was just seeing everything with his soul, which had been freed from the bondage of the body and forever from the earthly life from which he had insulated. There was silence again, and the sound of crickets could still be heard.

Jagienka, who was almost full of filial piety, suddenly felt great pity for the unfortunate old man.She rushed to his side, took his hand, and kissed it with tears. "I'm an orphan too!" she exclaimed with emotion. "I'm not a squire, but Jagienka of Zgortynytri. Matsko put me in order to protect me from bad people." Take it with you. Now I will stay with you until God returns Danusia to you." Jurand was not at all surprised; he seemed to have known for a long time that she was a girl; he just hugged Jagienka and held her tightly to his breast.She continued to kiss his hand, sobbed and said incoherently:

"I want to stay with you. Danuska will definitely come back... then I will go back to Zgotzlitri. God protects orphans! The Germans killed my father too. But your beloved daughter Alive and will return. Give us this reward, most merciful God, most holy and most merciful Mother!..." At this moment Father Kaleb suddenly knelt down and prayed in a solemn voice: "Lord have mercy on us!" "The Lord have mercy on us!" The Czech and Tolima immediately echoed in unison.Then everyone knelt down, for this was a litany of prayers, which, besides the customary prayer at the hour of death, was also said when a loved one was delivered from the danger of death.Jagienka knelt down; Jurand also slid off his seat, knelt down, and everyone prayed in unison:

"Lord have mercy on us!" "Lord have mercy on us!" "Lord, Father in heaven, have mercy on us!" "Son of God, Savior of the world, have mercy on us!" The sound of prayers, "Give us mercy!", was mixed with the crickets. The tame she-wolf who had been squatting before Jurand suddenly got up from the bearskin where she was squatting, walked up to the open window, leaned against the sill, and pointed her triangular mouth towards the moon, A low, mournful voice howled. Although the Czech had some admiration for Jagienka, his love for the charming Anurka grew day by day, but his young and brave heart made him most eager for war.He returned to Spyhof on Macko's orders.He took comfort in thinking that he could at least protect the two girls.But Jagienka was right in telling him that no one in Spychow threatened them that it was his duty to follow Zbyszko.At this time, the Czechs also happily agreed.Macko was not his immediate master.It was therefore easy for him to confess himself to the old knight: he had left Spychow for Zbyszko at the orders of his mistress.

But Jagienka did it on purpose, thinking that this bold and clever squire might always be of help to Zbyszko, and would rescue him in many dangerous situations.Zbyszko had already shown his ability earlier when he was nearly killed by a bison in the duke's hunt; therefore he would of course be more useful in war, especially in the case of the present situation on the Zemud frontier. such a war.Immediately after leaving Jurand with Jagienka, Hlavar, eager to go to the battlefield, embraced Jagienka's leg and said: "I really want to kneel down to you immediately, and beg you to say auspicious words for me to go out this time."

"What?" asked Jagienka. "Are you leaving today?" "Leave early tomorrow morning, so that the horses can rest at night, because it is a long way to Shimude from here." "Then go, so that you can quickly catch up with Macko Knight." "It's hard to overtake him. The old lord can stand anything, and he's been days ahead of me. To shorten my journey, I'll have to go through Prussia, and detours through untrodden forests." Go. Lord Macko has a letter from Lichtenstein, which he can produce if necessary; but I can't produce anything, so I have to find a clear way for myself."

So he put his hand on the hilt of his sword.Jagienka hastened to exclaim: "Be careful! You must hurry on your way, and at the same time, you must be careful not to be caught by the crusader knights and imprison you. Be even more careful in the deserted forest, because the local people who have not yet converted to Catholicism worship all kinds of God, there are plenty of them. I remember Macko and Zbyszko talking about this kind of thing when they were in Zgotsyriti." "I also remember how they spoke of the gods, but I am not afraid of them; they are nothing, what gods; they have no power. I can handle them, and the Germans. But I met Germanic, it must have been when the war broke out."

"You can't kill God, what have you heard from the Germans?" The cautious Czech frowned, thought for a while, and said: "War broke out, or didn't break out. We got all the information we could, and especially Sir Macco, who was an experienced man, and could outsmart every German. He asked questions, pretended to be polite, There is never a slight flaw in his speech, and what he said can hit the point, like a fisherman fishing, to find out what he wants to find out. If your lady will listen patiently, I will tell you: a few years ago, Wito The Duke of Tet planned an expedition against the Tartars, and wanted to keep peace with the Germans; therefore he ceded to them the province of Zimud. There was a great friendship and peace between them. He permitted the Germans to build castles, and he himself helped them. They met, including the Grand Master, on an island, where they ate and drank, and appeared to be extremely friendly to one another, and even allowed the Germans to go hunting in those uninhabited forests. During the reign of the Knights of the Crusaders, Duke Witout sent his own soldiers to help the Germans. The whole Lithuanian was muttering that the Duke was against his countrymen. ' told us about it; he praised the Knights of the Crusades for sending their priests to Zemud, converting the people to Catholicism, and sending food in times of famine. Such things have indeed happened. because it was the order of the Grand Master who feared God more than the others. Yet they gathered up the children of the Zimuds, sent them to Prussia, and raped the women in front of their husbands and brothers; who dared Whoever opposes it shall be hanged, madam, and thus there is war." "And what about Duke Witout?" "The Duke has never cared about the persecution of the Zemuds by the Knights of the Crusaders, and he has made friends with the Knights of the Crusaders. Not long ago, his wife, the Duchess, visited Marburg in Prussia. They received her with the most honorable ceremonies, as if she were Queen of Poland. That was a recent thing! They gave her innumerable presents, and arranged countless tournaments and banquets; Where are all kinds of celebrations held? People thought that there would be a permanent friendship between the knights of the crusaders and the Duke of Wittout. Unexpectedly, he suddenly changed his mind..." "This confirms what I have more than once heard my late father and Macko say, that the Duke's mind is capricious." "He is not capricious with righteous men, but only with crusaders, who have no faith in themselves, and nothing can be trusted. They asked him not long ago to extradite fugitives to them. His answer Yes, only those who have a bad reputation can be extradited to them, but not free people, because free people have the freedom to choose where to live. Right now they are quarreling and writing letters to accuse each other. Now the Germans in Germany Hearing this news, they broke away from the garrison one after another, encouraged the people in the small castle, and now they even attacked the Prussian mainland. Duke Wittout not only stopped stopping them, but also laughed at the difficulties of the Germans and secretly helped the Zmuds. .” "I understand," said Jagienka. "But if he's secretly helping them, he hasn't declared war yet." "Meanwhile the Germans have been openly at war, in fact, against the Duke of Wittout. The Germans are flocking from all over the country to the frontier to defend the fortress, while a great invasion of the Germanic expedition is still being planned. But they can't go on an expedition until winter comes, because this is a swampy country, and the knights can't fight there. Sometimes the German warriors can pass through that place, but the Germanic knights will be stuck and unable to move, so Winter is good for the Germans. As soon as it gets cold, the whole Germanic army will be mobilized, but Duke Witout, with the permission of the King of Poland, will help the Germans. The king is the master of all the grand dukes, first of all the Duke of Lithuania master of the "Then will there be war against the King?" "The people here, as well as the Germans, say that war is about to break out. The Knights of the Crusades are now asking for help from all the courts. It is really a guilty conscience. Because every knight of the Crusaders knows that the king's power is not a joke, Poland The Cavaliers in particular are likely to beat them without breaking a sweat." Jagienka sighed: "Boys are luckier than girls. I have proof of my words. Zbyszko and Macko are gone, and you will go to war like them, but we will stay in Spychov. " "Then what can you do, mademoiselle? Yes, you stay here, it is perfectly safe here. I have heard it said in Scittno that the name of Jurand is still a terror to the Germans, if they know If he was in Spychof now, he would be terrified immediately." "We know they don't dare to come here, because the swamp and old Tolima can defend this place, but it's hard to sit here and know nothing." "If there is any news, I will let you know. I know that two young nobles volunteered to go to war before we left for Scittno. Tolima can't stop them, because they are nobles, and they came from It's from Lenkavitri. They're leaving with me now, and if there's anything to do, one of them can send you a message." "May God repay you. I have always known that you are able to deal with dangers and dangers; and I am grateful to you all my life for your kindness to me." The Czech knelt down and said: "All I have from you is kindness. Lord Zich captured me near Polaslavitz when I was only a boy, and he released me without a ransom. But I would rather be with you." To be a captive, not to be free. May God allow me to shed my blood for you, for my lady." "May God guide you and grant you your return!" answered Jagienka, offering him her hand. He would rather salute her deeply and kiss her feet to show greater respect.Then he raised his head, and said humbly and respectfully: "I am but a boy, but I am a nobleman, and your faithful servant. So give me something as a souvenir of my journey. Please do not deny me this request; the time of war is approaching, and I call St. Jesse as a witness , I will always be a person who goes forward and never lags behind." "What kind of souvenir do you want?" "Fix me a cloth sash and send me on my way, so that if I should fall in the field, my dying pains will be lessened with your sash around me." He gave another deep salute, folded his arms, and looked pleadingly into her eyes. But Jagienka had a look of perplexity on her face, and after a while, feeling sad as if involuntarily, she replied: "Oh, dear! Don't ask me for such things, the belt I wear is of no use to you. A happy man will give you happiness. Only such a man will bring you good luck. But me, of course, only sad Alas! I cannot give happiness to you, nor to others; for I cannot give to others what I have not. That is how I think, Halava. There is nothing in the world to cherish for me now, and therefore ..." She stopped suddenly, because she knew that if she continued, she would inevitably cry a lot, and her eyes were blurred now.The Czech was very moved, because he knew that both situations would be equally bad for her: if she had to go back to Zgotrilici, she would have to live as neighbors with the greedy rogues Cden and Wilk; Sooner or later Zbyszko always came with Danusia at Spiehof.Halaval understood Jagienka's distress very well, but unfortunately he could not comfort her.So he embraced her knees again, and said: "Oh! I'll give my life for you! I'll give my life!" "Get up!" she said. "Let Anurka make you a war sash, or let her give you some other souvenir, for you have been friends for a while." Then Jagienka called Anurka, who immediately came in from the next room.In fact, before I came in, I had already heard everything clearly outside the door. I was eager to say goodbye to this beautiful attendant, but I didn’t dare to come in. Now I came in, scared, flustered, and my heart was pounding. and stood before him with downcast eyes, with tears in their eyes; looking like an apple-blossom, and unable to utter a word. Although Halava admired Yagienka, it was the most sincere respect and love, and he didn't even dare to ask for her in his heart.He often thought of Anurka affectionately, and when he saw her, his blood rushed quickly in his veins, and he couldn't bear to look at her charming figure.But now his heart was drawn to her beauty, and he saw love in her bewildered, tearful eyes, as he sees gold in a crystal river. So Halava turned to her and said: "I'm going to war. I may die. Will you feel sorry for me?" "I must be very sorry for you!" answered the girl softly.She burst into tears, as she always did.The Czech was so moved that he kissed her both hands, because in Jagienka's presence he had to suppress his desire to kiss her more intimately. "Wrap him a sash or give him something as a token of his departure, so that he may fight under your banner." But Anurka had nothing to offer him because she was in men's clothes.She searched and couldn't find any straps, or anything to tie them on, for her dresses were still locked in the trunk and hadn't been touched since they left Zgotrilitri.She was therefore extremely perplexed, and it was Jagienka who came to her rescue and persuaded her to give him the little hairnet that was on her head. "My God!" Hlava exclaimed joyfully, "send the net to the Internet cafe, put it in the helmet, and woe to any German who tries to touch it." Anurka removed the hairnet with both hands, and her bright blond hair fell over her shoulders and arms.At the sight of her unkempt hair, Halava's face changed, from red to red.He picked up the hairnet and kissed it, hiding it against his chest.So he hugged Jagienka's feet again, and Anurka's again, but a little too hard this time.So he said, "That's it," and went out. The Czechs don't go to sleep even though they are going out and need to rest.He drank all night with two companions who had gone with him to Shimud.But he was not drunk, and as soon as Dongfang turned white, he was already in the yard, and the horses were ready for the road. From a window above the shed, covered with a cow's bladder, a pair of blue eyes looked out into the yard.When the Czech saw it, he was about to go over, take out the villager's hairnet in his helmet, and say goodbye to the girl again, but Father Kaleb and old Tolima suddenly came and told him what he should pay attention to when going out. matters, thus interrupting his plan. "To the court of Duke Janusi first," said the Abbe Kaleb. "Perhaps Sir Macko will rest there. In short, you can get correct information there, and you can meet many acquaintances. And the road from there to Lithuania is the main road, and it is not difficult to find guides in the wilderness. If you really only want to see Lord Zbyszko, then don't go directly to Zimud, because there is a Prussian reservation there, but detour through Lithuania. Remember that the Zmud people even when you are still there. Before you can tell them who you are, they will kill you. But in Lithuania, on the part of Duke Wittout, it is quite different. God bless you and the two knights in the end, may You come back in good health and with Danusia. I will pray for this every day at the Cross, from Vespers to the rising of the first star." "I thank you, priest, for your blessing," Halava answered. "It is not easy to save a living person from the clutches of the crusader knights. But since everything is determined by God, it is better to hope than to be sad." "It is better to hope, and therefore I will not be disappointed. Although the heart is burning, hope is still alive... The worst thing is that Jurand himself, at the mention of his daughter's name, immediately points to the sky, as if he It's like seeing her in the sky." "How could he see her without eyes?" Then the abbe said, as if answering himself, as if answering Hlava: "He who has lost his sight with his physical eyes can see with his spiritual eyes what others cannot see... Maybe so. Maybe! But God allows such an innocent lamb to be wronged, it really confuses me I understand. Even if she offends the Knights of the Crusaders, she shouldn't suffer so much. Besides, she has nothing wrong with her. She is as pure as the holy lily, kind to others, and like a bird that sings freely. God loves children and is merciful. Hey! If they kill Danuska, God can bring her back to life, just like Piotrovina, Piotro After Vina rose from the grave, she still took care of the housework for many years...go away in peace, may the hand of God protect you all!" Having said these words, the priest returned to the chapel for morning mass.It was broad daylight, and the Czech mounted his horse, bowed once more to the window, and departed.